What makes me feel alive

A couple months ago when I was in Colorado, the first day, we were given a task to write 20 things on a notecard that makes us feel alive. My first thought was, well crap, I don't think I can come up with THAT many things. Right now, all I can focus on is how awkward I feel because I don't know anyone so I'm trying to think of things to say to the person next to me. "Alright, go", I hear from my coordinator.  I look up and everyone starts writing like they can't make their hand move fast enough. and then there's me. staring. at people. I started to think...what makes me feel alive? what does that even mean? And then I just started writing the things that the came to mind that made me feel peaceful, excited, exhilarated, relaxed, warm, and joyful.

These are 20 things that make me feel alive...

1. Mountains
2. Alone time with Jesus
3. Journaling
4. soothing music & fun music
5. Beach time (hilton head)
6. my crazy loving Family
7. my absolutely incredible crazy sweet friends
8. Playing with elementary age kids (early ed. major)
9. being with my sweet boyfriend
10. a good cry
11. Coffee
12. watching any type of movie with popcorn
13. thunderstorms that last all day
14. a captivating book
15. driving with the windows down
16. doing people’s hair
17. canoeing
18. hiking
19. watching the sunrise & sunset
20. fall weather

What makes YOU feel alive?!

Crooked Creek Ranch

I'm not sure how this post is going to go, but I am going to write my heart away. here goes...

The last post was how I was about to leave the comfort of friends & family and travel across the country to the breathtaking (literally and figuratively) state of Colorado. 

Now, I am back in Milledgeville, where everything seems like a blur, and I am left to think about where the past month and a half went.

Four weeks of adventure. Four weeks of meeting sweet friends. Four weeks of learning so much about myself that I would have never learned had I not took this time to see how my life was intended to grow.

 If you could understand the way my heart felt the second week of camp compared to how it felt the week after I was settled back at home, you would be amazed. You would also see how dearly I loved Crooked Creek, and you would feel the tug of your heart eagerly missing the things that I could never fully explain.

 

 

 
 

I would love to tell you each and every story that I can think of, but I don't think you want to read for that long. Buttttt, I will tell you guys that I did have two pretty epic falls. And I will add, that they were consecutively on the first two days of camp. And one more thing, I will add that it involves my backpack being on, falling backwards off a log, and rolling down a hill in front of a large group of people. I'll leave the rest up to your imaginations.

I can now pretty much make any coffee drink, now that I am a trained, official barista. I was given the best job for how I needed to grow at camp and I loved it so much. I learned a lot about things back at home & school that I grew to really understand & appreciate from an outside perspective. I learned from a book called, Bittersweet, that, "A full life isn't a full calendar". I found comfort in God this past month. This was a huge part of my journey & I found that the only way you are truly going to be okay in the long run by comfort is not being satisfied in the short-term comfort. Being filled with the comfort of God is like no other. I also learned that I am loved. Sometimes it is hard for me to accept. The overwhelming amount of letters & care packages I received was heart-warming. I truly believe my heart warmed every letter I received.

As I anxiously traveled back home to my beloved peach state; worn out with barely any sleep (but maybe 3 hours on my backpack from the night before), I rode the escalator up to the meet n greet section. To what seemed like an eternity, I made it to the top with an area filled with people; including my mom, little brother, and handsome boyfriend. This poster was the first thing I saw...thank you James. You know just how to win me over...

1. That date is wrong in the bottom right corner, so disregard. 2. Yes. That is me. I have no words for my 6th-grade self. No words. But. I missed you, James.

a month away

It is 11:11 at this exact moment as I'm writing this, and I'm feeling a little sentimental.  Tomorrow morning, I will be journeying to a YoungLife camp called, Crooked Creek Ranch in Colorado to serve on summer staff as a barista. I have all types of emotions right now, and I don't know what to expect or want to think about how it will go because I always just end up becoming more anxious & even more nervous than I was before. Someone once told me it's like the start of college, where you go in not knowing anyone and knowing that eventually, you gotta have friends... sooo you start with a simple maybe awkward conversation.  In all reality though, I mean look at this place!!! How can you not find joy in the month ahead? I am so excited to just walk outside and see the beauty, that I will be without a doubt, in awe of.

So, if you're reading this and care to pray for my journey through this month, here's a few things that would help me out through the power of prayer. For the friendships I will hopefully make, for my heart that will be missing so many people dear to my heart, & for a time of growth by allowing myself to step out and push myself to new limits physically & spiritually.  And OF COURSE while you're at it, pray for these high schoolers that are coming to camp and are maybe even about to experience Jesus for the first time and have their eyes opened to what really life can be about. These high schoolers are the real reason why I will be there and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Until mid-July.

xoxo meredith

YoungLife camp take1

For the past 8 days I was in Weaverville, NC being a part of a YoungLife camp called Windy Gap.

For the past 8 days I formed deeper friendships & had hard conversations.

For the past 8 days I was given the opportunity to love on my beautiful high school friends.

It was one of the most draining weeks of my life, but also one of the best weeks of my life.

The week was jam packed with the craziest/most fun things you could think of.

From western night to banquet night. Being pied in the face to being pelted by cold water going down a zipline. From fighting my fear of horses to singing Celine Dion at the top of my lungs.

Windy Gap was an experience to be a part of.

Themed volleyball tournament. If you couldn't tell we were african cats. some thought we were mice, others went as far as myans? whatever. we went with it.

