There Goes Another One

Another month is has nearly passed. I have been trying my best to fill my days with productivity in one way, shape, or form. In no particular order- writing in my journal, playing guitar, reading, running, being outside, and spending quality time with everyone I'm in contact with seem to be what constitute as productivity for me. I've also spent some time looking at possibilities of what may happen when I'm back in the States. A while ago, I had sort of unofficially decided to wait until I was back to seriously look at and apply for jobs. Well, then my parents sent me a few different things and told me to look on this website and apply for this, etc. I put it off and didn't really say much in reply. I didn't realize until I was talking with a friend that that had been my way of denying the reality that I indeed am going back. At this point, I wish I had like one or two more months here, that's all. However, not doing anything from this to prepare and hiding from the reality that will soon be upon me are two very unwise things to do. So I stopped avoiding the plague, strapped up my big girl boots, and opened up a few familiar websites: different hospital's career pages and UIC's nursing page. And I was pleasantly surprised to learn how I felt about it: content and ready. People have been asking me lately, "Are you excited to be going home?"
My reply has quite simply and consistently been, "I wouldn't say excited exactly; more sort of a general and calm 'looking forward' to it. I'm not counting down the days or anything, although I do have a general idea, but I pray to be ready to leave when the time comes."

And that's that.
I leave Vienna on the fifth of July, at which point I will be on my way to Northern Ireland for a little over two weeks. I will be serving on a Scripture Union NI mission team, and about that I will certainly say that I am excited. We will be providing what is more or less a super awesome VBS for kids and families in the Benone area. My friend Jillian is co-leading the team, so it will be fun to work alongside her. Plus I think at least a few other friends will be about when I'm there too, so it should be a fabulous time! Then I'll fly back to Chicago on the twenty-third of July to start whatever God has planned for me Stateside.

Enough about the future. Let's go back into the past for a bit...

Last Saturday, I was blessed with an opportunity to earn a little extra money. I babysat for Noa's au pair family's church's little weekend seminar. My friend Angel was also providing her services as well, so we had a fun time together, although we were both really tired. We didn't have the best directions as to how to get to the church, so we got a little turned around on our journey; however, it provided just enough extra time for a little chick chat, which is always nice. We were with the little babies and toddlers, which I was sort of looking forward to. But when they were all upset because they were either not feeling the greatest or wanting their mommies, I was reevaluating my anticipation. Ha. There was one sweet little baby girl who I finally got to sleep in my arms, which is always a triumph, especially when you are also able to lay her down without her waking up! Wooohooo! Then the older kids came back, two of which I knew from Noa's family, and then it just got crazy. Luckily though, they also came with more adult reinforcements.
I took a few of the older kids to one of the little play places, and one of the boys asked me, "Warum kennst du English?" (Why do you know English)
I said, "Veil ich komme aus den USA." (Because I come from the USA). He was just like, "Oh." It was a pretty special moment. Then one of the girls (she spoke English) held a little flower in her hand. She said, "Do you know what this is?"
"It's a poppy," I replied. "I really like poppies."
"Me too. I picked it for you!" That was a special moment too. I put the flower in my hair and she just smiled at me. Little girls can be so sweet- even sweeter still when you have their approval.

Once we left, I made my way to Kelli, and we took a very round about way to an Italian restaurant where we both ordered pizza to prepare for the 10k the next morning. It was spectacular!

Pizza Viennese: with mozzarella and wurstel! Yum 

The restaurant: Il Sestante

On our way back, we decided to take a peek at what the Life Ball, a huge AIDS fundraiser, was all about at the Rathaus Platz. Andreas had told me earlier that Bill Clinton was going to be there, and so when I relayed that little tidbit to Kelli, she was thrilled and wanted to see him. We thought we'd at least try. We had not planned to stay for very long, but then Adam Lambert started performing on stage, and we were both like, "WHHHHATT?!" So we moved closer so try and at least see the actual stage instead of just the screens broadcasting what was happening. There were so many people, but we were able to get a decent glimpse. Then somebody else important was coming down the center aisle: Hilary Swank!!!! She spoke about The Girl Effect and gave out an award or two. Then Elton John came out a gave a speech. Fergie talked a bit. Then Barbara Eaton came out in her genie garb, and her master's last wish required none other than Bill Clinton to walk out on stage to describe how we are all part of making the master's last wish, no more AIDS victims, come true. It really was a spectacular sight and I am glad we stayed to just take it all in.

