Playing Catch Up (With My Life)

Goodness! It has been a while. Let's recap:

Last time I posted, I had just started ConStruct and announced that I was going to apply to Kingston University.

Well, ConStruct has been moving along quite well. Still trying to get my feet under me but it's happening! There are times when I feel completely unqualified and I don't know how to be qualified but that's all apart of the journey, right? Life wouldn't be life without some challenges, ya know?

As far as university goes, I've already applied! I sent out my application about a week and a half/two weeks ago and it's been crazy! I can't believe this is happening. I got my welcome package from the company that handles the UK university applications and literally had to calm myself down. Not because I was excited but because I was freaking. out. I think it was shock, mostly, but I also think it was because I realized that there's really no turning back. I've set this in motion and I have to see it through. I can't bow out now that I'm soooo close to getting to Europe, my childhood dream.

Things for Europe 2013 are shaping up well! I've booked my stay in London and Paris and paid for all my flights. This is also surreal. I never in a million years thought that I would get to say, "I'm going to Europe in January." It just sounds so cool to say! I'm sure people are completely sick of me talking about it but that's why God created earplugs. I will not be quiet. Just sit there and be jealous.

Everything else has been pretty interesting. My best friend moved to Ireland on Wednesday and I have to say, it was one of the hardest things I've experienced. Even though I know I'll be seeing her in January and we'll be seeing more of each other in Europe, it was hard just to know that she wasn't going to live 20 minutes away anymore. I wouldn't be able to just call her up and schedule a lunch/coffee date. But the fact that she is happy in Ireland is helping a lot. As her friend, I should be supporting her despite my feelings. I will never impose my feelings on her decisions simply because 1. that's manipulation; 2. it's already hard for her to leave, I shouldn't make things harder; and 3. I would be hindering her from her happiness. That's not okay.

Work has been good. I officially finish working at Old Navy this week. It was quite a run but I'm glad it's over. I have a new mistress now and she has twin tails, caffeine, and a voice that draws sailors to their deaths. Starbucks, may we make sweet lattes together.

Oh! And Wake Tech is fin. Since none of my credits will transfer to university, I've decided to hold off with my classes and focus on preparing for England. So there's that.

This is such an odd post! Soon I will have to post something of relevance to society. I need some of those in my life. In the meantime, if you are not following ConStruct or its twitter page, you should be ashamed of yourself! If you love me, you'll do these things ;)

Clearly I'm not above guilt trips...

Anyways,

Till Next Time...

Not Your Typical Pleasure Trip...

I have decided that on this DC trip I will find inspiration.

From a recent conversation with one of my closest friends and my parents, I'm realizing very quickly how much I need some inspiration. There's just something strangling my creativity in North Carolina and I don't know what it is. Solution? Escape NC, find some inspiration and bring it back with me!

Sounds simple enough.

I'll be traversing the art galleries today; taking pictures and simply observing when I can. I'm hoping that the results of other people's inspiration sparks something within me that will encourage me to up my own creativity and start writing again.

It seems to be working already because I'm doing two blog posts back to back! Yay for progress!

I'll also be looking around at places that people don't usually go to for inspiration. I don't know what those places are but I'll wander around until I find it. (Safely of course. No worries, family!) Oh and people! I'm beginning to notice that while people annoy me the majority of the time, at a glance, they can inspire me. Not just talking to them but just watching them (in a non-creepy sort of way). I'm inspired a lot by fashion and the way people dress. My thoughts are, "what was going through their brain when they put that on?" whether good or bad.

I'm super pumped about this and I'm excited that this isn't just a vacation but a chance to continue forward with fresh eyes and a renewed sense of being.

So yeah, I just thought I'd jot down a note whilst I sit in this rather warm Starbucks sipping hot coffee (mistake) and munching on this blueberry muffin.

I'll keep you posted!

Till Next Time...

"Ask, and it will be giving to you: seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 

National Monu-mania...(Washington, D.C. Day One)

Okay! So in case you don't follow me on any of my social media anythings, you don't know that I am in our nation's capitol! Our nation being the United States and our capitol being Washington, D.C.

It's only been the first day and already I've gotten lost...three times. Thank God I have an iPhone and that there is a Starbucks on every corner because I don't think I would be typing this right now. Anyways, I'll start from the beginning and work my way through the day.

I took the train to D.C. which was a very good decision. There was not a peep on the train. It was wonderful. I was able to get a fair amount of reading done and observe the trees/bodies of water of our country.

Water and trees...

Water and more trees...

