life is good and simple

hello world. life in west virginia is full of happiness. 

the haunted house was extremely exhausting, but also a huge success. after wrapping it up and making it through the following weekend i decided to take off to boston the next weekend. eric, my friend from depaul, moved there late this summer and we've been talking of a visit. we had a really chill weekend of local dive bars and delicious FOOD. i loved getting to spend time with him and explore boston from a local's perspective. i drove back to alderson last monday and have had a really busy week.

on tuesday, the crew (including children) went on an ADVENTURE to blacksburg, virginia. brian spoke at virginia tech and we spent the day with catherine!! 
wednesday and friday were full of standardized patient-ing(sp) and i worked around the house on thursday. this weekend was a bit chaotic, with a board meeting and a ground breaking ceremony for (eventual) new staff housing... i'm pooped. 

i definitely feel settled. october flew by and now it's already the middle of november. i've been going on runs, attending weekly yoga at the community center, and balancing sp gigs with house responsibilities. we now constantly have a fire roaring and my winter coat has been dug out. guests have called during their drive north and notified us of their decision to turn around because of 'weather' (even though we assured them there was no reason to worry about the flurries). some of my favorite guests only have two more visits before they pick up their wife/mom. and the ladies that volunteer with us every thursday only have two weeks before they stop coming for the winter. my time here is zooming past and i cannot believe that i originally only planned to stay only until december. 

sunday in yoga, our instructor talked about preparing ourselves for the dark and cold of winter. that people are finishing their harvest, packing and preserving for what lies ahead. she mentioned that this is the time to let go of whatever you don't need. don't bring unnecessary thoughts or aches into the next season. 
i hope that the drastic change of winter jolts me awake, freezes me into some understanding of this place in relation to the rest of my life and that i can start thinking of what comes next for lil ole me!!!!

miss and love. xoxo

what is life

HELLO to the WoRLdWiDeWeB!!!!

most of you know what i've been up to because i saw your pretty faces a week ago in illinois. but it has been a fast and settling month. october 1st seems like last week and now it is already halloween! 

the week or so that i've been back has been packed: yoga, apple cider, movie night, hiking, cleaning, haunted house meetings, sorting, and planning, running, guests in and out, and so much more. its getting cold here and the pretty leaves are making their beds on the ground :(( which only means a dark and damp winter is just around the corner. i'm layering up, drinking lots of hot chocolate, and watching too many sports that i don't really care about. 

this month i feel like i've been settled and comfortable. my short, but sweet trip to the midwest was reassuring. although leaving and adjusting to alderson again was challenging, now that i am into the swing of things again, i think i am more satisfied here.



as i exited union station in chicago, feelings of unfamiliarity and uneasiness surprised me . in four short months the details of my city that i was recently confidently proclaiming have escaped me. i hate that i couldn't remember if monroe was north of jackson, that i stuttered when telling allie's cross-streets to the cabdriver, and that i confused clark for broadway... but i love that kids in alderson call me by name and that guests know im insecure when left to serve a meal without kathleen. as difficult as missing people and places in the midwest is, i really loved telling people about the hospitality house. walking you through my experiences helped me confirm why it is important that im here and explore what im learning from alderson. 

ive been thinking about all of the relational elements of my life. i feel like there are several compartments that are related but so distant from each other: home or school, lincoln park or freeburg, suburbs or uptown, san francisco or denver.. i stay in touch with people around the world, hearing about their jobs and school, their city transportation and new bike, their plans and fears. there are these little pockets all over that have something or someone i love. 

and now alderson, west virginia is quickly becoming a place that means friends and security and home. its another place that i'll most likely drive 10 hours to visit and be disappointed when im disoriented by the once familiar street names. 


miss and love xoxo


(photos of mom and i on the road to illinois and hiking with the crew last week)
*not explained in this post is kayla, a new volunteer at the house.

da crib

my room is where i am able to escape the chaos of a house full of 30 strangers or snuggle up for a day if the house is empty. i've been working slowly to make it my own with the few things i brought along... and am feeling pretty settled in. 




the door in the photos leads to my bathroom. the door that enters my room opens into the office. on most days, i set my alarm and get out of bed on my own; however, some days, after hitting snooze a few times, brian's voice on the phone or greeting guests draws me out of bed..  reminding me of the place that i'm living and what the day holds. 


the chalkboard wall art has been completed by paige, audie, and rosie, quoting dave matthews band with original illustrations. my clothes, shoes, and storage all fit in the closets and my books and scrabble game sit right on top. i make most of my calls from the chair and after long days and hard runs i stretch out my yoga mat right in front of it.  

it's hilariously ironic that now that i am living without anyone to share a bed with within 500 miles, i have returned to a double bed. i have trained myself to sleep right in the middle, using all six pillows. regardless, get your visiting asses out here and share my bed! 


it's getting colder here and crunchy leaves are hitting the ground. driving today, i kept my windows closed and noticed the 1/3 red, 1/3 yellow, 1/3 green trees. it was a hard weekend for no particular reason and i'm very glad it's a new week. i officially start my other job tomorrow as a standardized patient at the osteopathic medical school in lewisburg. my first act is for the ob lab, meaning i get to have lots of babies tomorrow. i'll be sure to report on the experience soon. new experiences just don't stop showing up around here. 



miss and love.