New Beginning!

I'm both happy and sad to annouce that this blog has found a new home!  While Blogspot has been a wonderful site host for over a year, it's time to move onto something new!   So with that being said, my BRAND NEW blog can be found here:

http://justkaitlyn.weebly.com/

 

 



And, not only do I have a new blog site, my blog is going through some major changes!  So, if you've been faithfully following me and my writing here, PLEASE check out my new blog site!  I can't wait to see you over there! 

Learn to Laugh

I don't know about you, but I've had more than my fair share of embarrassing moments.  It comes with the territory of being a klutz.  And in high school, I was a real big klutz.  It was one of the first days of spring, and I was wearing my new, flowy, white skirt that barely met the "longer than your finger tips" school rule.  I was walking down the hallway to my next class after band when I realized one of the "hottest" seniors was behind me.  With my heart pounding, I realized he would be following me up a set of stairs.  So, like a silly sophmore girl, I decided to "shake what my mama gave me" and flounce up the stairs.  But apparently, I shook it a little too hard because I tripped on one of the steps, kicked the guy right in the gut, and fell flat on my face, fully exposing my white granny panties.  I was mortified. 

I thought my life was over.  I couldn't even think about this incident without crying or cringing for weeks.  But, now I find this situation hilarious!  How?  I've learned to laugh at myself.  Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." 

Photo Credit: Jody Otabara

Laughter truly is the best medicine.  When we have a bad day, sometimes the best way to turn our day around is to just laugh at the crazy, impossible, and mind blowing situations which put us in the bad mood to begin with!  I laugh all the time.  I probably laugh more than normal.  I probably laugh at inappropriate times.  But, I laugh.  And when I laugh, I'm always in better spirits.  While it's taken me a while to learn to laugh at my embarrassing, klutzy, and awkward moments, I'm so glad I have because I'm always in a better mood when I find the humor around me. 

So, the next time we find ourselves in an embarrassing situation, let's remember to LAUGH!  After all, the big guy upstairs probably does his own big belly laughs while watching our unfortunate circumstances. 

P.S. If you like what you just read, follow my blog! Scroll to the bottom and click "join this site!"  

7-Eleven

 

When I decided to take pictures of myself every hour for one full day to document my college experience, I wasn't expecting the result to be this good...or this revealing!  So, please enjoy this completely unfiltered photo documentation of my college life. 

 

7am: "Wake up in the morning feeling like P-Diddy..." Actually, I felt more like a truck ran me over than P-Diddy, but hey, whatever works.

 

8am: Breakfast with Jody. I made up for the lack of chocolate chip scones with Lucky Charms before rushing out the door to get to work at 8am.

 

9am: When the boss is away, the workers will play.

 

  10am: Still at work because I'm broke, but Dave Dunn Dessert Days make up for it every time.

 

11am: Chapel. A.K.A, where I get my Christian on.

 

Noon: Lunch. Clearly, I was REAL excited about the Frito Pie (the flowers on the table aren't a normal thing)

 

1pm: Class with Mr. Campolieto.  This man knows his stuff.

 

2pm: Advising meeting with the most scatterbrained, but well dressed education professor at Roberts.

 

  3pm: Watching Twisted

 

4pm: Wind Ensemble.  My most hated "class."

 

 5pm: Still in Wind Ensemble.  Honestly, isn't one hour enough?!

 

 6pm: Obviously, a 5 course dinner at Garlock.

 

7pm: Walking back to my dorm after an Honors Program meeting.  For all my southern friends, yes, that white stuff is snow.  On the ground.  In spring. 

 

  8pm: Working on homework, specifically a 3rd grade unit plan on Africa. I'm putting my Semester at Sea experience to good use!

 

9pm: Studying for a test is always better with Indian mango juice, especially when that mango juice was bought for you by your roommate!

 

10pm: Studying makes us a tad insane.

 

11pm: Bedtime. And yes, I know I go to bed early.  

 

 

*All photos were taken on Wednesday

*I take more than one class, but my other classes are on Tuesday/Thursday

*I lifeguard other days of the week as my second job 

Wonderfully Made

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" -Psalm 139:14

I've been reflecting on this verse a LOT the past couple days.  Why?  Lately, I've been comparing myself to my friends... ALL THE TIME.  And, I haven't been happy.  Looking at my cheerful, godly, kind, gently humorous, and always liked friends, I can't help but feel that my personality isn't good enough.  I'm confident, but that always seems to be taken as arrogance. I'm funny, but my sarcasm sometimes comes across as rude.  I'm caring, but it somehow always looks like I'm trying to get something in return.  I'm a Christian, but sometimes I slip up in my words, thoughts, and actions.  

