Good Morning

Well a few hours ago, at about 1am, i thought it was about time i let reward myself after a hard day of studying, with a nice full night of sleep. I crawled into my warm welcoming bed for a full restful 15 min of sleep. And im not being sarcastic with that statement. I woke up 15 min later feeling totally rested and prepared for my new day! I thought that was ridiculous...i just needed a few more hours of work to make my eyes sufficiently tired, so i added a few hours of Math review to my evening accomplishments. At about 4:00 i thought i would give sleep another try even tho i still wasn't feeling to tired. It wasn't mean to be however, i got up 20 min later, having completely given up on all prospect of rest for the night. I wasn't too upset however, i was excited to think of all the different things i could do in all this new found time! I filled my time with a few short things when i noticed the sun was starting to rise. This is something i love about the morning, even tho i never manage to get up in time. I decided to take a trip outside. I threw on a jacket and wandered through Middle Earth in my fuzzy black slippers. I was amazed with the gray sky that was sprinkling a misty rain from it. The lavender jacaranda trees seemed even more vibrant in the fresh light, and the reflection of beauty from the puddles of flowers seemed to carpet the path i took to the parking structure. After accidentally rusting up a few bunnies from their breakfast of flowers and grass, i hopped on the staircase that took me to the 7th floor of the parking structure. The misty rain continued to wet my face as i climbed higher and higher. The air in the morning is unique, it is a sweet, crisp refreshing breath . When i finally made it to the top i marveled at the little portion of earth i could watch come to life. I hopped up on the wall to take a seat and enjoy the show. Slowly as the dark charcoal in the sky faded to a cloudy light, the street lights flickered off, and slowly some lights in windows turned on. A few cars began driving on the roads, and the people who had spent all nighters in the library began making their ways back to their respective homes. It was a special occasion, to be able to down on the life i normally live, yet as a complete outsider. I knew it was time to head back to my room however when a young guy finally noticed my what must have looked like a precarious position of dangling over the 7th story ledge. Obviously concerned with my intentions for being up there he shouted up at me "you ok?" "ya i'm cool!" "you sure?" "ya just enjoying the morning!" "ok...". I felt a little bad obviously making him worry, but i would have to say it was worth it. Well this is just my recount of a nice time i spent, no real point to this. I'm prolly going to head over to starbucks in a few min to grab some coffee, and get back to studying. I'm glad i could take some time out of this busy and often worrisome time of finals and enjoy God's creation, and enjoy life, and to enjoy this very refreshing, and very very Good Morning.

Thoughts durring a run...

So i got the new Rec Release for the summer this weekend when i stopped by the arc for some fun. As i was looking through it i got really excited for the summer. I am going to have a lot of free time that i can spend doing a lot of different things. It might be difficutl deciding however what i should concentrate on with so many exciting things comming my way. I am so ready to use the pool on a dayly basis, it is such a nice pool. Also the arc is still offering their normal exercise classes, so i might just have to check out some of those. There are also a few dance calsses that looked interesting, however i wouldnt take those unless someone took them with me (girl or guy, i just want someone to go with). Then i was also looking at some of the other sports that they like, offer classes for and not that i want to take those...but it made me think of all the things i wanted to do more of. I decided i wanted to play some tennis this summer, and get good at it. Anyone want to join me! It could be some good fun. But after all this, there was one add that really caught my attention. The one on the right. So i have kinda been wanting to do a triathalon for...like...about since i got back to america. And this is like PERFECT opportunity!!! Im not positive ill do it. But im going to start training for it! Which i needs to get on the ball with running swimming and Biking!!! But it looks so fun and i am So ready to give it a try!
Today was my first "official day" of training. I decided to go for a run. I didnt want to do it indoors, and i most deff did NOT want to run around ring road like lots of ppl seem to do. So i thought, where do i want to explore...university hills! Oh and it was So worth it! For the next hour and a half i ran around all sorts of roads, looking at all sorts of beautifull houses and cars. Oh MAN our profs have some NICE suff. It made me want to become a prof just so i could live up there. Its amazing. And the best part was the VIEW. You woudl never have known it, but when you get near the back of the complex you reach the top of a hill that lets you look over all of camps and then farthur onto OC. It is SUCH an awesome view, and the hill is covered in all sorts of unique plants and cacti(sp?). I stopped there for a litte taking it in. Unfortunatly i didnt have my camera or i woudl have tried to capture it for you all, but maybe you just need to come running with me instead ;)
So also as i was running, looking at all the beautifull houses i began to think about it. Like, how much i envied them at that time. I always say i want to be poor, and that made me question, do i really actually want that? Cuz i seem pretty attracted to money and material things. Although the answer is yes to that, i also find that...it wasnt so much the extravagence of the houses themselves, but really rather the having of them. Having a house with a few, and a porch, and a balcony and garden. It was so nice, it is so simple,but those are the things that i miss. I dont know what i would do to have some of those things. But this is where the exciting news comes in too! next year, i CAN. Although not quite to the scail as the people in University hills, i WILL have a balcony, and i can make the view special with the Garden i hope to plant in some window boxes maybe. I know that sounds lame, but i love flowers and plants and watchign things grow. I think flowers are a special gift from God that are purly for us to see his marvelous beauty through. Well i know this is a pretty random spurattic post, but, just what has been running through my mind. I hope you enjoyed the little glimps of it. And if you have any feelings about how i should spend my SUMMER!!! Do feel free to shair, i love imput! ;)

