August 4???

August 4 seems significant in my mind for some reason. Like it's someone's birthday or the date of a significant event in my life, but nothing is sounding or feeling familiar. One thing is for sure, I feel like I'm at another ending of an era. I just moved out of my first apartment building in New York, where I lived alone and paid way too much in rent. I learned valuable lessons in that place and had great neighbors that I know are going to be close friends for life. I picked my Fellowship Group based off where I lived, and I wouldn't trade this group for any other group of friends in New York. Because of those friends, I now have two great roommates and pay cheap rent even for outside-of-New-York standards. The professors are starting to come back one by one as we get closer to school starting. I try to remember their names, and sometimes I ask them if they had a good trip hoping that they actually did go on some trip. Since January I've felt like I've been going through a spiritual renewal, and I believe that the deadness I've felt for a few years is gone, and I'm starting new. I'm going on my first mission trip in (gulp) five years. I can't believe it's been that long since I was in Italy. Things are good. I still miss my family and friends in and from Texas, but (and yes, this is cliche), I heart New York.

I'm making the first of what I'm sure will be many trips to IKEA tonight. Claudia and Sara without an H (I say Sara without an H to clarify from my roommates Sarah D. and Sarah T.) are going with me to help me bring stuff back and assemble. They are beyond fabulous for helping me with this. I'm not so great with putting things together. I can organize like crazy, but assembly is not my forte. At some point this week I really need to do laundry. It's getting to the point where I might just drop it off, but I love the smell of fresh laundry, and the only way to get the particular smell I love is for me to use Gain detergent and Bounce dryer sheets. Maybe I'll give up the smell this one time though...