Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I just got back from an amazing Christmas at my grandpa's house in Montrose where time seemed to slow down which allowed for a great deal of reflection. My grandpa lives outside of town in the farm country with a magnificent view of the San Juan mountain range. I always feel like I've stepped back in time when we visit him which could be due to the fact that his furniture hasn't changed in twenty years and it could also be due to the fact that he doesn't own a computer so I feel disconnected from my cyberspace routine. Most of our time was spent sitting around waiting for the next meal. The rest of the time was spent enjoying the beautiful scenery. One of the highlights of the week was when my dad and Chloe and I drove down to Ouray which is a quaint town nestled in a valley and has been dubbed "The Switzerland of America". We walked around in the freezing cold (the sun hits the town for only about an hour during the day and spends the rest of the time hiding behind the mountains) and watched Chloe enjoy a romp around a park.

I also spent a lot of time taking Chloe for walks which she thoroughly enjoyed and reminded her of the days of freedom she spent in Pearlington when she had no idea what a leash was. During these long walks I took time to reflect on a variety of topics; first and foremost, my time spent in Mississippi. Then I got to thinking about the month that I've had to spend at home here in Colorado. I'm extremely grateful for this "Selah" time (I'll explain that later) even though I'm starting to become a bit stir crazy and ready to get a job. I keep coming back to something that a mentor told me before I left for the Gulf Coast. I don't know if she was quoting someone else or what, so hopefully I don't get into trouble for stealing words. She told me this: "Don't be surprised if when you get back you feel both less and more at home- everything will be just as it was before. But you won't be". I'm beginning to think that I've changed a lot more than I realize.

This dawned on me the other night when I attended a "reunion" party for anyone who has ever been involved in the youth group at our church. I observed three girls (I didn't know them very well before that night)who just returned from their first semester at college. They were full of stories about the dorms and roommates and awful professors which made me think about what it was like when I was in their place in life. You know, way back in time. Okay, just four years. The things that I thought were funny back then aren't really funny anymore. The things that worried me back then don't really concern me anymore. The questions about life that I had back then aren't so mysterious anymore (although many new questions have arisen since).

So now that I'm back at home after this life altering year in a disaster zone, I look around and see that things are pretty much just as they were before (although there are a boatload more Starbucks now). And I'm different. For instance, my parents are still the parents that I've had the past 22 years but I see them differently. They're now my friends. I like to hang out with them and I love that we still eat dinner together almost every night. Another example: If I would have spent a Saturday night at home four years ago, I would have felt like a complete loser. Now I don't mind so much. Tonight I watched a movie with my folks, assembled a bookcase and arranged all of my books by subject and author (that OCD comes from working at a library for four years). It was really enjoyable even if it is a dorky way to spend a Saturday night.

I love to laugh

One of my favorite things to do is laugh. Nothing compares to good laughing spell when you're laughing so hard you can't breath and your belly hurts. I laughed a whole lot with my friend Kristin today as we met for lunch and a movie. I'm pretty sure we annoyed the other patrons in the restaurant and the other moviegoers may have thought we were drunk. I don't care though. A couple of days ago I talked to my friend Jessie who is currently living in Oregon and doing her best to make it a more beautiful place. We were reminiscing about high school and at one point I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pass out.

It's moments like these when I remember how beautiful some of the simplest things in life are.

This is indeed a wonderful world.

Poo

I realize I have a bit too much time on my hands lately because the most interesting topic on my mind is poo. I realize some people may stop reading there which is totally fine. I happen to be an eight year old trapped in a twenty-two year old body because I still think poo is funny. For those of you still reading, I'll try to not gross you out too much.
So I've been watching a show on BBC America called You Are What You Eat. It is a really great show that teaches people how to take care of themselves and eat better. The first thing the nutritionist (who is a rather intimidating woman) does is lay out a display of all the foods the people eat during the week. It is really scary and puts things into perspective. She then goes on to give them an exam and take a look at the side effects of their nasty eating habits. She examines their tongues, takes a blood sample and examines their poo (the nutritionist calls it "poo" which is why I'm using the term in this post). Normally she leaves it at that, but one episode she actually sat the couple down and made them look at their own poo in the Tupperware containers. It was hilariously disgusting. I admire how bold the Brits are and I don't think you'll see this exercise on The Biggest Loser!
Next topic.
So today I was washing dishes and looked out to see a couple walking by with their dog. To my great disgust, the dog pooped right in our yard and the couple just walked away. To make matters worse, I know the woman from high school and graduated in the same year as her. It really isn't hard to clean up after your dog and I do so twice a day (Chloe has a very healthy digestive system)! The first thing that popped into my mind was all the things I could do to teach them a lesson. As one of the instigators of the peanut butter prank war of 07, I know a thing or two about pranks. Unfortunately the second thing that popped in my head was the old wwjd question. I couldn't really envision Jesus putting the poo in a bag and dropping it in their mailbox. So I guess I did the right thing and cleaned up the poo, dropping it in our own dumpster. Sometimes I wish God would hand out free passes to be bad, even just for a day.

