Address, Learning, and Observing

First of all, here is my address:

3301 Emerald Pointe Dr.
Apt. 301A
Hollywood, FL 33021

You heard it straight from me and I will post it randomly again throughout the year I'm sure when I am really wanting some mail. ha ha. Anyway, today at school I did a lot of observing and listening.  Being on a whole new staff once again, I am having to learn dynamics and personalities of everyone.  In a new situation, especially being a brand new teacher, I am very passive.  I definitely try to contribute and sometimes that works out well and other times it doesn't.  It's okay though.  The ladies I am working with have all been teaching for a long time and have certain things that work for them.  I try to offer new ideas and maybe they will like them.  Who knows. ha ha. My funny moment of the day though was with the music teacher.  He asked where I was from again and I replied, "Kansas".  He then said, "Do all people in Kansas talk funny?" I asked, "Do I talk funny?" and he said yes so in case anyone from home was wondering, we do talk strange even though I thought we were the only part of the country that talked normally.

Anyway, I helped Jalissa set up all the bulletin boards today and started organizing books.  There still seems like a lot left to do but she said that we are moving faster than normal which is good to hear.  Once we finished with school for the day, Patricia and I made a stop at the storage unit again to go get some lamps for our rooms but as we speak, they are still sitting in my car.  Pretty useful there, I am aware.  We had been making lists all day of what else we needed for our apartment so we stopped at Dollar Tree, Target, and Publix to get everything.  We picked up a rotisserie chicken, some plantains, and wine for dinner tonight and the 3 of us were finally able to sit down and eat together.  It was so relaxing.

Amanda, Patricia, and I had spent so much of our time together stressing out over a place to live that we haven't really had time to enjoy each other.  We ate our meal at our table and laughed and just got to know each other.  We got to act like roommates and friends as well.  It finally feels like everything is going as God intended.  After dinner, we did some roommate business like figuring out bills, what to share, etc. Then we talked to Cristina, one of the girls in Tampa, on speakerphone which was fun.  She got passed around while we did various things.  And then I got on good ole Facebook and while some people see FB as a not so good thing (and there very legitimate reasons for that), I have come to appreciate it so much more.  Last night, 2 girls from camp had made a post with my name in it; it said something along the lines of how much they enjoy reading my blogs.  It filled my heart with so much happiness.  Then, this morning the 8th graders I student taught last spring are some of my friends so I wished them good luck on their first day of high school today and one of my girls sent me the kindest post on my wall about how she hopes I am enjoying Florida and would like to see me when I come home if there is time.  Just lots of kind things that really made me feel encouraged about all of this. Then, one of my cousins sent me a message about how she is so inspired by what I'm doing down here and we had this really good conversation about our struggles and that God has a reason for everything.  I told her that this adventure has definitely had its rocky points and I've had my fair share of breakdowns here and in life, but you really have to listen to God and His desire for you.  She just really inspired me.  I hope that she knows that.  Then to make my night better, a friend/lifeguard from Camp Hyde wrote on my wall about my blog--how much she admired everything I am doing.  Everyone's kindness just keeps flowing towards me and it's so great!

Friends and family, my mom has told me that I have made several people cry while they have been reading these.  Grandma Brake, by the way, your email was wonderful today and it made me tear up.  I hope you know that your responses make me cry but also fill me with such a great feeling.  A feeling that reminds me of how many blessings I really do have in my life.  I knew that I had a good life back in Kansas.  I am very aware of that and also aware that I left it behind for something very different.  It truly gives me chills to hear even a few people mention my posts on here.  I don't really think much of me being down here sometimes.  Just that I'm far away and never know what's coming next.  I came down here because that is where God wanted me to go.  I'm not perfect and I am terrible at trusting in God but this week, hearing all these inspirational words from all of you, being at St. James, dinner tonight, it is finally starting to all come together.  It is finally starting to feel right. Guess God always knows what He is doing.

Well, I have a very messy room to attend to or at least sleep in but know that you are all with me everyday.  A little Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana for you: "So I'm moving on, letting go. Holding on to tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be.  We might be apart but I hope you'll always know, you'll be with me wherever I go." Missing and loving each and everyone of you very much.

~Lauren