Thursday, January 15, 2009

Reflections on Two Years

I’ve been full-time at camp for just over two years now. Hard to believe...and boy does time go by fast. So in honor...A quick bullet list of the funny, the serious, and the future.

Funny Stuff...
  • Never underestimate the need for knowing random yet practical skills...shutting off water lines, repairing plumbing, using power tools, water softeners 101, how to start a lawn mower....these skills will get you farther in life than you think! 
  • In college, 3 weeks of vacation at Christmas is not nearly enough...In the adult world, you don’t know what to do with yourself when you’re given that kind of time off!
  • Laugh at the ridiculous things in life (even yourself if the occasion calls for it.) Life is way more fun when you laugh....a lot.
  • A dog is really like an infant....or a toddler. If you get a dog, be ready. It’s intense.
  • And oh yea...dog proof your house, otherwise you’ll be buying new furniture within 6 months.

For Serious...
  • It will take your body a few months to get used to a new schedule (getting up early and going to bed early). And once you adjust, you’ll wonder how you EVER were able to stay up until 4 and get up at 8 and still function. It’s normal...and you may even come to love early mornings!
  • It will take time to adjust to not being able to just walk down the hall to your friends room to hang out and talk. Enjoy it while you have it. 
  • Find a place to connect....TODAY! Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Don’t let work, or the temptation to skip town to visit friends all the time stand in your way. To make some place home, you have to be fully present there...Not somewhere else. Find a church, make new friends, meet random people, invite them over for dinner. 
  • Don’t be afraid of silence. Enjoy it and appreciate it for the opportunity it is.
  • No matter where you go or what you do, push yourself to learn something new on a regular basis. It will keep your job (and life in general) way more interesting.

The Future...
  • I want to keep learning. Today I got to learn some web stuff I never thought I would know or need to know...but it was actually kind of fun to learn! I am choosing to look at everything that comes up as a new opportunity and a chance to grow.
  • Wherever I am, and however long I’m there, I want where I am to be home. Be invested, have meaningful relationships, and feel good about being there (whether in small town Indiana or wherever life takes me.)
  • I’m going to focus on where God has me right now and the tasks he’s put before me...not what other people are doing, not something “better” that might be out there. Live every moment fully, and give everything I have to what God has called me to today. God will take care of tomorrow.
Two years down...who knows how many to go!

1 comment:

Rowenna said...

I don't know, Danni--I think I could still very easily and happily fill three weeks of vacation! I know that two at Christmas wasn't nearly enough...partially cause I didn't get to see you!