Elton John is the one speaking in the middle

L-R: woman MC, Famous Olympic diver, Fergie, Genie's Master, Sir Elton John, Bill Clinton, "Genie" Barbara Eaton, man MC

The lights we really cool. The theme for the event was Arabian Nights, so people were dressed in some pretty interesting outfits and costumes!!

Wow. What a night. On the Strassenbahn ride home, we couldn't stop remarking about the randomness that was what we had just experienced. Also on the Strassenbahn, there were two interesting gentleman going up and down the tram with glass cleaner and paper towels wiping down the windows. I bet they had to have been at least slightly intoxicated, but I couldn't be sure. After they wiped the window, they looked at us, showed us the 'dirt' they'd collected from the glass (there was hardly anything on their towels) and basically said, "You're standing for this low standard? These windows are filthy! And you, you're eating on this tram? How disgusting." The driver took no notice of them though, at least from what I could make out. Seriously... When in Vienna...!

It was rise and shine time about six and a half hours later as we got ready to head to the Frauenlauf! We had to get there early to pick up our numbers and t-shirts--Ahh! So exciting!! We found everything, had a sit to look through our bags at all of our 'freebies' (COOL BLUE Gatorade was one of them---I haven't tasted that sweet nectar in three years!!! I had never done anything in that span of time to really deserve one, at least that's what I told myself), and just took it all in. There was a guy on the main stage leading all the 5k-ers in a warm-up, and then a Zumba session followed! The sun was shining, but it was quite windy which made it chilly when we were just sitting, but during the race, it felt really nice. The 10k started at 10:25, but that was just for starting block A. After that, each one started two minutes after; since I was in block C, I started at 10:29! I planned to time myself anyway, but since I saw no clock at the start, I made sure not to forget to start my watch as soon as my foot hit the mat. This was the first race that I have run since my last outdoor track season at NCC, so May of 2010! Three years is a long time to go without racing after having done it for 8 years straight! I had never raced a 10k before. In outdoor track at NCC I told my coaches that I really didn't ever want to race 6.2 miles! While I was running on Sunday though, I really enjoyed it. So many years of practicing different racing strategies came flooding back to memory, but I had nothing solid to base this race off of. The longest I'd ever raced was 6k in college cross country, so this was a bit more than that! I tried not to start off too fast but at the same time to just let my legs go when they wanted too. I tried to build throughout the whole thing, and I think I did a pretty decent job. It was so fun moving through the packs of people, passing them and leaving them behind! There were a few times I got frustrated when I couldn't pass people, especially when they would slow down, on a slight downhill no less! Crazy! Thirty thousand one hundred women participated in the entire event (5k, 10k, Nordic walking). My finishing time was 48:36 minutes, which converts to about 7:49 min/mile and 4.51 min/km. Not bad at all for my first one, plus that met my quiet goal of finishing in under 50 minutes. I wasn't a complete ball of jelly at the end, but I definitely kicked it in and felt like I'd ran a good race.

As soon as we got to the race area that morning, I felt this old foggy part of myself begin to reawaken; it only continued as the day went on. As I walked along the finishers' path and back to the area where we dropped off our bags, I chugged almost a whole water bottle that was basically thrown at me, and I began to feel those very familiar after-race pleasantries. My throat was sore and dry, my abs were tight and a bit sore, my hips felt a little wobbly- not unlike how Pinocchio most likely felt , I had the start of a very mild headache, my nose was running, and I just wanted my Cool Blue Gatorade!!! As I waited in line for my stuff, I kept my eye out for Kelli, but I didn't see her until my bags had been returned to me and was headed over to a spot to put on a couple warmer layers. And OOOHHH my, that Gatorade tasted better than I remembered! Plus it was a struggle to get the cap off, so when it finally touched my lips, it was just heavenly. I'm sure the endorphins were playing their role, but it was more than that I think. I was so happy and excited to be "back." As soon as I had sat down and eaten my banana and orange, I felt the eagerness begin to build and the desire to quickly to sign up for my next race, whatever the distance may be. I plan to work my way up to a marathon, but I'm not in a rush. Another 10k or a half and some random 5ks in there too sound pretty swell.
I love the fact that I will always be a runner. Always.