When the announcement came overhead that we were close to D.C. I was over the moon. 

Happy Steven...?

Clearly I was excited and I managed to get a picture of the first glance of D.C.

'MERICA!

After the madness of dashing through the train station, finding the metro, getting to the hotel and getting settled, I managed to find the nearest coffee headquarters.

Starbucks-ing...like a BOSS...never saying that again...

Then it was exploring time! Now the thing I'm noticing about D.C. is that you can literally walk down a random street, turn a corner and run into a national monument. No kidding. It happened to me. See?

Le Washington Monument

And then again.

That's the J. Edgar Hoover Building BTW

                                                              And again.

Ford's Theatre aka the place Lincoln was shot

And again!

La Casa Blanco (The White House)

 Hello White House, nice to see you. 

It's kind of awesome!

So yeah, that has been my day. I'm excited to see what the rest has in store.
Oh! And I'm staying in an awesome hostel in Dupont Circle which is in the historical part of D.C. and it's wonderful. The guys in my room are surprisingly normal and friendly! Yay for no crazies! :)

Till Next Time...

A Couple Spiels Equals A Long(ish) Update

I'm a very bad blogger.
Very bad.
I'm sorry reader people.

Anyways, if you have been following me on any part of social media, you know that the semester is over!  It's actually been over for weeks but I've been...okay, I've been lazy but I have an excuse. The week that school ended was the week that I suddenly received an influx of hours at the Starbucks. The next week after that, Dad started a new job! In Cary. Well, he's training elsewhere but it's not at North Hills so that meant that I had to get inventive on how I was getting to work. This brings me to the most wonderful part of not having a car: public transportation! More specifically, busses. *insert sarcastic 'yay'* Since this is not the Tri-state area (New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania for all you southern people), it means that the public transportation system  is awful in every sense of the word. The bus that runs from my house to North Hills runs hourly. Which means if I have to be at work at 9 am, in order to get there on time, I must wake up at 7:30 am to get ready and be at the stop by 8:15 when it takes off. Then I have to pray that it's not late. Does not make for a very happy Steven.

And let's not even start with 'bus people'. I think I could write for ages all the ridiculous things I've seen in the past few weeks...

The short of that long spiel was to say that I've been really busy and frustrated.

Relying on outside things to make my life function properly is getting old. I can just feel the pressure building in my head and my heart. I'm hoping when I explode all of my anger and frustration, it won't be on a family member because that never ends well.

In other news, I love my job at Starbucks! Everyone is great, the customers are fairly nice and the job is challenging which is interesting but it's what I need. Also, tips every week. Praise the Lord. Financially, I've never been better. I'm on the road to recovery since my bout with the department store.....
In case you were wondering (or in case you weren't wondering...), I'm still working at Old Navy; much less than before but still. Things are actually improving there so I'm going to stick around until it gets bad or until my schedule no longer permits aka when school starts in August.

Speaking of school, I've never been more bored than the past couple of weeks. When I'm not at work or hanging out with friends, I'm sitting in my room on my computer for all hours of the day. It's unhealthy. Literally. I think I've gained like 5 pounds sitting here.
I would love to say that I've been sitting at this computer writing my heart out but that is only half true. Mostly I've been on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/Pinterest/YouTube/Hulu/StumbleUpon.
Not healthy at all.
Seriously, I'm going to need to find something productive to do before I end up shaving my head simply because I was bored.
....Okay that was an extreme but I would really like something constructive to do this summer besides shop.

Speaking of shopping, LifeCity just bought themselves a keyboard! This means that I can finally play at the church I attend! Yay!
I actually played on Sunday and it was so refreshing to be up and playing songs and...AH! It was great. Wonderful even. But this also means that I'll be stepping up and actually lead things. The Wednesday before last I actually led songs for my missional community.
Like, by myself.
Singing included.
That's never happened for me and it was awesome to be able to do that. I feel honoured that LifeCity would even trust me to do something like that. I was telling one of my friends that if I were still at Journey, I'm pretty sure I would have never had the opportunity to lead worship songs as far as singing is concerned. This is yet another sign that I made the right move. I told God, after trying to do vocals for the Journey worship team and failing, that if He wanted me to sing, He would have to make it happen. And He did! I'm so stoked about what God's going to do next with LifeCity and how I fit into the plan :)

Alrighty! Well that was a fun update! A little scattered but whatevs :)
I promise there will be a more focused blog soon.
Seriously.

Continue to pray for me as you see fit. I greatly appreciate it!

Till Next Time....