Three Songs for Sunday

This one that is the perfect roll-down-your-windows-it's-summer country song:

  

This one that all those smart Hollywood and music producer people realized needed to be a single:

And one because I couldn't get it out of my head for three days straight (and because there is just something so happy and inspiring about normal people dancing in the streets, amirite? The video reminded me of this song a little bit...):

Welcome to June, errybody.

Graduweekend

About two weeks ago, my dad pointed out to me that my highest degree was a high school diploma. Cool, thanks, Dad. Yet despite my five years at UVA, doing a combined Bachelors/Masters Education program, was unfortunately true at that point. But no more. Because last week, I finally graduated for real, with  with a Masters of Teaching and Bachelors of English. (I was double-fisting diplomas, y'all.) Yay!

It was a crazy weekend, with family fresh from Kenya, hearing Stephen Colbert speak at Valediction, a party the night before with a whole lot of family and friends who came from out of town, chocolate chip pancakes and mimosas in the morning, trying to figure out how to attach that doggone hood (and a lot of safety pins), a diploma ceremony in the basketball arena where I got to walk across a stage and try and figure out how to pick up two diplomas while shaking two people's hands, and it was all overshadowed by the impeding threat of thunderstorms. (I was prepared to walk down the Lawn in the rain...and then walk right off. Because, let's be real, Starbucks would have seriously trumped sitting in the rain listening to speeches by people I don't even know. And I'd done that part already.) There was even a picnic at a vineyard despite the dreariness, and I only got separated/lost from people I knew once. 

And with that, I am officially a University of Virginia alumna.

Oh Hey There

Quote Love: "How idle it is to call certain things God-sends! As if there was anything else in the world." -Augustus William

I know. I know. 
It's been months and months, really a whole semester, since we last hung out together here. I am so sorry.

But now the semester is over, and, actually, grad school is over too and I'm graduating (for real this time) in a week and a half and then starting out on a whole new phase of life and all that kind of crazy stuff, and I will be back here on the blog for all of that! 

More details to come on all of that, of course, but for now, it's just good to be back. I've missed y'all.

P.S. I was debating whether or not to say something like "If you've missed me these past many many months, show me some love in the comments!"...but I didn't know if that'd be tacky. So, how 'bout you just do you.

[Pics from my Instagram feed. And one from Abby's Instagram feed. Because I visited her in Texas, and it was awesome.]

Spring Semester Starts Here.

 

Hey guys, today marks my last first day of classes. Except, appropriately enough, I don't have Monday classes. #gradschool. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to end the longest break of my life (seriously, I haven't done anything since December 7.) Although, can I just say that this past weekend was the most perfect Cville weekend ever, and the best way to end the break with a bang? New friends, old friends, a little wine-tasting (twice), some Blue Ridge Parkway hiking (above) followed by a little Blue Mountain Brewery, and some Downton Abbey to top it off? Perfection.

Anyway. In light of the final stretch of school, which in turns makes me think about Making Big Life Decisions and words like Vocation, I wanted to share this passage by Kevin DeYoung that I like a lot (so much so that I wrote it in my journal once and rediscovered it this morning):

"God doesn't care where you go to school or where you live or what job you take...

God certainly cares about these decisions insofar as her cares for us and every detail 

of our lives. But in another sense...these are not the most important issues in God's 

book. The most important issues for God are moral purity, theological fidelity,

 compassion, joy, our witness, faithfulness, hospitality, love, worship and faith.

...We should spend more time trying to figure out how to act justly, love mercy 

and walk humbly with God as a doctor or lawyer and less time worrying about 

whether God wants us to be a doctor or lawyer."

- from Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

Happy Back-to-class day, everyone! (Well, everyone minus me.)

Scarlett & Gunnar

I watched Nashville online this past week, and I just am in love with the songs that Scarlett and Gunnar sing. They are so beautiful. Listen:

And I was sitting there thinking about how hauntingly beautiful they are, and so very Civil Wars-esque (RIP?), only to realize that the first song is originally by the Civil Wars. Of course. It's on their Live EP which you can download fo' free here.

Do you watch Nashville? Or, if not, what's your favorite show right now?

P.S. I am so glad that Lennon & Maisy are on the show! They are so talented.

Twenty Thirteen

Currently Listening To: Lights, Ellie Goulding

I hope that posting a New Year's post five days into the new year isn't indicative of what is to come this year. But, sadly, it probably is. I'm used to it by now though.

The thing about this year, though, is that it's the first one in a loooong time where I don't know where I'll be at the end of it, or even necessarily what I'll be doing. After May, when I'll graduate with a Masters in Secondary Education (holla), there are no guarantees or set-in-stone pictures in my head because I don't know what will happen. Sure, there are some dreams and questions, some fears and some excitement...but nothing solid. Right now the future is pure possibility.

So here we go, 2013. The year where I have to make big decisions and take big risks. Where I'll apply for jobs and go to interviews and might get rejected. Where I'll more likely than not move out of the town I've lived in for five years and settle somewhere new. Where I'll be out on my own as a grown-up (what?). It's gonna be a big year. Let's do this.

[image via Pinterest]

A Hilton Head Christmas

Two things:
1. I joined 2012 just in time and upgraded to a smartphone. Consequentially, I got Instagram! PTL.
2. I have spent the past two weeks (almost) in Hilton Head, celebrating Christmas and, other than going to the Outlets almost daily, doing not much else than being with my family.

However, thanks to #1, here are some Instagram snapshots of our time in HHI:

Tomorrow I'll be riding the rails back to good ol' Virginia for a reunion of sorts with my college friends.  I cannot wait.