Kelli and I! There were supposed to be 4 of us running, but Natalie got injured and Noa was sick. We were also going to wear homemade white tank tops that said "Run for Boston" but that didn't happen. Mind you, we did make the tank tops, but we just didn't wear them because they were at Noa's. 

We were just about to hand over our bags...and  then sit and be pretty chilly for the next hour before starting to warm up for the race!

Finished her first race EVER like an all-star!

Everyone got a medal and small rose! And of course my Gatorade was long gone by this point!

The main stage

Enjoying a Manner biscuit :)

Being amused by this super cute kid... as shown below...

Ha..it looks like his legs are huge..haha. Cute.

The finish!!!! ...On our way out to catch the bus, on which we nearly fell asleep. 

A few hours later, we made our way to church where Liz, our dear friend and favorite Canadian, would be in attendance for the last time. Lots of people asked Kelli and I about the race, so it was fun to talk about it some more there too! It was all I could do to keep my eyes open during the service, but I managed with only a few major nod-offs. Afterwards we stayed to eat pizza and hang out and listen to Erin's encouraging chat about her work with Intervarsity back in the States. It was really cool to hear about all she's doing and to partner with her in prayer for all the big things that God is doing and that the ministry will bring to the campus. Hearing her stories made me nostalgic for Focus and campus ministry life at NCC, but it was all well and good :)

No race day was ever complete for me until the "debrief" with my parents had happened, especially in college when they were not able to come to as many of my meets, so I was looking forward to that part of the day as well. My mom even wrote a sweet comment on my Facebook wall to cheer me on; I was slightly embarrassed but still loved and appreciated every word! They've always been my biggest fans and best source of support, therefore I was highly anticipating our Skype conversation when I got home. Thanks, Mom and Dad!! :)

Since I still had/have a cold, I've taken it easy this week as far as running goes. It's been oddly cold and windy here lately, therefore to try and actually get my cold away, I've been trying to stay inside. I ran Tuesday though, which was good. I knew it wouldn't be smart to go more than one day after the race  without running. Alas, today is a holiday so we're all at home from work and school. I had a lot of different things that I wanted to get done this week, picking the songs for Sunday's worship service and playing a lot of guitar being a couple of those things. Sunday will be my second to last time leading worship at the Chapel... I'm sure I'll have more to say about that experience as a whole a bit later on...

About a month ago or so, Jessi told me this quotation she heard and discussed in her grad program. I am glad she shared it with me because it has really stuck and been a good reminder. I suppose I am just trying to live more in the middle:

"Preset past is memory. Present present is attentiveness. Present future is expectation." 

I do not and have not said this enough, but THANK YOU to all of you who read this, laugh at my attempts to be humorous, love me, pray for me, listen to me, encourage me, support me, challenge me, and make me smile.

God, thank you for your unfailing love and grace and for arms and legs that can run and skip and jump. Please help me to not take it for granted.


Until the next time,

~Sarah

So Much...

...has happened in the last few week; however, I am going to try my best at succinctness.

I finally finished Knowing the Unknowable God, the book about Biblical paradoxes. It has deepened the way I think about God and the Bible so much, and I wish I would have read it...oh, about 4 years ago, when I actually first purchased it. So it can be with books like that. However, I know that this was the perfect time to read it. I have been able to speak to certain points at Bible study and in other conversations in ways that are a direct result of that book. How cool!! I think it will be a book that I (should and hope to) will read every year or so. Aaannd, today I finished reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne. It was a fun book that had me chuckling pretty good at a few parts. I appreciated the mineralogy and geology and general science chat; however, at times I did sort of glaze over it. I wanted to read another adventure story, and that it certainly was, but it wasn't my favorite and I found myself the slightest bit bored at times. I am a finisher though, and so I had to keep truckin' along until the last period was reached.