I'm sure you've had similar thoughts, that you just aren't good enough.  That you can't ever compare to your friends or family.  But, those thoughts are from Satan.  Satan tells us that we can never be good enough, that people will never like who we are.  But God doesn't tell us that.  God says the opposite.  God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

God made us who we are.  He knitted us together perfectly in the womb. On days when I just don't feel good enough, I could crawl into my turtle shell and hide who I am. But that's not what I was made for.  I was made to shine.  We were made to shine for Christ. If we're hiding our personality, our confidence, or our sense of humor, we can't bring glory to God.  Hiding out in our turtle shells says that God didn't make us good enough, and that's a lie. God made us perfectly according to his plan.  

Now, I'm not saying we don't have flaws.  We all have flaws.  But we shouldn't think that our personality isn't good enough based on what someone else's personality is like. God made us all unique, with different personalities and quirks. After all, it's our differences that make us who we are!  So, let's embrace ourselves and shine for Christ! 

My Lifetime Valentine

This was the first Valentine's Day I've had a boyfriend.  In elementary school, it didn't matter I never had a special "friend" because the games, mandatory class valentines, crafts, and candy covered up February 14th's true meaning. Even in middle school, I could care less about having a boyfriend since most middle school boys were pretty disgusting (sorry guys). But, ever since I hit high school, Valentine's Day has been an almost dreaded holiday.  I've loved exchanging flowers and gifts with my girlfriends, but no matter what I planned with my friends, every Valentine's Day has reminded me how boyfriendless I actually am (well, up until now).

 

But the thing is, I've had a guy all along, a guy whose selfless love beats the love of my parents, my best friends, and even my current boyfriend.  You probably already know where I'm going with this, but that guy is Jesus.  Before I was even born, Jesus loved me enough to die for me, buying my ticket into heaven (if I choose to believe and follow Him).  I don't know about you ladies, but that gift is the greatest gift I've ever received from a man.  But Jesus didn't leave his gift there.  Instead of Jesus saying something like, "Yeah, I'm the best guy around.  No other guy can ever hold a candle to me," leaving us women to be disappointed by every other man we come across, Jesus taught men (and us) how to love.  1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us."  Our fathers, boyfriends, grandfathers, uncles, friends, and brothers show us love because of the example Jesus set on the cross.

 

I am always blown away by the incredible amount of love my dad, grandpa, and boyfriend give me. I'm a sinner; I sin all the time.  But, my dad, grandpa, and Nick choose to see past my sin and love me for who I am, just like Jesus. That blows me away. I'm also blown away with the amazing Valentine's Day my boyfriend planned for me.  Nick cooked an authentic Italian dinner, brought me flowers, made me gifts, and even watched The Vow with me!  It was by far the best Valentine's Day I've ever had, and I am so thankful Nick shows me love through the example of Jesus. But ladies, whether or not you also spent Valentine's Day with a significant other, remember that Jesus will ALWAYS be our lifetime valentine, no matter what. 

*Photo Credit: Jody Otabara

 

 

Reflection

Well, it's over.  My Semester at Sea voyage is over.  I'm home in my tiny town of Baldwinsville, seeing snow outside my window instead of bright blue waves and sleeping in a bed that doesn't rock.  I have no plans to travel outside of the United States anytime soon and strangely enough, I'm OK with that.  This past semester was a roller coaster of emotions: the good, the bad, the exciting, the disappointing, the funny, the uncomfortable, and so much more. I thought the highlight of my trip would be the many different countries I traveled to, but in reality, travel is so much more than the places you go or the things you experience.  It's about the people.  My voyage would never have been the same without the people I met and became friends with along the way.  It was my friends who taught me more about myself than sixteen countries ever could.  It was the people I met who made my semester amazing.  This is why I'm perfectly all right with staying in the United States for a while.  While my new friends are scattered all over the world, I still have many friends right here in New York!  And, there are still so many people here in Baldwinsville and Rochester who I don't know.  By eating at a new table in the dining hall or having coffee with a stranger, not only do I have the opportunity to meet new people, I have the opportunity to gain new perspective.  After all, perspective comes from the people, not from the places. I don't have to go to Europe or Africa or South America to gain new perspective.  By simply stepping a little out of my comfort zone here in the United States, the potential to travel is endless. 

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than in miles."

Surprise!

Although Cuba was technically the last port on the Fall 2013 voyage of Semester at Sea, the fun didn't end there.  As a 50th anniversary surprise, we also traveled to...THE BAHAMAS!  We were given one full day to relax and unwind after finals in Freeport, and naturally, I chose to spend the day at the beach with friends. Here's just a few pictures from the day, all of which are credited to my friends since I just may have forgotten to put my camera battery into my camera.

  

 

All in all, spending the day in the Bahamas was a great way to wind down the semester!