Who am I?

When I was growing up, adults would ask me what I wanted to be when I got older, but there came a time when I began to question even more who I was right now. This is the question that is the challenge to answer.
I am a combination of cultures. I am neither, I am both. I’m the one who cherishes my early memories of growing up in my “homeland”, yet clearly feels the reality of my life in the place where I am a “foreigner”. I am the one who desperately desires to fit in purely for the novelty of what it feels like, for once to be one who doesn’t awkwardly stick out, yet understands how to deal with the nuances of many cultures. I am the one who searches for the right clothes to look just right, yet feels most comfortable in my native garb. I am the one who hates answering questions about where “I’m from”, yet desires more than anything to have someone understand what it is like.
I am the one who has spent more time flying than driving, speaks to many languages to count on one hand, yet cant spell in any. I am the one who promises to write but never does because its too difficult to deal with the reality of separation, and has said goodbye so many times, all the feeling from the words are lost. I am the one who has lived everywhere, yet has no home.
I am the one who knows the world abroad, of life and death, heaven and hell, I have seen God work miracles, and seen him let things pass. I have seen the beauty of His creation across many continents, and the destruction his creation has caused to it, and each other. I am the one who knows without a doubt God will provide, yet so often finds it difficult to pray.
I am the one who has learned to live with an unstable government and the one waiting by a phone impatiently for news that everything is ok. I am the one who understands the unfairness of life as a woman, and the injustices seen by so many. I am the one who spends only 3 months of the year with my family, yet knows without a doubt how much I love them.
I am the one who wears a thousand masks, one for each day and time. I am the one who can be all that is expected of me, yet has no idea who I really am; save for one thing.
I am an MK, and will be forever.

Yes
"Are you American"
"Yes"

"Arab"
"Yes"

"Really American?"
"No...not quite"

"Really Arab"
"Well, actually, you see..."

But i woudl rather say
Yes

Not neither-nor
Not maybe
but both, and not only

The homes I've had,
the ways I am,
I'd rather say it twice,
Yes.

On days like today,

On Days like today when the sun is shining, and the sky is bright, and the world is filled with the energy of things waiting to happen. I think of all the things i could do.
I could:

• Go swimming in a lake or stream
  
• Play Frisbee
  
• Fly a kite, something i have never done.
• Learn to surf
• Go to the beach
• Play Volleyball
  
• Play ANY sport
• Wash a car
• Go horse back riding
• Plant some flowers
• Climb a tree
• Go for a bike ride
• Go white water rafting
• Go hiking
• Sat and watch the world unfold.
• Impacted someones life
  
• Made someone smile
  
• Told someone about Jesus
  

But instead.... I went to class, and learned about Thermodynamics, and the importance of names in Indian culture. What if i died next week, which of these matters.
Matthew 25, the whole thing.