On the first of May I taught Kristina how to ride a bicycle without training wheels! A milestone for us both to be sure. I guess she has been trying to learn for a couple of years now, but she just didn't quite get the hang of it until this time around. I think I was just as excited as she was when I was no longer holding on the to bicycle or her back!!! She kept saying, "I LOVE this!" After she became comfortable going both fast (not crazy fast though) and slow, Elena got on her bike and they had "races" from one end of the small parking lot to the other. I started running in front of Elena as she was "chasing" me on her bike, which brought back very fond memories of playing 'Cops and Robbers' in my own church's parking lot, where I learned how to ride a bicycle, as a kid. So naturally, I explained the game, and we played: I was the robber and they were the cops. It was absolutely splendid.

About a week and a half ago, I met the sweetest lady on my journey into Vienna. She started speaking to me in German, and I was able to understand her and give my reply in German. Of course she could tell that I was not a native and asked where I was from. That in turn led us to chatting the whole one and a half hour ride- all in German! She even said my German and my vocabulary was good!! When we got into the city and had to part ways, we hugged and I thanked her for the pleasant conversation. We said goodbye the traditional Austrian way, kisses on both cheeks, and I didn't even feel awkward, like I do a lot of the time. We talked about all sorts of things and said we'd hope to see each other again in Hollabrunn. How lovely. Then on my way back home that night, I stopped in a cafe to say hi to a friend who was working and to tell him about my new friend. Most of the time we talk in English, but this time I was ready to tell him in German all about my day. There was someone else sitting there at the bar who I eventually met and joined the conversation, again, mostly all in German. Again, this new gentleman complimented my "skills." Haha. I had only planned to stop in for about 5 or 10 minutes, but stayed for at least a half hour chatting. It was great. And since then, I don't really know why exactly, I've been unusually excited and willing and not as nervous to speak the language. I know that it's my own fault that this did not happen sooner, but I'm not exactly sure why it didn't. Anybody will tell you that I was well excited to learn another language during these ten months, so it isn't that the interest wasn't there. I think part of it was that there were so many other things to get used to and to learn that took more of my motivation and didn't leave enough behind for the language. Alas, there seems to be a shift that has taken place in the motivation camp, which I am grateful for. And as they say, better late than never ;)

I've also been crafty and artsy lately. Since I only have a couple pairs of non-athletic shorts here, I decided to turn two pairs of jeans into shorts. I'm not totally finished yet, but so far I think they're looking okay. One pair I'm just leaving as cut-offs, and the other I'm trying to make them with the rolled-up look. But it's sort of tricky. Hopefully they'll turn out okay. I am also making a box out of cardboard pieces that I have '"collaged;" I'm not really sure of its purpose yet, but that is okay. Also, I have been dabbling in songwriting a bit as of late, both music and lyrics. I'm working on some stuff with a friend, and it has literally been one of the coolest things of my entire life, not to mention so much fun! :) :) :)

I'm really excited for my 10k coming up on the 26th of May. I think my mind and my body have finally caught up with each other in desire and will power and motivation to run and work out a lot and not eat so much chocolate. Two other girls from YAG and I are running it together, which is going to be really fun.

What else can I share...
I decided I want to get a tattoo...or maybe a couple.
Last Saturday I dyed my hair mahogany; it took two whole bottles of dye that's how long my hair has gotten! Last Sunday was Elena's first communion, and we had a really nice celebration time with the family.
Today was also another national holiday, so we were all at home. After I got back from my run, I went outside and let the girls spray me with water. We jumped on the trampoline and played in the sprinkler too :) A very good and relaxing day to be sure.

To avoid the risk of my attempt at succinctness being a total fail, I shall end, and please excuse the lack of photographs.

Until the next ramble,

~Sarah