A Very Lucky Girl

If I found out that there was a video camera in the Literacy room of the public library during my tutoring session today I would die. Today was my first official volunteering session with my student. She is a middle-aged woman from Mexico with very little knowledge of the English language. Which is where I come in. She wants to learn conversational English and I am doing my best to aid her learning process. I met her for the first time a week ago and it quickly became apparent that we would have trouble communicating. We sat and smiled at each other and laughed nervously. My Spanish vocabulary is extremely limited, I was proud of myself for saying good morning and her name correctly this morning. All week I stressed about being able to communicate a new language to someone when I couldn't even communicate with in their native language. I hated professors who taught me French when they knew little English.  I had a TEACHER book to page through and the whole time I looked th...

I have done one of these blogging interaction awards before , but when my friend Amber, of Clearly Alive , nominated me last week I couldn't say no to a fellow Addison's fighter. And since today, July 1, is my day of birth it is socially acceptable to make it all about me for 24 hours.  Amber is a pretty cool person from what I've garnered from our conversations on social media. I first "met" her in an Addison's Disease Support Group on Facebook. She is currently working in Malaysia and her lifestyle there is encouraging when it comes to me wanting to pursue my own career abroad.  Her 11 questions for me: 1. How did you decide on the name for your blog? This one is easy. I explained it in my inaugural post more than two years ago #timeflieswhenyourblogisfun 2. What is your funniest "brain fog" story?  That time I couldn't even remember a "brain fog" story. AKA now.  3. Cats or Dogs?   DOGS. One in particular, my sister, my boo-...

back when we were babies 5 months ago I can't even begin to comprehend how to say goodbye to home. Dundee was my savior. My sanity in the midst of confusion. And even though it's ending, I consider Dundee my beginning.  I thought a lot about what makes me feel so connected to Dundee. I feel for this place what I feel for Raleigh, North Carolina, my favorite place I lived growing up. What made these settings special? I think the common denominator is feet.  In Raleigh I was devoted to running cross-country and track. My feet pounded the pavement around the school, around my home, around my neighborhood, and even all of over the state when we traveled to compete in meets.  I've done minimal running in Dundee, but my feet have carried me all over this city and all over the country of Scotland! I've walked to the Union and back countless times, I've trudged to Tesco for groceries and donuts, and I've gone to great lengths to skip the Old Hawkhill hill. Ta...

We took our final night trains from Germany to Denmark, and lemme tell ya, I was thrilled. We took a short train from Heidelberg to Frankfurt, then a longer one on to Hamburg where we would change again. We didn't have reservations for our train from Frankfurt to Hamburg so we figured we needed to sit in the second-class upright seats as opposed to the sleeping compartments. I found out with 45 minutes left on our 6 hour train from hell that we were wrong. We could have been sprawled in the sleeping compartments only one car back. Another fun fact: at one stop at least 5 teens were arrested off of our train and escorted onto the platform by security officers. Never a dull moment when traveling with a Eurail pass!  We eventually arrived in Copenhagen and made a few laps of the train station in search of an ATM where I tried not to cry at the exchange rate. After some searching, we located the bus that would drop us off in the vicinity of our hostel. Or not. Because all of the stops...

10 countries. 5 currencies. So many different languages. My head is still spinning and I may possibly need another nap before I write any more words.  It feels like I've been gone from Dundee for years, but at the same time the 23 days passed in the blink of an eye. Before I fully comprehended what was happening I was on a plane in Denmark heading to London and tomorrow I'll be on a bus to Dundee. The greater European adventure of my semester abroad is almost over. It seemed like it took ages to get here, seeing as I've been planning since November. But it finally came to fruition on a chilly night in early April when Laura, Kylie, and I ventured into the unknown.  It's hard to believe it's really me who went to all of those places and had so many amazing experiences. It feels as if I've woken up from an exotic dream where I watched someone else do everything I've always wanted to do. But no. It was me. I walked the dusty streets of Auschwitz and saw ...

