get this going

My summer is slowly starting to kick off. I've been here for 5 nights (tonight'll be the 6th) and have been very lazy at night, but what else can i do?
I wish I could see people...I am in need of some socializing.

Okay so it is a big bummer. Verizon doesn't work well at this house at all. I feel like I'm in the Congo! I have to skype, aim, or text people to be able to talk! But that's okay... i need to be grateful for where I get to stay! I should take pictures of this place. It's unbelievable. And when it warms up enough to SWIM, it'll be even more amazing!! After I work, I come upstairs and either check my email and talk to my sister in Congo, or go out on the bike... yesterday I ran to singing beach and read there for a bit then came back. It was sooo nice! On Monday I rode my bike to some shops and bought some stuff I needed/wanted. It was a LONG bike ride-- i probably did 12 miles in all because I took a few wrong turns or missed a turn or something!! Oh well, it was such a nice day! My great aunt normally eats around 7 here, so I have time to shower or read or do whatever before that, and then after dinner it's usually LOST or a movie, .... talking to people online... etc.! Last night though, I PAINTED! Yeah, a 12 year old probably could've done a better job at the picture I painted, but that's ok... I enjoyed it, and it relaxed me a LOT!!!

I started working (doing yardwork) at my great aunt's on monday, and it's been really good. I so much prefer the yardwork in the sun to the cleaning inside that I normally do here! I'm so tired today.... i got enough sleep but I worked from 9:30-4... So I guess it makes sense!

Last Friday was soooo fun. Connie (she lives on my aunt's property and has been such a blessing to me this year) took me and Becky into Boston for dinner and to see the Boston Ballet. She dropped us off at this AMAZING Indian restaurant (best in New England i think) and we went to the ballet by ourselves. The food was SOOOO good, and the ballet was so cool because we sat IN THE SECOND ROW!!!!!! Right behind the orchestra!!!! When the music stopped playing, we could hear the dancers breathing, we were that close! ;-) Crazy... becky and i ate it up!! My second cousin gave us the tickets because she has season tickets.

The next day I went to Maine with Becky, Andy, and Frank. We went to Andy's house and did a lot of hanging out-playing frisbee, eating, beaching, a little sight-seeing... Frank and Andy grilled burgers for us, and they were so good!! It was a nice weekend -- we went to Singing Beach on Sunday, too, and played more frisbee, and got Captn. Dusties ice cream!!!! :-) delish.
This weekend I am going up to Gale Cottage (in New Hampshire I think?) which is a little cabin that's been in my family for years. We'll probably be doing lots of hiking and outdoorsy stuff, and just hanging out. I'm excited! It'll be a nice little getaway with some of my second cousins and second cousins once removed, and maybe my great aunt if she's up for it.
I'm gonna run to dinner now! Can't keep anyone waiting in this Howard house!! :-)

I woke up and realized I'm a sophomore? Am i still dreaming?

I just finished my freshman year of college! What in the world?!!! This feels a little too much like a dream. I can't believe I just said my goodbyes to my "new" friends until August!
Yesterday was a day of packing and moving out, oh and one last exam that i think i did pretty well on,... and today was a day of helping my friends move out!
My summer plans are to live at my great aunt's (starting tonight--i'm there now) which is 4 miles down the road from my school, and to work as much as i can in as many different places, for as many different people as i can! Oh... and there's this trip coming up that i'm SO excited for.... I'M GOING TO CHICAGO AND CALIFORNIA!!! :-) YAY!!!
June 6 I leave here and go see my sister in Chic. for 4 days, and then we're flying together with my neice and nephew as well, to San Luis Obispo, CA to be with the Cabalkas (also known as my boyfriends' family who i love and adore)!! .... for 2 weeks!
On the 24 of June I'm back in MA, working some more at various people's places, hopefully lots of babysitting, but for sure some office work. I have a new job starting next week as this woman's "Personal office assistant." Doesn't that sound so professional?? Well, I think so, and I'm excited! I met my "employer" on Monday, and we drove up the hill to her house which is right up the road from where i'll be living all summer, so it is super convenient for me to walk or ride my bike! It just couldn't be more perfect. She lives in a HUGE house on a hill, so the office has a GREAT ocean view. It's GoRgeous, and i'm so stoked for it.

I have to be back at school on Aug. 17 for Orientation staff training (yes, i made it on staff!!) and moving in. I'm so excited about next year! For many reasons, but a big one is the new roommate, and the same amazing suitemates in the same great dorm. It's gonna be too much fun!! And getting to "orient" freshmen for next year? What could be better?! ;-) we'll see....


It's been so long since I've written, and so much has happened. I don't really know how I go so long without writing. Oh wait, yes i do... it's called college and being lazy and writing in a real journal instead, and... YEAH... so LIFE.
I still love Gordon. Even after 2 semesters. Finals were INTENSE even though i only had 2 exams...my hardest class this year was New Testament, and you'd think since I'm a missionary kid AND a pastor's kid, it would've been easy as pie or maybe they would've let me pass out of it? UM NO. Not so much. I can't really say WHY it was so durn hard, but it was. Let me put it this way. I studied for a week and a half straight and got a D on the 2nd exam. I studied for at least 5 days straight and got a B for the last final which is supposed to be "easy." I will be very thankful to get a C overall in that class. It just was really in depth and hard. I can't believe i'm just publicizing my grades. But obviously i don't care! My favorite class was Principles of Design, a communications class that was only mon. nights for 3 hours. The time passed quickly though because we usually had stuff to paint and work on, and hardly ever had to do any homework! My "final" for that class was just a portfolio of everything we had done, and he told me I did "very good work during the semester and a very strong presentation" ...so that made me smile.

My favorite part of the year? Well, my FAVORITE part would definitely be Feb. 19:-), and you who know me know why, but at school... or my favorite part about school? I guess just all my new friends. There have been ups and downs with certain people, but overall it was FANTASTIC and i am so excited for more memories and more fun and more friends next year!!!!!

I got to go to the Dominican Republic for my spring break this year with Gordon, and it was SO GREAT. It was a missions trip -- we had 21 people on the team, and everyone was so fun! We had a blast and God worked everything out financially for me to go. I got more than enough support and I made quite a few great friends there. It was hard to leave after being there for 9 days and spending time with adorable kids (we did some VBS) and getting to know the workers (we did a lot of construction on a church and school)....so i would totally want to do it again! My first short term missions trip: AMAZING!

Gordon's hard but it's so worth it and it can be really fun... and boring too.... it is a small school so you have to have some downtime, but that can be good every now and then!! I didn't get to go into Boston half as many times as I wanted or as I thought I would, but it is hard finding transportation around here and finding the time to spend a whole day or long night in the city. Well, tomorrow I am actually going into Boston for the night to see the Boston Ballet with my friend Becky, so i am SUPER excited about that, and I think we'll make a night of it and go somewhere to get dinner too!! :-) I haven't been to a ballet in AGES and ... the boston ballet?? SOO good!
That sums up my life kinda. kinda. kinda. I have been putting LOTS of pictures on my facebook this year, so check there if you haven't already.
I thought I'd try to go to bed early tonight, but it looks like that attempt just failed. It's 12:15 and I'm working at my great aunt's at 11 tomorrow, and then a big night...so Goodnight!