To take this place and make this home

In my 3 years of college I have moved a total of 5 times, and I'm about to make my 6th move at the end of this month. The reasons behind me moving so often are various: I changed schools several times, spent a summer at home, did a summer sublease, moved in with one set of friends, then another set of friends, and now some roomies decided to experience a life lived alone, so I'm on to another great house with an amazing group of girls!

For many, the thought of moving so many times does not sound at all appealing. A lot of us like the idea of being stable, set, and secure, and our environment or living situation can play a big role in that. As for me, I enjoy change. In fact not only do I enjoy it, I crave it; I thrive off of it. Every new place is a fresh start and every new roommate is another friendship formed. I love being in a new atmosphere. I love getting to take a different route to and from school. I love re-setting up my room- my pictures get to hang on different walls, my furniture goes in a different arrangement, and every time I move I do a little something different with the decorations. It's therapeutic... and exciting.

Life has been pretty fast-paced during these college years, and I only expect it to stay that way until I do what they like to call "settle down and have a family," (and who knows how soon or how late that will come.) So until then, it's my pleasure to take advantage of living here, living there, living with this friend, living with that friend. Because when else in my life will I have the opportunity to do so? Though it doesn't have to, life might start to slow down after marriage. The house I move into with my future husband might be the house I stay in for 20 more years. You never know. I'm not saying I want my future to play out this way; I'm just saying that anything is possible. But for my life right now, I have been given a chance to have it either way. Sure, some of the moves were because of situations where I had no choice, but either way, I'm glad it's happened the way it has. It makes for great stories. It's helped me grow as an individual. It's taught me about how unique we all are as human beings. My dad always told me "You'll never really know someone until you live with them," and I never realized until these past few years just how true that is. I've learned so many things about many of my friends and the way they "tick," and I fully embrace and appreciate each one of them for being just who they are- even if their personalities are the complete opposite of my own.

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:3-8

I'm really looking forward to all my future moves. I see Austin somewhere up ahead, with vivid colors and eclectic artwork, an old creaking house, and shows every weekend. I see Colorado somewhere in the future, with a cozy cabin, a roaring fire, a wine cellar and adventure. But wherever the Lord takes me or keeps me, I will, in the words of Sherwood, "take this place and make this home."

For Whatever Wednesdays,
Kate

Subway Do's and Don'ts

Do: take advantage of the 5-dollar footlong offer. You can eat one half for lunch then the other half for dinner, and relish in the fact that you only spent $2.50 for each meal!

Don't: get your sandwich toasted if you plan on doing the previous option.

Do: try the honey oat bread. It's quite tasty and has the highest amount of fiber (5 grams) out of all the breads to choose from.

Don't: order a pizza. This is a sub shop, not a pizzeria. You're wasting your money.

Do: try a salad. Okay, I know I just said it's a sub shop, but their salads are awesome because you get to build your own and they're actually really filling! (And better for you than pizza... duh.)

Don't: ask for extra olives. Me and Jacy decided they will over-power the flavor of your sammy.

Do: treat yourself to a cookie every once in a while. Especially if they're fresh. My recommendation: oatmeal raisin.

Don't: eat too fast. Subway is delicious and should be savored.

Do: give their breakfast sandwiches a try. Most of them are in the 400-500 calorie range which is a great amount to start your day off with, especially if you're active!

Don't: get ranch unless your taste buds really just can't handle any other dressing. One serving (2 oz) is 320 calories... that's more than the salad itself!

Do: try the sweet onion sauce. It's meant to go on the Sweet Onion Chicken but it's really good on turkey or ham, or as a salad dressing.

Don't: forget to make it a meal. Apples and yogurt! Apples and yogurt!

Do: eat fresh. It's Subway... how could you not?

Old School Still Rocks

I'm way excited... Sugar Ray is touring! And they are coming to The House of Blues in Dallas on August 23rd! I'm so there.

People give me a hard time for being a Sugar Ray fan in year 2009, but that's because they don't know my story behind why I'm a fan. (And maybe it's also because they don't appreciate the great sounds of the 90s.) The reason for my fandom is nothing too personal to share, but it is "personal" in a sense. It's also silly and cheesy, which honestly might be why I'll refrain from sharing it on here. (It would really make for a boring story... I promise.)

Sugar Ray's sound incorporates sugary-sweet pop arrangements with subtle alternative rock infusions. They remind me of summer. They're up-beat and easy on the ears. Perfect for a day at the beach or a drive with the windows down. They just released their new album entitled Music for Cougars. I'm interested to know just what type of cougar they are referring to...
Their last album came out 6 years ago! I'm always interested in knowing the story behind why bands split up/take a break then decide to get back together. I like to think that in Sugar Ray's case it's because they knew they had a fan out there named Kate who was really wanting them to come back around. I must find a way to express my gratitude... maybe I'll throw a sleazy pair of undies on stage at the concert. (Heh heh... no.) My 17-dollar ticket and singing along should do just fine.

Aimee Allen and Fastball will be performing with them as well. Aimee is a funky, tatted-up chick with a pretty unique sound and, according to my sister, an interesting story. Supposedly, an attack by several gang members outside her recording studio late one night caused Aimee to slip into a post-traumatic spiral, which eventually became the influential catalyst that has brought her music- and her spirits- to higher ground today. I haven't listened to much of her stuff yet, but I think she might become one of the few female artists I like. Fastball, formed out of Austin, TX, might ring a bell when you hear the lyrics "where were they going without ever knowing the way." This one-hit-wonder seemed to crank through many pop radio stations in the mid- to late-nineties, but for many listeners (myself included) the band's name just didn't stick in our mental rolodex.

Anywho, besides that... I've discovered the electric tranquility of Owl City and got a free download of their song "Fireflies" from iTunes. Cute and corny lyrics, but definitely catchy! Also, my Dad gave me his iPod Shuffle since I lost my iPod. Although it doesn't hold nearly as many songs as I have downloaded, I'm thankful to have it serving as my interim music buddy.

Expect a detailed review of Sugar Ray, Fastball, and Aimee Allen on Monday, August 24th!

For Music Mondays,
Kate