c'est la vie

I was recently rejected for a scholarship that I have applied for two years in a row, and I wanted it more than anything. facing rejection for something that so important comes with a certain amount of pain. for now, I have to figure out if pursuing this dream is realistic and whether it fits into my life anymore.

the scholarship had to do with teaching overseas. I'm okay here, but I'm not teaching. and the thing is, I see these teachers around me who are stressed and overwhelmed and taking pay cuts left and right and I have to question my future and I have to ask myself if I made the right choice.

I wanted it so bad, just imagining my life overseas was so fantastic that it put a vice around my heart. it depresses me to my very core to think about how I failed, and not for the first time. I'm heartbroken, it hurts, and I'm grieving, and it sucks.

no place like home

well, today I made it back to Ann Arbor after a long vacation away.

I love spending the holiday with my family. for the past two years, I have been out of the country on Christmas Day, so I've been savoring my time at home while I had time off from work. my birthday, Christmas, New Year's Day, and my dad's birthday are all crammed into a 2-week span of time, and it's always a ton of fun.

when I arrived home, a ton of goodies I ordered had arrived including some hats from Lindsey Nicole's etsy shop, my Burt's Bees holiday grab bag, and this lovely notebook from Kinsey. how awesome is this? Kinsey created these beautiful notebooks, sold them on her blog, and the proceeds went to charity. perfect gift with the bonus of warm-fuzzies for donating to a very worthy cause.

we also went to downtown Rochester, Michigan for my birthday dinner before I left for Mexico. the city of Rochester lights their buildings downtown from top to bottom during the holidays, and it's awesome to be down there at night. when I returned, we celebrated Christmas. my mom and I cooked up a storm (including crawfish macaroni and cheese) for New Year's Eve, and we went back downtown for my dad's birthday dinner before I had to jet back to Ann Arbor. it was all wonderful, and I always get sad leaving my family after the holidays. it will definitely be difficult to start working again.

I hope you all had a wonderful season, and that you all got everything you wanted this year. I know I did.

feliz navidad

adios, america!

over Christmas, I went on vacation with Jordan's family to a resort in Playa del Carmen in sunny Mexico. these are just a few snapshots I managed with my iPhone.

notebook sale for a cause

the holiday season is a season for giving. Kinsey, of one of my favorite blogs, Sincerely Kinsey, has created some beautiful and whimsical Moleskine notebooks adorned with a unique polaroid photo and hand-stained pages to sell for a great cause.

all proceeds are going to Project Rescue, a charity dedicated to helping women and children who have been affected by sexual slavery; from rescuing them to placing them in aftercare homes, to giving them vocational training and medical care.

for details on how to support this great cause (and get an amazing one-of-a-kind notebook made by a talented artist) visit Kinsey's blog!

{all photos ©Kinsey}

lucy

rest in peace, Lucy. I will always remember how you used to bark, and how you loved to play with your red ball, and "Jack." you could always make us laugh with your silliness. it will be a strange holiday season without you, but I hope you will be watching over us all. we love you, Lucy, and we will miss you every day.

lately...

this weekend I visited my parents. my mom was a crafter at a local craft show and I helped. or tried. the car I drive also some issues, so my dad took a look at it for me. I helped. or tried. a few weekends ago when I visited them, we went to the haunted corn maze just around the corner. they have moved to a small town, but at least there are a few fun things nearby. I really like spending free weekends with them. it's nice to just hang out and relax. it will be nicer over Thanksgiving and Christmas, when I have a longer break, and I can spend a few more days.

in a semi-related note, I have been sorely disappointed in my own photo efforts. I've barely been taking any, and I don't really find myself in many situations where I would want to. how sad is that? I think city life or living in very rural areas helps. in Grand Rapids, I would take photos all the time. at my parents' house, there are some interesting landscapes if you can see beyond the plane of the houses. I keep trying to do daily photo challenges, and failing. it's pretty frustrating.

anyway, the apartment hunt is still on, and all is well for now.

missing oz

I can't believe a year ago today, I was boarding a plane to start the most amazing adventure of my life. well, a year ago today, I was boarding a plane to land in LA and get stuck there for 3 days, but you know what I mean.

I miss Australia HEAPS. I often think of my time there, and all the people I met and came to love. by the end, I didn't even mind the heat so much. if only I could visit again! one day, maybe, but until then, I have some pretty wonderful memories to hold on to. Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oy oy oy!