Big and hairy

I'm home!  Saturday's drive was long, but not as boring as usual.  Sun, wind, rain, snow, and elk.  Wait...what?

Tomorrow is the beginning of a VERY exciting couple of days!  I can't wait to share later!

Grace and peace,

Hilary

I'm still here, I promise!

I have to say, I'm a little intimidated by this blank page on my no-longer-familiar blog processor.  I have been so laden with writing assignments that I've come to look at that field of white with distaste and fear of a long night ahead of me.  And I'll give you fair warning: I'm so sick of editing papers.  Don't judge me for typos or grammar and punctuation faux pas.

I've finished my first term of graduate school.  One down, 5 more to go.  Only 18 months stand between me and the end of my official academic journey, but 18 is kind of a big number, so maybe I'll just stop putting it that way.

I love my (college student services administration) program.  I love the material I'm learning.  I love my cohort.  I do not love the homework.  I miss writing because I want to write--I usually love it!  But when I have to put a citation at the end of every sentence and perfectly format the header and title page, it just sucks the joy out of it for me.  It's not natural for me to constantly check to make sure I'm writing in the active voice and switch back and forth between my APA style guide and my Word document.

But here I am, now.  Finished for a few weeks!  And I am proud of myself.  I never doubted whether I can do grad school, but I definitely doubted the worth at a few moments.  There was a paper or two which caused me to stay up later than I care to admit, and I may have only skimmed a lot of the reading.  But I'm already getting a grasp on the CSSA competencies, and I've mapped out a rough idea of my classes and internships for the next 5 quarters.  And guess who got a 4.0.  That's right.  Go ahead and click on that sucker to make it big.  ;)  I'll savor it while it lasts.

There were so many wonderful things to happen in the second half of fall term since I last wrote.  

I've developed deeper friendships with people who I believe will be pretty solid folks in my life.  

I've laughed until I cried.  

I've played long nights of Settlers of Catan.  

I've gotten into the habit of cooking lots on Sundays so I can pack my lunches for the week.

I've come to tolerate (and maybe even appreciate) raw tomatoes.

I've spent a wonderful Thanksgiving at home with Aunt Glory from London and extended family from Central California whom I haven't seen since I was 12 or 13.

I've started working with the Otters' (2nd and 3rd graders) Sunday school class during my church's first service.

I've hiked the Trail of Ten Falls loop.

I've maintained the important friendships across oceans and several states.

I've frozen on the top of Mt. Bachelor and enjoyed a cider at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.

I've gone swing dancing and learned the basics of country western dancing.

I've fallen even more for this beautiful state (need I remind you that I don't have to pump my own gas here?).

On the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park

My favorite fall

White elephant gift exchange

Raking elderly church members' yards with my Otters

Otters in the Sunday school room

Stunning sunrise on the way to Mt. Bachelor

Trying to keep warm and smile

Cold, but together--with 3 of my cohort-mates

Warming up at Deschutes Brewery in Bend

I am so excited to see what the next term (and beyond!) have in store for me.  Everyone has told me that the first term in CSSA is the hardest.  I wouldn't exactly call my course load for winter term less than challenging, but I hope I'll find time to keep this blog alive.  I would hate to forget again how much I really can enjoy writing.

Grace and peace and Merry Christmas!

Hilary

Oregonian

Well, shoot.  Shout out to Aunt Frankie for calling me out on being a slacker (she said it more nicely, but I write the truth).  I've been in Oregon for a month and a half, and life has changed drastically--though you would have no way of knowing that, would you?

Let me begin by saying that though my days are jam-packed, I am a happy person.  I soaked up my last days at home by playing with my sisters, visiting with my remaining Humboldt friends, and doing a lot of work in Dad's garden.

I'm responsible for the top half of that pile.

I dug up over 100 potatoes, dozens of heads of garlic, did a ton of weeding, pruning, and berry bush-fighting.  It was hard work, but I loved thinking of my late Grandpa Martin while doing it.  Gardening was his love (next to my amazing Gran), and I knew he'd be proud of me making his garden beautiful again.

I got to revisit childhood with Lisa on my last day of work.  She reminisced of the days when we would slide down Dad's giant hill on cardboard and run into the trees at the bottom.  Then I remembered seeing old boxes in the garage.  I think you can imagine where that led us.

We still run into trees:

My days at home ran out quickly, though, and I headed north on the first of September.  I settled into my house, made connections more quickly than I ever imagined I would, and began to fall in love with this town.  My first couple weeks were filled with exploring my new home, finding my amazing church (where one of the pastors is an EHS grad and one of my cousin's dear friends!), beginning my job, bouldering for the first time indoors, and having a very welcomed visitor from college.

I've also been to my first 2 Division I football games (Beavers are 5-0 and ranked 8th in the nation at the moment!) and my first ever tailgate!

I also got to celebrate the birthday of one of my new housemates.

