A Love Song (Between a Hippo and a Moose).

We definitely spent hours on this (sarcasm).

The Cliche List

It's now time for the cliche "Thanksgiving post".
Here is a simple list of things that I'm thankful for.

1. The smell of coffee in the morning.

This is most definitely my favorite way to wake up.

2. People watching.
Although this may be a creepy thing to be thankful for, it certainly makes me happy. I love to watch complete strangers converse and interact. It's also pretty fun to guess who they are and what they're saying. (I definitely mean this in the least creepy way possible).

3. Traveling.

Exploring new sights and smells. I absolutely love it. However, I've discovered that I hate traveling alone. Most of the fun comes from the company that you share the sights with!

4. Printed pictures.

In today's digital world, most of us hardly print out physical copies of pictures. Photo sharing has become so easy because of websites such as facebook and flickr. However, holding an actual picture in your hand brings a whole different experience to the table. I just love it.

5. Candles.

Sadly, my mom and I share a very different taste in candles. She loves the tree scented type candles...where as I love the sweeter smelling candles. I really wouldn't mind the tree scented candles if it didn't remind me of allergies (that may sound strange...but trust me...it really does make complete sense.)

6. My Church.
I absolutely love the atmosphere of my church. Ever since I moved to North Carolina, I've never really felt at home. However, when I'm at my church, I feel at home! I wish I had more words to describe what I actually mean...but the turkey is beginning to set in (making it very hard to stay awake right now...much less write well-formed sentences.)

7. The ladybug that is currently flying three inches away from my face.

Just kidding. It's quite annoying, actually.

8. Music.
Although this seems to be on almost every "what I'm thankful for" list, I really do love it. I love the way music can play with emotions through a series of melodies, harmonies, and rhythm. It's simply fantastic.

Although there are several more things I'm thankful for, I've decided not to list them all...yet. Earlier today, I was thinking about how everyone's thankfulness meters (yes, they exist) go through the roof on this one day in the year. It got me thinking - why aren't we this thankful every day of the year? Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to be blogging daily about things I'm thankful for, but I'm definitely going to post these lists quite often.

Anywho.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

-Charis

Two Videos - ONE DAY?!

That's right!







Enjoy!

Random Fact.

When I'm frustrated with something, I organize things.
Tonight, this involves fully reorganizing my room and attempting to redecorate.

Bring it.

A little video I put together...

Here's a video of random clips from my year so far!
(This is what happens when I have hours to kill while riding in a car).

I hate how shaky a ton of these shots are.
Ah well.

On Dreaming...

Have you ever had a dream where you wake up and think, "what in the world?!"
Yep. I had one of those dreams last night. Ever since I started taking my allergy medicine, my dreams have gotten progressively weirder and weirder.

In this dream, I was in college. However, my whole extended family decided to move into the dorm with me. Although I love my extended family, it would be quite a lot of people in an already tiny dorm room. On top of that, I also had a roommate. For some reason, I could never remember her name. It was quite stressful.
Shortly after I moved in, I met up with some friends from Texas (who were also attending the college) and we decided to start a band.

There were three of us:

I used my supreme beatboxing skillz,
My friend played the cowbell,
and my other friend played the trumpet.

It was quite epic.
For our first show (because we only had to practice once before playing a show...realistic, I know), we went to the Chick-Fil-A on campus and created beautiful music for everyone who walked in.

The dream continued to get progressively weirder...but I need to get back to school.

So long...farewell...Ican'tspellthiswordbutitisawayofsayingbyeinanotherlanguage goodbye!

A Million Miles to Go (Part Dos!)

Although I know some of you were worried (except not), I actually did make it to our destination last night! After walking into the building where they were holding victory meeting (http://www.kcm.org/events/index.php?p=event_details&id=1-J2HA6K), I realized that I saw someone I knew.

This is Mikayla.
I have known this awesome girl since we were both toddlers. Sadly, her family moved away when we were younger. Since then, the only time we get to see each other is in the summer.
So you can imagine my surprise when I walk in and see her standing on the other side of the room.

I might have freaked out a bit.
Within the 5 or so minutes after that, about 7 or so people from my past (people from Texas) kept popping up and hugging me. It was so strange...but honestly, I was the happiest I've been in a while. I love all of these people so much.