Addicted to Harry

For the past 5 days I've been enveloped in the world of magic and have struggled to rejoin the real world. I started with the 5th Harry Potter book which I read a few years ago but wanted a refresher. Then I read the 6th book this weekend and now I'm on the 7th. I've made a rule that I can only read one chapter at a time and then I have to put it down and go do something else such as call a friend to catch up or hang out with my parents. I'd hate to lose all of my social skills because I'm too involved with a book!

The best Christmas song. Ever.

God Bless Wham!

Things that make me smile

I realize the last post was a bit dark, so I should say that I'm doing fine and there is no need to worry (so no more panicked phone calls will be necessary:) Seasons of sorrow are normal and just another part of life. I should also clarify that there were 5 fatalities in the shootings this weekend, not 6 as I wrote. Sorry for the typo.

There are a lot of things that make me smile lately. Here are just a few:

Chloe playing in the snow. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first, but now she loves prancing in it.

The song "I Turn My Camera On" by Spoon. That catchy beat makes me walk like I'm cool.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled. I'll be teaching ski lessons through the program starting in January. First step: try and remember how to ski after 7 years of snowboarding. Sounds like a good challenge.

Wedding planning. I'm not paying for anything and I'm not in the wedding, so it is really fun to just be along for the ride.

Sorrow

In a season which is supposed to be filled with joy and celebration, I find myself grieving for many reasons. First and foremost is the death of my former boss, Rich Cozzone who died in a car accident last week. Rich served as a village manager and work site manager off and on before stepping up to the position of Gulf Coast Coordinator for all of the villages that PDA operates. He was a kind and joyful man who had a passion for service. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and three kids and his extended PDA family still serving on the Gulf Coast.

I also grieve over my separation from PDA and all the friends I made during my time on the Gulf Coast. I knew that it would be a difficult transition even though it was necessary. I just miss my friends. I miss the villages which were my home and workplace. I miss the discomfort that I lived in day after day. I'm not really sure how to handle this life of comfort that I was thrust into. I live in a house with insulation and comfy bed versus the drafty trailer with a stiff mattress. My town hasn't been broken by a natural disaster and all of my neighbors seem to be doing fine on their own without assistance. It's weird.

I also grieve over the recent shootings at two Colorado religious institutions this weekend. This is a pretty interesting report on the situation. First, let me say that I'm saddened by the fact that 6 people lost their lives during this. But what struck me the most about this event is the fact that New Life Church has an armed security guard. According to the latest report I read, her normal routine is to attend the first service as a worshiper and then attends the second service as the pastor's bodyguard. It seems odd to me that a place that is supposed to be preaching the Gospel which is full of love and grace and mercy, feels the need to protect themselves with weapons.

Hello my friends

I've debated about whether or not to continue blogging now that I'm done serving in Mississippi, and since you're reading this right now I've obviously decided to continue the hobby. I have really enjoying being part of this blogging community which spans from New Jersey to Mexico to Wisconsin to Oregon and a lot of places in between.

I'm not really sure what this blog is going to look like so I'm just going with the flow. With "Becca in the Bayou" I really tried to focus on the topics of disaster recovery, YAVing and living in a trailer since it was my main form of communication to those who were supporting me for the year. Now that I don't have to confine myself to a topic in particular, I'm a bit freaked out by the freedom! I'm sure there will be a variety of topics: skiing (and pretending like I know how to ski while teaching disabled students how to ski), substitute teaching, Jesus, Longmont, Chloe. I may even talk about nuts, sluts and pervs since sociology is a passion of mine. My main goal is to open up and maybe even be a wee bit vulnerable since I tend to be a closed book.

I few years ago I was in the sticker aisle at Hobby Lobby and overheard a woman talking to her daughter. She was picking out stickers with the intention of planning a certain activity so that she could scrapbook about it. For instance, she picked up California themed stickers and said they should take a trip there. Next she choose stickers of boats and said they should go boating sometime. It seemed so odd to me that she was planning their life around cute stickers. I certainly hope that I don't have to come up with really awesome things to do so that I can blog about it and impress you. Instead I want to blog about life as it happens, the exciting and the mundane alike.