THIS JUST IN! I'm officially a member of Cast A 2013 for UP WITH PEOPLE! No words can express how unbelievably stoked I am for this experience! Performance? World Travel? International friendships? Homestays and cultural immersion? Outreach and community service? I am so blessed to be a part of this amazing experience!
I'm still a year and a half away, but I'm already so looking forward to all the amazing experiences this journey will bring! IT WILL BE PHENOMENAL!
I plan on starting a separate blog a little while down the road, updating anyone interested in my preparation, fundraising efforts, and eventually, my journey as I travel abroad! Again...I can't wait! (Can you tell I'm just a little excited?) Be sure to stay tuned for upcoming announcements about all things Up With People! I'm sure you'll be hearing LOTS! =)
If you want more information or are simply curious, I strongly suggest you take a look at their website: www.upwithpeople.com
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My last two weekends have been AMAZING! Just how summer weekends should be!
I got to see presented by the Starfire Singers of Los Altos United Methodist Church on Friday and Saturday night (Aug. 5th and 6th). Dirk and Carol Damonte (Dustin's parents) wrote this original musical challenging audiences to rethink church and one's involvement in the church. The musical was amazing and truly hit home. The main question posed was: Is 'church' just one boring hour a week that you sit in uncomfy pews and fall asleep listening to a sermon and the same old creeds, or is it an action word...something you do? Church is more than just sitting in a building...it's interacting with the world and doing good at all times. I loved the message. I loved the music. It was so well done. Not to mention, I got to see some of my MOST favorite people ever! I love the LAUMC family and the entire Damonte clan! =D
Friday's show was in Kent, WA, but Saturday's show was in Lake Oswego, OR. It just so happens that Dustin and I have a crazy, ridiculous, awesome friend Lindsay who happens to live in Lake Oswego...AND it just so happened that her church was the one hosting the event! Perfect, no?
So Dustin and I headed down to L.O. for the weekend, and got to be reunited with Linds. It was SO great getting to see her...she was studying abroad all last Spring and I missed that lady. Shoot! We had so much fun hanging out, laughing to beat the band, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine on her boat out on Lake Oswego, swimming, catching up, watching 'The Project,' and enjoying free booze! Yup. It was amazing! I wish I had taken pictures of that weekend, but we were too busy enjoying each other's company!
This past weekend, Aug. 13th, I got to spend a day in Gig Harbor with my friend Aidan. We walked along the harbor, enjoyed MORE sunshine (while it lasted), watched quite a few movies, and made GRILLED PIZZAS! If you've never tried it, I challenge you to go fire up your grill...NOW! I will never bake a pizza again, that's how delicious this concoction is!
So crunchy! So delicious! SO YUMMY!
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Now I'm fully back in the swing of things at school. Yesterday marked the start of Passages Orientation training! As exhausting as orientation is, I SO LOVE getting to spend time with such amazing leaders. We went to a low ropes course today for teambuilding and leadership fun! It was an amazing, sunshiney, fun-filled day, full of meeting new folks and reuniting with old friends! I can't wait for the rest of this week, then camping with the new students at Camp Parsons, and then starting the school year! Senior year...here I come!!!
Camp Parsons! Can't wait! I LOVE this place!!!