This is why i Love the Rain.

Monday morning it was raining. Not a heavy rain, just a light drizzle. It was nice.

• Waking up in a nice warm bed and opening the window to the cool breeze, and the smell of rain.
  
• Riding my bike to work i got to feel the freshness blow onto my face in little droplets.
• As i walked out of work after the rain, all the little snails had come out and were wandering around the sidewalk. I know not normally the most loved form of nature, but i think they are cute with their big eyes and swirly shells.
  
• The smell of rain, before, during and after. From a pungent sweet smell, to a cool hard smell, to a clean, earthy smell. I love after the rain, when the smells of the earth is just everywhere and it feels like its revived and ready to grow.
  
• The clouds cradling the buildings in their enveloping cradles. On my way to bio on the roof of SH, i felt like safe and protected by the clouds all around. All you could see was the trees below.
  
• Everything now looks clean and fresh. The sky is now bright and clear, the ground is now filling with fresh growth.
  
• It reminds me of when i was young in Washington. Of all the days me and my sister would play, and dance in the rain. Walking back from school absolutely drenched, the smell of our yard after the torrents. Splashing through the puddles in my Dads boots to go feed our animals.
• It reminds me of Yemen, of the Monsoon seasons once a year, August. Always right around my birthday when every day was bright and sunny until 2:30, when on the dot the rain would poor. The warm, sweet rain that would come and wash all the dust out of the sky and off the buildings. When i used to go up on the roof and enjoy the full force of the huge drops splatter all around me.
  

This is why i love the rain...

This quarter it seems to be impossible for me to go a week without loosing something. Every day there is something new. I'm not talking...somewhere in my room. Its...somewhere on campus, maybe even off. Let me just give you all a list.

• Phone - Found in Kevin's Truck
• Phone - Found at my Work
• GPS thing - Someone returned it to the Police station.
• Bike -Found in Mesa Court
• Debit Card - Found tucked in a book in my desk
  
• Wallet - Found lying on the basket ball Court.
• Phone -Again on the floor of Kevin's Truck (i'm never riding in it again, bad things always happen)
• ID card - Found by my friends in Pipin, only to try and get it back later and find it GONE. Searched all the places it could have been taken and still no luck. I'm going in a few minuets to get a new one. Kinda frustrating.

This is it for now. Im sure there are more to come...and i have prolly forgotten about a few too. Monday is my major loosing day, cant wait to see what gos next.

Room Mates

Last night as i was laying in bed having a hard time falling asleep, my mind began wandering to my past. Of all the people that have composed different roles in my life. There was one category that really stood out in my mind as one that was really important, and has dictated who i have become now. These are my past room mates, and believe me, I've had quite a few. So the following is a list of all of these instrumental people in my life.

1) Esther:
What list of room mates would be complete without my Sister!!! My first, and...i have to say, my favorite. I've had awesome room mates, but there is no comparison to the sister you spent countless nights growing up with. We used to say up to ALL hours of the night...9, sometimes even 10 when we were little in Washington talking. What 5 and 6 year olds talk about i have no idea, but we talked. I would always get in trouble "laura, be quiet and go to bed". Did my mom really think i was talking to myself?? Anyways, we played games too, really weird ones, like our favorite, "bridge". Esther would pretend i was wood...and "nail" my hands and legs into our beds and crawl from one to the other, over top of me...usually ending up sitting on my head. They were good times, and even to this day its a good feeling to be in a room falling asleep knowing my sister is near by.



2)Ashley:
If i go in chronological order, my next room mate would probably be my first room mate when i moved to Kenya, and i started boarding school. Ashley was sure a wake up call to me, but was a great first room mate. We lived with each other for 2 terms after that. I must say, i learned a lot of the world from her. My most educating teacher, and its due to her that i owe my unnatural fear of mirrors in the dark to. On account of her bloody marry attempts in our room, as well as other satanic practices. She was a good friend, it was sad to see her expelled from my school in 10th grade.

