summer has returned to southern california.

LA Term friends

are peaches.
we met for the first time last night at our intro meeting and i am quite excited.
everyone was a little awkward, but in a great way that i think is super funny and Frank made us play this get-to-know-you game where we had to stand in triangles.
yeah, it was weird.
but the collective feel of the group was super light and self-aware.
i am so excited for where our sarcasm and crazy times exploring LA will take us.

the Punch Brothers have recently taken over my music. all of it.
at least that's what it feels like.
i got a few of their albums a few weeks ago and it's pretty much all i've listened to.
i love the virtuosity of it, the intentionality of every note and every phrase Chris spits at the microphone.
and the layers and layers and layers.

here's a sample:
http://www.mediafire.com/?2yiwfkewe46jujs
it's not everyone's cup of tea, but give it a try.

my life has been long recently.
a lot of reading. a lot of staying up unnecessarily late.
this past week of school felt like forever. not for any particular reason, just cause it felt like dragging out till next november.
i found out that i have been accepted for LA Term next fall which means that i'll be attending school downtown and living in a home stay and taking the subway to class. in my brain i keep picturing an extended version of the exploring we did in the cities of Europe which is enormously romanticized, but there is something exciting and adventuresome about having a new city to learn and make your own.

“After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security.

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.”

-Veronica A. Shoffstall

there is a peace and an unparalleled rest in the love of God because it is enough. And because it is enough, we are enough, and there is no more searching. there is no more striving. we are more than worthy. worthy of love, worthy of beauty, worthy of life. because we are His.

take this to heart, beloved. you have enough. you are enough.
rest in the peace of this promise.

dear midterms,
go away. we are not friends.