This week is the halfway point in my academic semester here at the University of Dundee in Scotland. Before I left America I received many well-wishes and one in particular sticks out to me at this stage in my journey. My friend, Tracy, told me in a Christmas card: "You will start seeing the world through new eyes." She should know, she spent a fall semester during her college years studying in Vienna, Austria. I FaceTimed her when I packed for my adventure and she urged me to NOT bring my entire tshirt collection. I admit, she was right. I really didn't NEED two pairs of Nike shorts.  I wanted to take a post to reflect on what I've learned about the world and about myself through my experiences at Dundee.  This semester is spurring me on to graduate as soon as humanly possible. December 2014 looks to be the magic date, which means...I've been a senior without realizing it.  Beyond an academic future, my weeks abroad have reaffirmed what I thought I already kne...

It's very humbling to come to a brand new (to me) country, that is in fact older than my own country, and interact with several different cultures at once. Classes don't start until Monday, but I've already gathered a wealth of facts that I never knew before. Boots are not the most comfortable shoes to get lost in It's never too soon to watch Orange Is The New Black with a new friend and then comment on the phallic shaped crackers in our soup. Thanks Nat.  Time changes are the bane of my existence. You mean I have finished lunch and my American friends have barely touched breakfast?  Always carry a grocery bag with you because you never know when you might come across Tesco/Poundland/Lidl and suddenly need to grocery shop. On a related note, large market trips are impossible.  Lemon vodka is the direct equivalent of Smirnoff ice and I will continue to drink it shamelessly. Sluuuurp. Don't believe Aussie's when they tell you they live in fear of the dropbe...

On this auspicious day in history, the day Aaron Samuels asked Cady Heron what day it was in math class, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at what I have learned from countless screenings of Tina Fey's infamous film. It's okay to have a routine.  Try new hairstyles. They might just work out. Don't overdue it when getting ready. Everyone is different. Embrace what separates you.  Diets are for squares. Glen Coco is the epitome of cool. As much as I and Gretchen Weiners want it to, fetch is never going to happen. No sex is the best sex. Thanks Coach Carr. The best hiding spot for anything is Gretchen's hair. Be flexible enough to make disasters fabulous. If someone says they like your outfit you should be suspicious. Meanness gets you nowhere. Gretchen Weiners is a closet terrorist. If you hang around with the wrong people long enough, you run the risk...

I don't know that I'm necessarily easily angered, but I am easily irritated. I struggle most with holding grudges. You know how I can tell when I haven't forgiven someone completely in a Godly manner? I remain distant and standoffish. God doesn't do that when He forgives me wholly always. Clearly, I'm not God-like. I'm angry with several people at this time. I'm angry with my family for changing. I'm angry with God for allowing so much bad to happen. I'm angry at myself for not praying as much as I ought. But what difference does prayer make, honestly? God supposedly knows what I want before I even know or ask for it myself, but He hasn't come through even when I have asked. Where was He when I moved high schools 3 times? Where was He during lonely senior year? Where was He when I left TCU? Where was He when I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease? Where was He when I missed old friends? Where was He when the tornado hit Moore? Where is He no...

I'm full of excuses for why Dr. Townsend's book still remains closed on my bedside table, the number one reason being that I have been steadily working through my online History of Jazz class. I did attend a counseling appointment this week and she asked me difficult questions about resentment and forgiveness. I mostly sat in sullen silence when she brought those sensitive topics up.  I am a self-seeker at heart. Forgiveness is a strictly self-less activity, because it is essentially saying that the injury does not matter.  My goals for this summer include other people. I wouldn't say that these goals are self-seeking necessarily, but they are self-generated, which likely means I am putting what I value ahead of the equally valid values of my counterparts.  I typically think of myself as a sympathetic and considerate individual. But sometimes those qualities only extend to how they benefit myself. Seeking selflessness is an ongoing battle for A Very Lucky Girl. ...