These girls were my saving grace while living in a cabin with 17 girls.

All of the Baldwin/Putnam leaders.

Probably my favorite night: western night.

Yes, that's right. Those last two pictures were an ice cream eating contest. It was called a T-Ralph (no one actually knew why) with 10 scoops of ice cream, 3 toppings of choice, along with whipped cream & chocolate syrup? Is your mouth watering yet? mine isn't. Several boys did it first, so a few girls thought we could beat there time in finishing faster. Let me just tell you, girls get aggressive when they want to beat boys. This led to scary faces & ice cream everywhere. Yes, even in hair. I know you're hoping I am going to say that we won, but we didn't. sorry. But we do now have a story of eating the biggest ice cream batch we've ever eatin in under 5 minutes!

How beautiful are these girls?!

If you've never been to a YoungLife camp, I highly recommend it. It's something everyone should experience, whether it's being a leader, being on work crew, or taking your family to one of the family camps. God is so good and He revealed so much in such a short period of time. As hard as this week was, it has never felt so worth it to go home with these girls and walk through life with them.

In just two short weeks, I will be venturing out to Colorado to be on summer staff at another YoungLife camp called Crooked Creek for an entire month! I will be making people their yummy coffee drinks, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Can't wait to fill ya'll in soon!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful, relaxing start to June,

 from all of my friends!!

A Charleston Weekend get-a-way

Watching the mile marker signs drop at a rate that isn't preferred as we drive closer and closer back to milledgeville, Ga is when I wish the road home was longer. Knowing that in 17 miles, I will be dropped off as my weekend get-a-way comes to a close, my boyfriend will head back out of town for work for the week, and having to work on an economics homework assignment is clearly not the best feeling in the world to come home to.

BUT. pushing those things aside, ya know what IS the best feeling in the world to come home to?!? Being able to sit in silence for awhile thinking back on a truly memorable, fun, short-lived (sadly) weekend in Charleston, South Carolina (moving up to one of my new top 5 favorite cities) with some fantastic people.

James and I went to visit his sister Lindsay, and her fiance Ben. Let me tell you, they are some COOL people. When we arrived, they were still working, so James and I ended up cruising down King Street and spent the evening spontaneously doing things like...

walking miles down old historic neighborhoods

James might have rang this doorbell but thankfully, no one answered.

james smelling the flowers. this is a favorite of mine because it is completely candid.

horse drawn carriage tours. SO awesome.

After we left King Street we went back to the house and watched "Into the Wild". If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It was fantastic, and I still can't get over this true story. 

Saturday was packed filled with fun, including both a zoo trip & an engagement party all in the same day! I wish I had taken pictures from the zoo, but sadly I was way too wrapped up in it. I will say, being able to celebrate Lindsay & Ben's engagement was SO great! It was such an exciting thing to celebrate and I am so happy for the two of them!

I have a new friend!!!!!

haha so funny

Ben proposed on April fools day, so the party had a 'joke'' theme......ahaha

I loved my weekend; I loved the people, and I loved Charleston.

Another school year in the books

As May begins, I am proud to say I am no longer a sophomore in college, and am now moving on toward my junior year. I feel old even saying that. My junior year is going to consist of many new things in my life. I will be starting the Early Childhood Education cohort, and I'm a little nervous to see how it will all unfold. My life will consist of teaching, teaching, and teaching. Butttt...I am also excited for the new opportunities that next year will present to me.

This past school year, was probably one of the best two semesters (august-may) of my life. I know that's a bold statement, but I mean it. My sophomore year consisted of so so many things it's hard to even remember them all. I will say, that I enjoyed every second.  There were hard times, but for the first time in a while, the happy outweighed the sad. I am so blessed by my friends. I can't even put to words what they mean to me.  Looking back on my 2011-2012 school year, I get sad knowing this school year has closed, and many of my good friends have just graduated and are moving on with their lives. But hey If you are wondering what all was a part of my year that made it so stinkin good, here are some pictures, but I don't even think this will describe the way I feel about the past 10 months of my life.

My friends are all back together for school

One of my best friends became an ADPi with me!!

Some friends & I road tripped to Athens and went to a Phi Slam duct tape party.

Athens again for the Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors concert!!!!

I got a little sister in ADPi :) (ellen sentell to the left, me, stephanie, and ellen staton-her little)

I went to Disney world with three of my favorite people on the planet.

Went to formal

Went to the Dominican Republic to help build Pico Escondido-A Young Life camp

Went to Semi-formal (Kentucky Derby) with the most good looking man alive who just so happens to be my boyfriend.

I am a part of a younglife team with the greatest group of people. Gatewood high school & team will forever have my heart.

Took way too many pictures of the same pose, but would do it all over to capture memories with these three girls.  

Okay enough reminiscing. right now, on this very day, I started Maymester. That's right. summer class. Now before everyone forms a thought of why I am doing this, I will have to say it's not too bad. It's only for 3 weeks and it's from 9am-12pm every day. Not too bad right? well...we'll see on the last day of these 3 weeks if I have the same opinion. Here's to summer (sorta) and an upcoming new year that will have to try hard to beat this one.

xo mer

helppppp

Okay friends, someone please help me with the side pictures on my blog. I have no idea what I am doing! I'm in dire need to figure out how to make them certain sizes/add borders to them. I have searched all over to figure out, but each time I get stuck. I also tried to download Windows Live Writer, but it doesn't work on macs :-( someone HELPPPP a fellow blogger.