Among these, I've gotten into Corvallis' swing scene (and tried Country Swing as well!), enjoyed the farmer's market, been to Portland, gone hiking, embraced Orange, run a rainy 5k, and spent time with the 3 Humboldt natives I know in Corvallis.

I'm about to begin week 4 of my first quarter of grad school.  It's hard.  And really, really busy (hence the giant gap in my blogging...which won't happen again.  Hopefully.).  I'm still making time to take care of myself--I'm suffering through rocking BodyPump weight classes at the gym--my swing dancing, and Once Upon a Time and Modern Family.  But I know if I didn't, I'd just be going crazy.  And I'm keeping in mind lessons learned, because what's the use of advice if I don't remember it?

This is my life.  I'm becoming Oregonian and loving it.  I'm growing up a little (I bought brussels sprouts and sometimes wear blazers and heels to work), remembering to take care of myself.  Missing Vienna, but living happily where I am now.

Grace and peace,
Hilary

The morning paper with a slice of humble pie

I've been home for a little over a month now, and time has accelerated in the same pattern it always seems to do: in the beginning, an hour feels like a day.  In the end, there aren't enough hours left in the day to see everyone and go everywhere I intended to.

Life has been funny here.  I'm in that in-between that I forget about until I find myself there again.  It's a summer that's not long enough for a "real" job, but not short enough to comfortably pay the bills until the next gig arrives.  I have no set schedule or routine (upon which, as you may know, I thrive), each week is different, and if it weren't for the planner I found at Staples, I wouldn't ever know where to be or when to be there.

Even though it's different every week, each day is still filled to the max.  Since my lease in Corvallis began in July (read: I've been paying rent since July), I've been doing as much work as I'm offered at home so I can, you know, eat, until my first grad assistantship paycheck comes.  I decided when I came back that if I was offered work, I would only turn it down if it compromised my morals.

Well, my mom new a girl who knew a guy (red flag yet?) who needed a substitute for his paper route.  He got married and had an 8-day honeymoon to cover.  I didn't see anything risque or dishonest about throwing papers out a window, so I went for it.

All of you whom I hold dear, heed my warning: if you value your sanity, DO NOT EVER throw papers for a living.

I'm a morning person, and have few problems waking up early, but when you have to pick up your papers at 3am, there's no going to bed early enough to get a decent night's sleep.  And your left arm, from shoulder to wrist, will hurt for days.  And you will want to scream at people who let trees grow in front of their addresses.  And you will start talking to yourself in accents just to be entertained.  I lost it, guys.  The funky sleep schedule completely messed with me, and I was the worst version of myself that week.

I've heard that everyone has to have a really crappy job at least once in their life.  I'm just glad mine only lasted a week.  But hey, respect to the paper boys and girls out there.  I am not cut out for it.

Remember when I did this?  I think I'd rather be forced to do it again daily than run another paper route.

Since then, I'm sticking with babysitting around town and yard work at Dad's.

Grace and peace,
Hilary

Home Sweet Hungary

Good grief!  I know that my first couple weeks home after a long time away are always busy, but this has been ridiculous.  On my first day back, I took my siblings to the library, and I've only had enough time to read 8 pages of the book I found--that was 2 weeks ago!

I have had so many memories made in between my departure from Vienna and my arrival to California.  Since I don't want to overwhelm myself, but still want some sort of visual reminder of these weeks (no time even to journal!) I'm going to condense and add pictures.

Andrea and Oki, two fantastic individuals and friends, saw me off at the bus to Budapest.  I arrived in the evening, and went to find milkshakes in the city center with the one and only Zsombi.  He couldn't come to Debrecen, so we made the most of our time by finding an outdoor cafe with a live blues trio, sipping on our milkshakes, and catching up on the last 4 months since my previous visit.

Our couple hours flew far too fast (as time has had a way of doing lately).  We got our call from Levi, telling us he was all packed and ready to go to Debrecen.  A stroll and a 'szia' later, I was on my way with Levi to my Hungarian hometown.

As many of you know, my exchange program places students with 3 families during the year.  I adore all 3 of my families, and I was even lucky enough to pick up a 4th honorary host family.  Levi and his twin sister were also students at Tóth Árpád Gimnázium.  I quickly became good friends with Levi, and on every visit I've made to Hungary, his family has insisted I spend at least a couple days with them.  They even included me on a family vacation during my October visit!

The whole family, minus Levi

With Levi

We had a very relaxing visit.  Sitting on the porch and talking, cooking, watching movies.  It was around 100 degrees each day, so laid back was very welcomed (in fact, the day I arrived to Budapest, it was the 2nd hottest city that day IN THE WORLD!  Cooler only than Baghdad).

Before we knew it, it was time to head towards another dear family.  It was with huge smiles that I was greeted by Anya (Mom in Hungarian), Apa (Dad), Csenge, and Flóri at my old house.  They surprised me by taking me out to dinner near the Békás Tó (Frog Lake) at the Régi Vigadó, a nice restaurant next to the university.  We enjoyed goooood, good food--and maybe some pálinka--on the terrace with some more live music.  After we finished, Anya decided we should dance.  So we got up and did.  Apa was a party pooper, but we were laughing and enjoying ourselves anyway.  Again, it very well could have been the pálinka...  

