It's G-Nome, the G is not silent

It has been a long time (3 years to be precise) since I have come home exhausted and fulfilled by a weekend or week at Young Life camp.  A whole weekend full of crazy highschoolers, funny characters (like the G-Nomes), and so much fun.  This was the first time that I have been to Sharp Top Cove (or any YL camp for that matter) as an adult guest.  I think that makes me officially old.  We had an absolutely amazing time, and it was really incredible to watch my husband finally "get" YoungLife, what it does and what it means to me.  We are now talking about how we as a couple will support YoungLife here in Macon.  Amazing how things keep coming back to my One Word for the year ("invest").  Right now we invest in YL Macon financially as a couple but we are looking at how we can invest ourselves.  I am excited to do this with Justin.  I love the way my journey with YL has evolved since my friends dragged me to my first camp in 1997.

So, I have 5 more items on my 30 before 30 list to share with you.  This is the "go see" part of the list.  I mentioned that I wanted to travel outside the country before 30, but there are a lot of things I want to do in the USA in the next four years.  See my previous post for #'s 1-5.

6. See the Pacific Ocean.
I thought about this one for a while and wasn't sure whether or not to include it.  Now, I have been to the Seattle area and seen the Puget Sound, which I guess if you want to get technical could be considered the Pacific Ocean.  I am choosing not to count the Puget Sound for this experience.  I want to see the Pacific Ocean in all its wave crashing glory.  Cue Phantom Planet and the OC theme song... Californiaaaaa, Californiaaaaa, Here we commmmeee!!

7. Visit at least five new states.
I have had the opportunity to travel some within the US, but there are still a lot of states to go (30 to be exact).  I am placing on my list of "unvisited" states anywhere that I do not have a specific memory.  So, some of these states I have physically been in, but it just doesn't count if all I did was drive through it or have an airport lay over.  States left to visit: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming.


8. Visit New Orleans again post-Katrina.
I visited New Orleans in the winter of my junior year of high school.  It was an incredible vacation.  I traveled out there with my friend Jamie and we stayed with several girls that we met while working at YoungLife camp.  We did all kinds of fun things and ate until we almost exploded.  I know that so many things have changed after Hurricane Katrina hit, but on the other hand, the spirit of NOLA has remained.  I would love to go back and compare the city and my experiences before and after the storm.

9. Go to the Kentucky Derby.
I have visited Louisville my entire life.  About once a year growing up, we would jump in the minivan and head to Kentucky to visit all of the aunts and grandparents.  I would look forward to that trip every year.  It was always so much fun to go and visit Churchill Downs and go through the museum.  It was a special memory I had as a little girl.  When I was older, I got the special memory of being able to take my little cousins through the museum.  Before, I am 30, I want to dress up in my fancy hat and go see the big race that I have dreamed about since I was a kid.

10. Go on a trip in an RV.
I don't know why this appeals to me.  Not a clue.  But I really want to rent an RV and hit the open road.  Maybe I can combine this with visiting some of those states I mentioned in #6!

#s 11-15 coming soon! 

Life gets busy!

Ok, so life gets busy.  Really busy.  But, I said I was going to be serious about this blog and about my intentions to be less guarded and live my life a little more.  So I hereby give you (the 5 people who will read this) permission to nag me when I don't blog enough.

I mentioned that I was going to talk about my theme for this year.  I read a few blogs that challenged people to find a one word theme for the year.  I thought about it, prayed about it, made lists about it (because, oh, I am a list maker!) and finally felt something that made sense.  Invest.  That's my word: invest.

So for 2011, I will strive to invest in my marriage, invest in my relationships, invest in my journey with God, and invest in living my life.  It has been amazing how much that one word has already challenged me in the first month of 2011.  If you look at the tagline of this blog, you will see what finally inspired me.  I am not big on song lyrics and tend it find it corny when people are always posting lyrics everywhere.  That being said, Mumford & Sons new album Sigh No More has quite possibly the most amazing lyrics that I have ever heard.  I am addicted and dangit, they speak to me.  So now I join the corny lyric club.  Go listen to track #10, Awake my Soul.  There is a line that says "In these bodies we will live/in these bodies we will die/ where you invest your love, you invest your life."   Stupid meaningful lyrics. 

So there it is.  My theme this year.  Investing my love in what I do and who I see.  I anticipate that this will not be easy or always comfortable.  Even trying to be more aware of it for a month was intense. 

Coming up next time: the first 5 items on my 30 before 30 list.  If I don't post this soon, nag me.