April 21, 2015

So last week was a really crazy week! Between all the work I had from school and all the places I had to be this weekend it was really crazy. Firstly I did get to work on the website on Sunday. I downloaded the pin board theme, put in the slideshow, added some pictures and worked on the about page. I would have to say it has been a much easier theme to use than the one we were trying to use at first. Also last weekend I went to the beach for Friday into Saturday. However not predicting the weather, I brought no sunscreen and got extremely sunburned on my face:/ other than that I had a pretty good time, the water was absolutely freezing and even with a wet suit I could only catch 2-3 waves before I had to come back in and warm up again. After that we had to drive back on Saturday afternoon so I could be back to play for youth Sunday the next day. Overall youth Sunday went very well for the worship team, there were a few minor mistakes but we did it. Lastly this week I was able to meet a travel blogger in person, (that's why I wasn't in class on Monday). On Monday I was able to meet a man who used to work for my parents when they owned a rafting business in West Virginia. He's actually pretty famous, he used to own an outdoor wear company and still sells a popular cooling vest that he invented. He also blogs and travels 8 months out of every year. His greatest accomplishment was riding his motorcycle from the tip of Alaska to the tip of Argentina. It was definitely cool to talk to him about his experiences as a traveler.

Challenges of this past week would include getting the website to work, it was very difficult for me to get the slideshow to show up. Another challenge was driving to the beach, I took a wrong turn while driving and accidently lead us an hour out of the way-_- My last challenge was playing guitar on youth Sunday since we were playing in front of a lot more people than we usually do. 

Successes of this past week include getting to meet and talk to a blogger that I can include in my 20 time project. Another success was youth group and the beach trip. Lastly we had succes with the website this week. 

My plans for the upcoming week are to continue cretiqueing and editing our site to make it look more professional. I'm also planning to work on my 20 time presentation. Lastly I'm planning to visit my sister in New York City this weekend and see the billboards she designed. 

April 15, 2015

Overall this past week has been one of adjustment. Getting back into the swing of things since Costa Rica and Easter break. This week I was able to get a lot of work done on the website with kara, that is until we were told we had to use a different domain, so now we're starting over from scratch.....still trying to figure out how I'm supposed to get a slideshow in and why it won't let me use the example one we donwloaded. It's definitely going to be a busy week for me. Babysitting tomorrow, to the beach on Friday and Saturday and then playing guitar for youth Sunday on Sunday. 

Challenges of this past week would include the website which was coming along fine.... But for some reason the new one we made won't let us use the template thing I used before so it's basically a blank slate. Another challenge of this past week was all the quizzes I've had the past few days. Way too many....

Successes of this past week include almost finishing phase 4. We just need to figure out the website dilemma. Another success was hopefully passing all the quizzes I've taken the past 3 days. A last succes would be in worship team we are all set and prepared for youth Sunday finally and I think it's going to be really great. 

My plans for the upcoming week are to continue working on the website and figuring out how to build it. I'm also planning to get some papers and projects turned in that are all due next week. I'm planning to babysit tomorrow and leave to go to the beach Friday evening. Saturday, weather permitting, I'm planning to do some surfing, the highlight of this week:) then I have youth Sunday on Sunday. 

Costa Rica

1. My last week in Costa Rica was amazing! Before leaving on this trip I had only been out of the country once before, and this trip was by far the better of the two. One of my favorite parts was the zip line. It was terrifying especially since I'm scared of heights, but I conquered it and was able to catch a glimpse of some breath taking scenery as well. My other favorite part was working with the kids. It was amazing to see the joy and love they had despite such poor living conditions. I was able to make quite a few friends. On the last day I hung out with a little girl named Rosa. I will admit there wasn't a whole lot of talking but we danced and smiled a lot:) Overall I will never forget that trip or the children I met while I was there. 

2. My challenges in this trip included first of all, the language barrier. I haven't had a spanish class since tenth grade so naturally my vocab and grammar skills were a bit rusty. I still managed to have a few conversations with people and kids using hand signals and the little bit of spanish I could remember. Another challenge was the cabins. Sharing one shower with 12 girls was extremely frustrating the entire week, I will admit it was nice coming home and not having to wait in line to use the bathroom. Another challenge I encountered was the zip line. The scariest part for me ended up being the beginning, walking up those sketchy steps to the top of the platform. I sincerely thought I would fall right through the cracks in the steps. After that however, the views were amazing and I ended up enjoying it. The last challenge I encountered while there was hiking to a waterfall while we were at the hot springs. For some reason, I still have no idea, me and my friends decided to follow Jonathan down this crazy path in the woods to a waterfall. All in all it was a half hour hike that went straight down the side of a mountain. One fall would've lead to an extremely long tumble.... Definitely one of the craziest things I've ever done. The water fall was nice, not that nice, but nice. The worst part ended up being the hike back up the mountain which literally felt more like a climb since at several parts we were flat out climbing. 

3. Successes of the week included making connections with several of the kids. I made a lot of new friends. Another success was the crafts. I was able to teach I don't know how many kids and adults to make bracelets. It was fun being able to watch them all successfully make the bracelets. Another success was our class growing closer. I definitely feel like this trip united us. The last success would be coming back changed. I definitely look at my life and life in general much differently in comparison to my view before Costa Rica. I am changed and I definitely feel like this trip has impacted me for the better. Hopefully one day I can go back! 

4. My plans for the upcoming week are to finish phase 4 and pick out a website theme for 'Tuft'. I'm also planning to knock out some work on my senior thesis.