Me, Flóri, Csenge

The next day, while Anya and Apa were at work, Csenge, Flóri and I spent some time in the city center, just soaking in Debrecen.

We didn't stay for too long, though, because we wanted to visit Ica Mama and Laci Bacsi, my host godparents, before heading home to prepare BBQ food for our company that evening.  Ica Mama made us palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) and we chatted around the kitchen table.

Family friends joined us that evening for a visit and delicous BBQ.

And then it was time already for another 'see you later.'

A visit to Debrecen isn't complete without a trip to the farm.  My second family lives in a little village called Nagycsere, just outside of Debrecen.  It's a giant, beautiful property with chickens and dogs and corn and flowers and everything wonderful.  Ádám, my host brother, had left for the States the week before, so it was just Laci, Klári, and me (and of course the dogs, Parduc and Muki).

Aren't they sweet?

After lunch, dessert, and time on the porch together, my first host family came to pick me up.  They were en route to my host cousin's graduation party.  That was in a village even further down the road from Debrecen, on a much bigger farm.  The party had been going on for a while already--the people were jolly, the food was plentiful, and the sun was beating down hard.

We talked and talked and ate and talked.  We wandered around the farm, saw deer, pigs, chickens, and this beautiful view:

How's that for a little piece of Heaven on Earth?

When the sun had finally set, the temperature had dropped a few degrees, and we were ready to go home, our party hosts decided it wasn't time just yet to leave.  The csárdás (pronounced: chardash) music got louder, the cousin Gergő grabbed me, and a few people went to the open space by the tables for a little folk dancing.  I had myself a ball!  I am a huge fan of dancing...in fact, when I lived in Hungary, I took ballroom dancing classes...and then got into swing dancing later in college.  Anya, Apa, Csenge, and Flóri all do néptánc (pronounced: nayp-tance, meaning folk dance), but I never had the opportunity to try it.  They say the best way to learn something is to be thrown right into it...and I guess they're right!  Here's my first experience right here:

I had another day spent with my wonderful first family, and then an eeeearly morning to get to the airport in Budapest in time for my flight to Boston.

More to come later, when I can carve out some time for more storytelling!

Grace and peace, 

Hilary

Airport zombie

Oh, look what I just found.  I wrote this some time between the hours of 1am and 6am waiting for my flight at the Sacramento airport:

________________________________________________________________________________

Early.  Late?  Does it matter?

Shaking hands.  Is it past dinner or before breakfast?

Deserted terminal.  1am.  2am.  3am.  Mirage of company.  Mom?

Cold feet.  Sore butt.  Sick of sitting.  How long ago did I get up?

Computer on Europe time.  Phone on Boston time.  Sitting in California.  Confused.

Clif Bar caffeine shot.  From half marathon last May…expiration date?  Don't see one.  Take a risk.

…success.  First time caffeine has EVER worked on me.  Good timing, body.

3:45--live humans!  I found civilization.

I don't make sense.  Should I proofread?  Where does that word come from?  What proof am I looking for?  Why am I ending sentences with prepositions?

Need breakfast.  Time to hunt down a bagel.  

Are we there yet?

Vienna behind me

Isn't life wonderful?  The last month has been so full of the making of magnificent memories.  I am so grateful for the people who have come into my life in Europe.  A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to reconnect with one of my Hungary exchange friends.  Jessica is a Canadian with whom I've been in contact for the last 5 years since we left.  She and her Norwegian boyfriend came to Vienna, and we spent a lovely couple days in the beautiful weather.

With Kristian and Jessica on the U-Bahn

We met 6 years ago in Hungary...now hanging out in Vienna

Ice cream by the Danube on a hot day

That weekend was also the Donauinselfest (Danube Island Festival), the annual free music festival on the Danube Island in Vienna.  I was SO excited to learn that James Morrison would be playing--I had planned on going to his concert in Vienna last March, but plans fell through.  This was even better!  Under the beautiful Viennese sky, surrounded by friends and the Danube, and good, good music.

During James Morrison

Unfortunately, the goodbyes got more concentrated right around then.  The good news in this is that we were all more intentional about spending good time with one another.  Those last few weeks in Vienna were so full, and so good.  We had our YAG-led church service, YAG dinners and ice cream together, meals from the Naschmarkt, walks on the Danube, my Hollabrunn family threw my a goodbye BBQ, and I got to spend my last couple days with my best friend.

Goodbye to Tina and Jonas in Hollabrunn

The goodbye BBQ in my family's garden

Reading my last German book with the girls on my last morning in Hollabrunn

YAG evening together

Oki and Andrea seeing me off to Hungary from Vienna

Tales of Hungary and Boston to come!

Grace and peace,

Hilary