Don't even ask me about Townsend's book. Please. I've been trekking around Texas this week and it has been WONDERFUL. But it also means that I haven't had (or made) the time to read his words.  But I'm still working through the words of Jesus and this week focuses on "Love does not dishonor others." I actually got out my handy dandy dictionary app to see what the complete definition of "dishonor" is because when I think dishonor, all I can think is:  The definition in my head had more to do with "do not insult" others, which is partially true. But it means even more than that. I can dishonor somebody by having a poor reputation. If I have a poor reputation, then the people that associate themselves with me are disgraced. It was enlightening to learn that love is more than being kind and not hurting others. Love is about recognizing that my decisions have an impact on my immediate world. Love is a lifestyle.  A Very Lucky Girl des...

By my expert calculations, my twenty-first birthday is a mere 45 days away. It seems like it's taken a lifetime to get here. Weird how that works, right? I didn't make it to 21 all by my lonesome though. There are at LEAST 21 people (or pairs/groups of people) that have contributed positively to the person that I am/will be during my 21st year of life. So I plan to highlight them in the next 45 days by posting about a singular person approximately every other day. People you can expect to read about in the next few weeks (in no particular order) include: Nathan H Sharbear Paul Mimi (and Grandpa Butch) Mimi and Didi Aunt Blanche Katherine and Caroline Emily B Megan H and Hannah W Moriah C Tyler M Carra L/Grace J/Sam W/Stasia M Marianne W Beignet Robin C/Jeanett N/Marilyn H/Edna E (and other magnificent teachers) Justin/Sarah B Conner G my ADPi sisters Natasha A the brave parents that let me spend time with their kids (several babysitting endeavors) Savanna...

I still haven't progressed beyond page 26 in Dr. Townsend's book, but now the entire summer stretches before me so I hope to make some headway in the next few weeks.  To be honest, I've been dreading week five of my love project. I hate this mandate. Let me rephrase, I hate hate hate double hate LOATHE ENTIRELY this requirement.  Love is not Proud. If you know me at all, I really do tend to give off an "I'm the $#!t" attitude. I know I'm really not. I'm probably, like, third on the totem pole of hot $#!t. Like there's Beyonce, then Cady Groves, and then me and Taylor Swift are tied.  Don't misunderstand, I'm insecure in a lot of ways. I think most everyone is. But I hate hate hate double hate LOATHE ENTIRELY being wrong. Cannot stand it. But the worst part of being wrong is when everyone knows I'm wrong. Because then my pride is injured.  You know what would solve this issue? If I didn't have a pride problem. It's okay...

I mentioned before that I deep-cleaned and organized my room over Christmas break. Whilst going through my bookshelf I discovered a composition book that I wrote in for Mrs. Purvis' 5th grade Language Arts class at St. Timothy's-Hale school (prior to it's St.David's name change) in Raleigh, North Carolina. August 21, 2002  So far it has been okay but I don't understand math much and I'm really upset about it. Everything else has gone okay though. This year I want to make all As and understand math really well and I don't want to be late for a class and I want to remember bring my homework home, do it, and then bring it back to school the next day.  5th grade was considered middle school at St. Timothy's Hale so I was extra nervous for my first year on the big campus. I still don't understand math but I have learned when run-on sentences are appropriate. The answer is rarely.  September 9, 2002 This is what I have to be thankful for: candy...

So I mentioned in a previous post that Tyler would be guest writing to share his side of who he has found me to be, in rebuttal to my sharing the observances of him in a post that celebrated our 6 months together. He emailed me his words, complete with pictures, for your enjoyment. I'm sure that everyone who regularly reads Taylor’s blog has a pretty good idea of who Taylor Arceneaux is, but I’d like to give you a little inside scoop of what I’ve learned about her over these last seven months. Taylor Olivia Arceneaux was born on July 1, 1992 in Bloomington, Indiana to two spectacular parents, Paul and Shari “Sharbear” Arceneaux. She has one younger brother named Oakes who will be graduating from Heritage Hall this year. And I can’t forget her wonderful grandparents (with a free meal from Slim Chicken's and Longhorn Steakhouse, wonderful might be selling them a little short.) She has lived in Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, and Oklahoma over the last twenty ye...