3)Jamie:
I think Jamie was the room mate that it was hardest for me to get along with. She was just one of those girls that it was really hard to get along with in general, let alone live with her. She wasn't very considerate of others, and the hardest thing i think to live with was the music while we slept. I can still remember falling asleep to Tim McGraw on repeat, it's a good thing i liked country. Oh, she also woke up at 5:00 every morning and spent 2 hours getting ready...which involved a lot of noise...something i sadly have issues with. However we managed to mend our bad room situation during field hockey season. We both played defense that year, and she would sing Spanish songs to me as we waited for some action.

4)Marit:
My second satanic room mate, and she was 20 times more intense than Ashley. This girl was crazy. I remember staying up till like 4 every night having religious talks and things. She taught me a lot about the world too. I remember waking up in the middle of the night sometimes tho to her hissing around her pierced tongue. She would always play with it, which was kinda sick, but whatever. Marit was a CRAZY girl, so unique and exceptional. She was one of my best friends that year tho, we taught each other a lot, and we are still in contact. She left at the end of our 10th grade too, not expelled, but pretty close. She moved to Norway where now she lives happily...a Christian.

5)Miriam:
Miriam was about the biggest jump you could get from a person like Marit. Miriam was a sweet, innocent girl who knew nothing of the world outside of Malawi, where she grew up. We had some fun times together, decorating our room in bright colors, and growing together. She is the one however that ruined Phantom of the Opera Music for me tho. I loved it until i had to fall asleep listening to it for 3 months straight. Miriam and i roomed off and on over our next 2 years together.

6)Hanna:
Oh man Hanna Smiddy!!! What an awesome girl, i love her so much, and miss her to this day. She was a fellow field hockey player, and volley ball, we took trig as an independent study together. She taught me about music, and filled my life with endless fun and joy! We would stay up for hours...her sitting in front of the mirror talking or reading out loud to me while i straightened her hair. She Loved to read out loud to me, she read me pretty much every Ted Dekker book i know, and she made them all so good!

7)Mel:
Mellap Nachumicha Murilla! Yet another AMAZING girl. She was a professional dancer in Nairobi, anything i learned, and my love of dancing...it all came from her. We would lock ourselves up in our room during study hall and practice our moves rather than work. It is also from this girl that grasped my handle on Swahili and Kenyan slang. Ehhh ehh, i miss the nights that we would talk about EVERYING, like her passion fruits vrs. my mangoes. ;) Also field hockey and volley ball player, and my favorite calc partner.

8)Erin:
Erin was my last room mate from High school and she trumps them all. She was my best friend, and i new i could do ANYTHING with her, and be myself with her, and we had so many awesome times together. I miss her, she would read me a proverbs and a psalms ever night before we went to bed. We would dress up together, talk about music, do crafty things, we both had 7th period study hall our last term, so we had some crazy times. Always sitting on the floor, scrounging food from anywhere we could. If i wrote 2000 words about our 2 terms spent together i wouldn't be able to describe all the spectacular things we did together. She helped me plan my trip to Somalia, and went with me to Uganda. She is someone i miss every day, and one of my most precious friends. I hope i can see her again someday, and I'm sure things would feel just like old times.

9)Annie:
Annie is my latest room mate, here at UCI!!! She is absolutely fantastic. God really blessed me by giving me a room mate like her! He knew what he was doing. She is so fun, we can talk about anything. Although we are so different, we find so many similarities in our lives. Before bed every night she teaches me one word in Hindi, and i teach her one Arabic word. We can talk about everything, and even with our differences in religion, she has taught me so much, and have learned to understand each other and can openly talk about things like we are the same. I hope i still find time to hang out with her next year, she really is a special person!

These are the girls that have shaped my life. The ones who have seen me in my worst, and still love me. And i know for a fact God gave me a miracle and a blessing in each one of them. Thank you God, and thank you to these people. I love you all!