After the unexpected reunion, I finally got to meet my friend, Elena.

Meet Elena.

We actually met over twitter a couple of weeks ago (through the ORU twitter)!
Shortly after exchanging a few tweets, we became friends on facebook. That's when we realized that we were basically the same person.
Then, after chatting back and forth via wall posts, we realized we were actually going to be at the same meetings this weekend.
Crazy, right?
(Please say you noticed my mom's face...it's fantastic.)

I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for today!

A Million Miles to Go

It feels like I've been in the car for about 17 days...even though it's only been about 8 hours.

Meet Gibbs.
Ever since Gibbs made the long trek from IKEA to my house, we have been

the bestestest of friends.
(He makes a good pillow on road trips as well.)

This is my, "oh-my-gosh-if-I-don't-see-civilization-soon-I'm-going-to-cry" picture.
Don't get me wrong - I love road trips. However, I do not love my mom's choice in books on tape. How many murders can a fabulous detective solve??

Apparently, there is no limit.

Mr. GPS says there's only 30 minutes left until we arrive at our destination.
Thank the Lord.

Anywho. Remember that suitcase that I forgot to pack?
Well, I found out that mom stole my suitcase for this trip...so I got to pack the giant suitcase. Ick!

Basically, I just dumped my wardrobe in the suitcase and called it a night. I have no idea what is currently packed and what I left at home.

Yay for adventures!

Almost forgot...

Homework: check.
Photos sent to clients: check.

Time for bed: definite check.

Wait. Aren't I forgetting something?

Dear Charis,

Don't you remember that 6 day trip that you're leaving for tomorrow?
Yeah. You still haven't packed. It's 11:30.
Stop blogging and pack that suitcase.

Nostalgia of Sorts

WARNING: This post may not make any sense.

Last night, I had a dream I was back in Guatemala. However, instead of the dream being a new, fictional experience (if that makes sense), it was simply a memory. Instantly, I was back in 2008 at one of the many Guatemalan schools we visited. This particular one was in a cornfield. Have you ever had a dream where you knew it was a real memory, and you knew something important was going to happen within that memory, but you couldn't remember what was going to happen next? (If that previous sentence made any sense to you...you are awesome.) That's basically what was happening to me. We had been driving for a good 45 minutes before we pulled off the road and parked beside a cornfield. After a few moments of confusion, we finally realized that there was a school there...in the middle of the cornfield. Once we made it to the middle, the only structure that we could see was a little shack with a metal roof. The kids had all pulled their desk chairs out of the shack so they could watch us perform dramas. They all seemed so happy and upbeat - completely the opposite of what you would originally think after seeing their conditions. During the dramas, they were all so intently focused on every single move we made. When we finished, the missions team split up into our little groups...and then we went around to talk to the kids. This is when (in my dream) I remembered what was going to happen next. My group went up to a group of three smiling children. After the introductions, we asked them if they had asked Jesus in their hearts. After they said no, we continued to lead them in prayer...then they accepted Jesus! Before we left, I asked them if they needed prayer for anything. One little boy said that his hand was hurting...so we prayed. The little girl said she had a stomachache...so we prayed. However, when we got to the last little boy, he asked if we could pray for his parents to come back and love him again. Apparently, his parents had left when he was a toddler...and he just wanted them to come get him. This was the first time I cried in Guatemala. It was at that moment when I saw how much we really take things for granted. These children were so happy - despite the fact that they had nothing. They were so thankful for every little thing that they had. And yet we are so quick to complain about little things that go wrong in our day to day lives?

Oh goodness.

I miss those kids so much. I wish I could have brought them all home with me.
It really makes me wonder what they're all doing right this very second. Just because I left does not mean that their lives were put on pause (I definitely found this out when I went back to Texas this past summer...how in the world do people grow up SO fast?).

I guess I'll find out someday.

From my trip to Guatemala in the summer of 2009.

Oh goodness. I miss them all.

This is a Clever Post Title.

As my final fall semester as a high school student comes to a close, it's kind of hard to believe how fast the time as gone. Sure, those all nighters seemed strenuous and never ending, but all in all, time has flown. A few days ago, I submitted my final application to the college I want to attend next year. Since then, checking the mail has become an exciting/ nerve-racking activity (despite the fact I won't receive a notification letter for at least another few weeks).

