Labyrinth round 2, affirmation circle and home

I know, crazy I'm posting twice in one week. Don't worry there's a reason behind this madness. I just drank some AMAZING coffee, De La Paz Coffee Roasters, Mission Blend. buh-ommbb. Quite a few of us were reflecting on our sadness to be leaving the quality of coffee in this beautiful city. I mean I cringe at the thought of the so called 'coffee' in the DC, I pray that I will not be subject to that.
In other news, I spent Friday night baking another Texas Sheet Cake, except this time I actually grasped the concept of why it's called a sheet cake, you bake it in a cookie sheet! whoa. hold up. Then I made blueberry muffins at Sheldon's begging, pleading request. Let's just say that I went to bed covered in flour and a mixture of baking powder. Mmm Mmm good.



Saturday, Kristyn, Rachel, Mandi and I went over to Lands End (again) and hiked the Sutro Bath ruins and the labyrinth. I was feeling the Presidio and possibly the bridge as well, however they were feeling food more.  It was a good 85 out. Yes you read that correctly, 85 in SF. We took the 1 down and cut through Chinatown to North Beach and went to this amazing Italian deli (like the little whole in the wall ones with meats hanging from the ceiling) to get sandwiches. Then we went to Washington Square Park (which definitely has the feel of Dolores Park, however a bit smaller and it lacks that oh so pleasant odor of weed drifting around).  Mandi and I left Kristyn and Rachel there and we went back to her apartment.
It's been so amazing to see how God places certain people in your life for a reason. I've barely known Mandi for 3 months, and now we're rooming together for part of the summer.  We've also found that we're alike in sooo many ways and the conversation just comes naturally. I love when God places people like this in my life, I become so overwhelmed by His goodness and blessings. It was surreal to hang out at her apartment and think that I'll be living there in just a few weeks.  With the warm weather outside, it already felt like summer and it was hard to come to terms with the fact that I needed to go back to the house and do homework before work the next day.

Tonight, we had our final 'community worship'.  This turned into a time of many many laughs remembering our times together and quite a few tears as we think about the reality that is facing us very, very soon.  We all went around and talked about our favorite moments with each other.  It was truly a time to recognize how everyone fit into this house, into this family.  I can't imagine leaving, I can't imagine waking up and going down to the kitchen and not seeing David grinding his coffee, or hearing Vroselyn's laugh echoing through the house or Sheldon cooking some new concoction in the kitchen, or Maddie sitting behind her computer when I come through the door, or Katie scrubbing away at the stove and unloading the dishwasher, or Carter forgetting her key and ringing the doorbell, or Tia catapulting herself onto her bed every night, or Kristyn getting low in the kitchen to some ghetto music, or Rachel slowly walking downstairs minutes before class in her sweats and her hair going everywhere, or Natasha laughing from across the dining room table from me at work, not realizing that her music is blaring from her earphones. We've become so close.
I think about all of the change that's been taking place at Westmont and of everyone moving out very soon and I can't imagine having been there this semester. It just doesn't feel right. I found such a beautiful place here, and it's going to be painful to leave.

Home. I mentioned this in my last post, but I can't seem to get it out of my mind. It feels normal to be here, it feels right, it feels like home.  I love that everyday proposes a new adventure, a sense of mystery and excitement.  There are so many hidden aspects to this city it amazes me.  I love that there are so many different districts that offer something no other city can.  Separate they all have their own little quirks and local spots, but together they make up this city; they make it so unique.  I love that I can walk down one street and see 5 coffee shops, the next street a mob of people in front of large shopping centers, that I can pass by windows in Chinatown and see dead ducks hanging while hearing Russian from someone next to me; I love the sound that a Clipper card makes when being scanned on the bus, the small parks, the hiking trails, the huge buildings, the hills, the fact that cars have to park at a 90 degree angle in order not to roll down.  A longing, a loving, a passion stirs inside me for this city. I long to be a light, to be a voice, to be the salt. I long to pour out love in the simplest forms of a smile, a conversation and a granola bar. I can't escape this growing passion, it has captured my soul. I can't run from the faces I've seen, the people I've met, the stories I've heard. I want to be here, I want to be home.

SBIC, the plague and 2nd decade

12 days left?! no, No, NO! *sigh* good thing I'm coming back very soon :)

So I know, it's been hecka long. Like over a month...my apologies, it's been crazy, amazingly busy up here.

