so happy again!

So those who know me well know that I am a very emotional, feeling person. This has its good and bad sides... when I'm down, I'm down, and there might be buckets of undesired tears or unquenchable anger (that I quench in healthy ways, like sprinting and yelling angrily at the track when nobody is there).

But it has a plus side, too, and since I am an optimistic person and I believe in embracing and loving who you are, I will also acknowledge the benefits of my passionate, emotional nature. When I'm happy, I am soooo happy. It's been a few weeks since I was super happy... with the uncertainty stuff I was dealing with for a little bit... but now I am very/mostly confident in my decision to go to Japan and I just can't believe I have such a great opportunity and all the ways God has worked, both in my situation and my heart. I'm also very compassionate and am concerned about how others feel... a trait that I hope will be helpful with the aimai (ambiguity/indirectness) of Japanese communication.

I'm so blessed. I can never fully appreciate all my blessings. I could chose to dwell on my bummer summer last year and my bad luck with dating... but that's in the past and my mind is blissfully forgetful and bad stuff happens to everybody! Instead, let's celebrate the glorious freedom I have as a single woman to have lots of guy friends, a social life I control, and the freedom to move to Japan without the stress of a long-distance relationship. Life is great! Kanpai!

God blessed me with an incredible family, and even as I work to figure out my role in the family as a mature adult, my parents and my sisters offer me much love and support- more than I deserve- but isn't that how unconditional love is supposed to be? The love I experience in my family propels me to want to be a generous person offering unconditional love, respect, and tolerance to all I interact with.