(insert really clever transitional sentence here.)

This thursday, I'm going to Virginia with mi madre! While we're there, we're going to (partially) attend a Victory Campaign. In all of the years that I've gone to these conventions, I've never actually been to an adult service. I started going when I was five...but I would always go to superkids (the super cool childrens service...500+ kids in one room...fantastic!). Then, after I graduated from superkids in 6th grade, I started working on the team that makes superkids happen. Everything from skits, worship, preaching...you name it! However, in my 13 years of attending, I had never even been in the adult service (except for escorting kids to their parents occasionally).

This will be a strange experience.

While we're in Virginia, we're also going to be tourists and go explore Washington DC. How exciting. We leave Virginia on Sunday...however, we're not coming home....we're going to NEW YORK CITY! I've only been there once before - early September 2001. Because I was young, I don't remember much about the trip (aside from the HUGE McDonalds in Times Square).

So if you have ever been to Washington DC or NYC, could you comment and leave some suggestions of what I should see while I'm there? Gracias mi amigos (or amigas)!

(ALSO: I will definitely be making a road trip artsy fartsy music video...what song should I use? Suggestions?)

happy things of the day:

Confession: Since my allergies have been rather bothersome, I've spent my day looking at marvelous things like these while listening to pretty music. However, this means I'm behind on my school/ work/ packing. I'm a master procrastinator sometimes.

The Creature

A video that my friend Abby and I made with some friends for my British Lit class!
Enjoy :)

I'm baaaaack!

I'm back!
Yesterday, I found out that my google account had been hacked. This meant that I had no access to my email or blog...and it looked like I would never get them back.
However, everything was resolved and I'm back!

Keep Bleeding Gold

WARNING: Many spelling/ grammar fails will occur. I'm quite exhausted and I do not feel like proofreading this whole post. Enjoy!

Last week, I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the ORU college weekend. This involved staying in the dorms, attending classes, and meeting potential professors/ classmates. Once I arrived in Tulsa, I almost instantly fell in love with the city. It reminds me so much of a mix of Charlotte and Fort Worth.
After I grabbed my suitcase, I went out to the shuttle and waited for an hour. During this hour, I got to talk to some rather interesting people. They were both in their late 20's and were going to ORU for the Graduate Theology program (or something like that...I'm not completely sure). So while we were waiting on the other people to arrive, I got to talk to these two people about missions for a good hour or so. It was quite a fantastic way to begin the weekend.
Once the other group arrived, we finally were able to make our way to the ORU campus. (Side note: Tulsa drivers drive really slow.)

I finally made it to the campus at about 1:45. Shortly after that, I had to hike across campus with my suitcase to be able to check in (albeit...the campus is pretty small).
After I dropped off my suitcase at the dorms, I realized that I had a good 3 and a half hours to kill...so I awkwardly walked around campus the entire time. How exciting.
After the three hours were up, I headed back to the chapel for dorm assignments. However, college weekenders (as the called us) were not split up by dorm, but also split up by two colors.

Blue and gold.

Little did I know that this seemingly small detail would turn into a pretty big deal. I'll get to that in a second.

Anywho.

I wish I would have been journaling during this whole experience, because I hardly remember the first day. This may be due to the fact that I only got 2 hours of sleep and was running on 4 shots of espresso...but it's all good.

That night, the college held an event called "ORU's Got Talent". The purpose of this event was to showcase some of the talented students that attend ORU (pretty self explanatory). The event showcased everything from beautiful music, to magic tricks. It was quite fantastic. Sadly, no one sang any veggie tales songs. This might change in the future.

Later that night when it was time to sleep, I had two major realizations.

1. ORU has very uncomfortable floors.
2. Sleeping on the floor beside a window when it's 30 degrees outside is not a good idea.