SBIC--

LOVE the group that came up here and it was so nice to see my beautiful sisters Paige and Mo leading the trip. Spring Break was pretty crazy. A group from Gonzaga University came and stayed at the Urban House as they were doing an 'alternative spring break trip'. So with Maddie gone I was in charge of keeping the parties to a minimum and making sure the house didn't burn down. Then only half of my house left for the week, so I was trying to juggle hanging out with SBIC, being on call for Gonzaga when they got locked out (they did, many times) and spending time with the housemates. Let's just say I didn't sleep much (then again when do I ever?). But it was great, I wouldn't have changed anything.

Window washing!

While SBIC was here, we spent some time at City Team (an addiction recovery center for men) cleaning everything as their guys had left on a retreat; we went to Alpha Pregnancy Center (a pro-life stance, non-profit organization that recognizes that the greatest reason for abortions are due to finances). I loved this place! They offer classes for parenting, bible studies, counseling sessions, post-abortion classes and marriage classes.  They also provide diapers, formula, baby clothes, cribs, etc. for families.  I loved that they hold a pro-life stance, however they never turn away a woman that is considering to have an abortion.  They also inform the women of what actually happens during an abortion, something that doctors don't typically share before they perform this.  We had some great discussions and were able to help Alpha out by packaging diapers, organizing clothes and cleaning.

Mo trying to tackle some diapers.

We went to Old Skool Cafe (which is now open for business 4 nights a week! yay!) and due to the pouring down rain (ALL week) we couldn't do too many projects that Teresa wanted us to do outdoors. However, Paige, Nikki, Mo, Danielle and I decided to go out in the rain anyways and weed Teresa's garden for 3 hours. SO MUCH FUN! My 4 layers were completely soaked through and we were all covered in mud by the end, however the garden turned out great and now they can start planted strawberries and mint to use at Old Skool. It was so great being able to spend more time with Raymond, Robbie and Mandi that work at Outpost. We've definitely become a lot closer :)

The kids formed their own worship team :)

Silas' birthday!

I had to do some therapeutic baking when they all left :(

The Plague--

So we all knew that it was bound to happen. Lo and behold, I got sick. The week after spring break was hecka busy with school work, we had 4 papers due ( I know, whoa, hold up there). So about Wednesday I started going downhill, then by the weekend I was at my worst. I ended up having a sinus infection and some crazy lower back pain, along with a lot of weird symptoms. 2 weeks, a lot of pain killers and antibiotics plus an ER trip and a doctor visit later, I'm good to go :)

I did manage to watch both High School Musical 1 & 2 during that time. Oh Zac Efron and your awkward solo on the golf course running around jumping off rocks.

2nd Decade--

I hit the big Two Oh! a few weeks ago.

Quickly, I'm obsessed.

Michelle Obama came to town for my special day as well...

No seriously, that's her car RIGHT there.

Got one of these babies for next year.

On another note, I have completely fallen in love with this city.

When the sun comes out...

Labyrinth at Lands End

And the housemates haven't been half bad either. :)

Half Moon Bay with Kristyn

Bus Stop games: Rachel, Katie, Kristyn, David and Maddie

Haitian Dinner prepared by Vroselyn and her sisters

Half Moon Bay- Rachel and Kristyn

Natasha hanging off the roof.

TARTINE with the matching hipsters

Giants Game! Maddie, David, Kelsey and me.

Kristyn, Vroselyn and I!

I've become a coffee snob. Not ashamed though.

Oreo Truffles and Texas Sheet Cake for Natasha's bday.

White chocolate chunk craisin oatmeal cookies

Research Project

Someone left their pants in front of the house...

Kombucha Brewery Tour!

So now that these pictures have given you the inside to my busyness, here's some words to tell you what's going on now.

SBIC was amazing and I really felt God revamping my passion for 6th Street. I've been praying about this a lot and I've decided to do an internship with The Outpost Church and CityCrossroads for a month this summer! It's going to be a crazy busy summer, but that's exactly how I want it. :)

I went home for Easter, for less than 2 days, and I can't even begin to describe how weird it felt. I didn't hear cars or sirens, the water tasted different, the air felt different, I couldn't compost or recycle anything...  I got to thinking about how little my home really felt like 'home'.  I've realized how much more this city feels like home to me. I feel alive here, I feel happy here, I feel God here. I struggled with this for awhile, of how walking down 6th street amidst the strong smells of urine and the profanity being thrown all around me, feels more at home than Orange County.  I feel like salt on this street, I see a brightness coming from me. I've never seen this at home.

I really feel called to this city, I'm not sure how this will play out in my future, but I trust that God has a place for me here, because this city has worn a very soft spot in my heart.

It's going to be hard leaving the communities I've formed here. My housemates, my community group through Reality and everyone from the Outpost. 

These last two weeks I know are going to fly, but I pray that I can soak in as much as possible.