last.

today is the first day of my last semester at biola.
sitting in spring convo chapel this morning when they had all the new students stand up and welcomed them into the community, i had instant flashbacks to when that was me.

17, shorter hair, undeclared, living with 2 new roommates in a crackerbox of a dorm room, completely figured myself out, so elated to be starting college away from home.
and now 4 years later i'm in the same girl just 21, longer hair, art major, living with 3 lovely housemates, still learning new things about myself everyday - no where near figured out, so elated to be in my last semester of college away from home.

so i guess it seems as though not much has changed, although i feel like a completely different person now than i did before i came.
i don't even want to think about how much i'm going to miss this place.
it has been the center of so much of my life and development over these past few years that i may just completely fall apart when i leave it because it has been my home and been so familiar for so long.

but im beyond excited for what God has for me this semester and all the seasons of my life that follow my days at Biola. i can't start getting sentimental yet, its only january.
but still... this place is great.

back from Italia.

wow wow wow.
just got back yesterday from my interterm trip to Italy.
my soul is still swimming with all that my eyes saw, all that my mind learned, and all that my heart felt. (photographic proof soon to come)

now i'm sleepily resetting my brain to school mode this next coming week and am preparing to look through all of the images i took while i was over in that beautiful country. i might have an art-attack while looking over them. and then may also have the sudden impulse to run back to the airport and catch the first flight to Florence that I can find/sell organs to afford.
but i'll probably refrain. probably.

my heart is so full, even though my mind and body are so weary.
that right there, is a feeling of great accomplishment.
ciao ciao.

tomorrow.

tomorrow marks the last time i will drive back to school for spring semester.
this may seem like a silly thing to get sentimental about, but here i go.

this is the last time i'll drive sleepily after a blissful christmas holiday back to california - rested and ready.
except this time i get to have an italian hiatus before embarking on the semester. which still hasn't fully digested in my mind yet, but im starting to pull my head out of the clouds a bit and realize that on sunday i will be getting another stamp on my passport. (!) i think my camera may be more aware of what's happening at this point than i am.

this is the last week that ill complete final registration, scour amazon for cheap textbooks, move back into my apartment and say hello again to my dear friends.

this is the beginning of the last familiar cycle in my life.
after this semester is over nothing is certain.

makes my fingers tingle a little just typing it.
but God is good, im a tough cookie and ive got some great experience under my belt.
i should probably be more worried than i am, but taking things in stride is my specialty.

now its time to pack up my life, crank up my jeep and say farewell to my beloved hometown, until next time. crazy.

so fascinating.

the story of a nanny who was an undiscovered photographer. her work was just found last year and had never previously been seen. its up to par with all the greats of 20th century photography. i just watched this twice. so obsessed. her work is beautiful and so interesting.
...the host of the show is a loser, but its worth it. i pinky swear.

ching ching.

hope you had a very merry new year.

in the spirit of making commitments to improve my life... 

this is what i hope to do these next 12 months.

Love God better.

Love people better.

Make art better.

Spend my time better.

Forgive better.

Adventure better.

Help better.

Have passion for things better.

Care better.

Take pictures better.

Enjoy better.

Accomplish projects better.

Serve better.

Not stress out better.

Relax better.

Play better.

Exercise & eat better.

Hope better.

Support my family better.

Encourage better.

Communicate better.

Lead better.

Let go of things better.

Pursue my future better.

Sleep (more often) better.

Plan better.

Be a big girl better.

Have faith better.

Express my thankfulness better.

Rely on other people better.

Be a woman/daughter/sister/aunt/friend/girlfriend/student/employee better.

All in all... try my best to be better than I am. 

To live freely, to love deeply and to never forget even for a second how fortunate I am to have been given the life I call my own.

Cheers to a new year, my friends. It'll be great.