Enough said. Moving on.
The next day, I woke up early and took a walk around campus (after grabbing some coffee at Hava Java, of course). Everything is so gorgeous in the morning right after the sun rises. I just wish I was more of a morning person so I could enjoy it more. However, the freezing temperatures woke me up quickly. After grabbing a bite to eat at SAGA (a rather epic name for a cafeteria if you ask me), I headed to my first class...psychology. For those of you who don't know, I am highly considering minoring in psychology. It has always been interesting to me...but considering you can't do much with a major in psychology without going on for your masters, I decided minoring in it would be a better option. Anywho. Later on in the day, I got the chance to attend chapel at ORU and the chance to hear James Robison speak. It was quite fantastic.

After chapel, I grabbed lunch and headed to my next class...a theatre class. Once again, for those of you who don't know...I'm interested in being a DTF major next fall:

(http://www.oru.edu/academics/college_of_arts_and_cultural_studies/drama_tv_film_major.php)

The class I visited was fantastic. We got the chance to watch two students rehearse a scene from the play Proof (which I've studied in a previous class...huzzah!) After the class, the professor told everyone about a theatre scholarship audition that would be happening about an hour and a half after that class. Honestly, I'm not the best actress...nor do I plan on ever being an amazing actress...but I figured that I had nothing to lose. So after class, I asked the professor if she had any scenes or monologues that I could use for a cold reading...she handed me Proof. SCORE. So I skipped my next class and went back to the dorms to rehearse. I sat down in the common area on my floor (at the dorms) and called my mom to tell her about it. Apparently, one of the other weekenders happened to overhear me and asked if there was anything she could do to help. Of course, I was extremely excited about this so I accepted. After I felt adequately prepared (well, as adequate as I can feel for a last minute scholarship audition), we went and got smoothies and talked for a little while. Her name was Mimi and I have yet to find her on facebook (epically sad face).

When time was up, I headed to the giant golf ball for my audition.

As I watched other people talk about the numerous school productions that they have been in, I began to get a bit discouraged. As a homeschooler, many doors are closed in the world of theatre. Yes, I can put on little shows for my parents as many times as I want, but those kind of stopped being cute when I was five. When it was finally my turn to audition, I felt quite inadequate...but surprisingly...not nervous at all. I went up and met the two department heads and was my generally cheerful self and things seemed to go pretty well...until the professor that handed me the scene to work on earlier decided to surprise me with a new monologue. Yay.
I had one minute to review the monologue before I presented it to the professors. Frustration.

I couldn't accurately read their reactions...but it's all good! Yes, It would be fantastic to get a scholarship (considering I'll need a pretty big one to be able to attend ORU), but I'm honestly pretty relaxed about the whole situation. Sadly, I won't find out how I did until the spring.

Later that night, the weekenders had the chance to attend the men's basketball scrimmage. Although I'm not a huge fan of sports, I must admit that I love going to actual games. It's quite fun if you're with the right people!

A little while into the game, the mascot started walking through the crowd. My friend Olivia and I decided we really wanted a picture with him...so what did we do? We yelled, "HEY EAGLE!!" at the top of our lungs...mostly because we had no idea what the name of the mascot was (now we know his name is Eli). It was quite funny/ a tad embarrassing at the time, but we got the picture! VICTORY!

After about 30 minutes, we all (the gold team) left the game. This is where things start to get interesting.

Two words. Color wars.
Gold vs. blue. (GOLD IS OBVIOUSLY THE BEST).

Each team came up with a drama and a few team chants. It was quite exciting.

Especially if you consider the fact that I've been homeschooled all of my life and have never been able to really do the whole "school spirit" thing. Exciting.
At the end of the night, the judges decided it was a tie. Lame.

After returning to the dorms, I met up with Olivia and we went to a random dorm that happened to have karaoke. This was basically one of the highlights of my weekend.

After singing way too many Jesse McCartney and Britney Spears songs, I finally made my way back to my dorm floor.
However, I did not want to sleep on the floor again...so I headed out to the common area one last time. There, I met another lovely friend, Carmen. We talked about random things until about 3 am...which is when we decided that sleeping on the couches in the common area would be way more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. So that's exactly what we did.

The final day was a sad day. I really hate saying goodbyes. Not only did I meet some pretty cool people, I got to hang out with some old Texas friends that I've missed! Ah well. It's all good.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. My complete lack of blogging skills fail to show how truly awesome it really was.

I definitely know where I want to attend college next fall!

Anyway...I'm going to go catch up on some sleep now.
Goodnight.