What's a girl to do?

(sigh) School is out. I came home on May 8th or 9th. Any normal person would be jumping for joy shouting "hurray, school is OVER!!!" But me...I miss school. Very much. Yeah, it's lame but it's the honest-to-gosh truth! I miss my friends. I miss my dorm. I miss ceramics terribly! I especially miss the Bible studies and Campus Crusade for Christ. It's strange to come home and not have Cru here. I love seeing my family and friends from home, but to be quite honest I still feel lonely and surprisingly homesick for school. I think a big part of it is that I'm not nearly as busy as I used to be. Now that I'm finished I don't quite know what to do with myself for the summer!

This summer promises to be busy and full of changes. My parents are moving. I'm going to spend the last 6 weeks of summer with my sister and her husband and my niece here in town. I'm getting ready to study abroad in China this fall. It's just a tiny bit overwhelming. Even though I'm less opposed to change than I was when I was younger I still have a hard time embracing it wholeheartedly. I am happy for my parents (my Dad lost his job a year ago and this move is a great opportunity for him and my family) but it seems strange to think that the next time I go visit them it will be in a new city. I won't know my way around. I won't know anyone there. I don't really mind that, it's just weird. I guess it just feels like I don't have a permanent home right now. That must be kind of normal for this stage of my life.

It will be an adventure though. I think this whole year is going to be one crazy adventure. I can't believe I'm planning to be in China for (almost) 4 months! One of my favorite books of all time is The Hobbit. It talks about how hobbits are homebodies who don't like adventures. In the book, the hobbit is roped into going on an adventure with Gandalf the wizard and 12 dwarves to reclaim stolen treasure. Throughout the book the hobbit wishes he was back home waiting for his tea kettle to start singing...however every once in awhile something in him wakes up (something Tookish...since his relatives the Tooks were abnormally adventurous hobbits) and makes him long to see places he's never been and hear songs he's never heard and be a part of stories that will be told for generations...
sometimes I feel just like the hobbit. My natural inclination is to stay where I'm comfortable...where everything is safe and familiar. But every once in awhile...more lately than usual, something inside me wants to go out and have an adventure. To experience what I can only read about. But at the same time I am sure I will be homesick for my family and friends and school. It's only been 3 weeks and I'm very homesick for school. I know when my parents and siblings move I'll be homesick for them. I know I'll be homesick for my sister and brother-in-law and niece. But in a way it is comforting to know I'll miss them. I am blessed to have a family that I love and that loves me. I've been blessed to make dear friends who are like family and to be a part of a ministry that challenges me to make my whole life about serving Jesus. I am blessed beyond measure to be loved and sought after by my saviour, Jesus, who sent his Spirit to be with me wherever I am. So I don't have to be too afraid to go anywhere or do anything because I'm never truly alone.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

That's a promise to hang onto!

That's about all I have to write about tonight. I'm in the middle of packing and organizing...it's a lengthy process and I keep stopping to check facebook and blogs! The internet is not conducive to productivity sometimes. :)