One Year Local

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love challenges. When I get a good idea or a desire to do something, it'll probably never happen unless I set a goal for it. I have cut out chocolate for a year, completed my 21 before 21 challenge, and done a bunch of other things when there was a goal or a time limit or a prize at the end.

I have been wanting to support local businesses more. There are so many reasons to do this. It helps the economy of your town, you get to discover restaurants and stores that you would have never known about, and you avoid the greasy fries at McDonalds. 

This idea came to me only a few days ago, as I explored West Chester, a town about 15 miles away. The downtown was lined with cute little restaurants, cafes, and shops. I only recognized one chain (a Starbucks, of course) amidst all of the local shops. The shop right next to Starbucks was a little stand that sold tacos and fresh juice. While the latter sounds good to me, the number of people in Starbucks (coming in and out, dozens already seated) compared to the number of people lined up at the taco stand (one) was terrible. 

I have always thought about it and encouraged my friends to try downtown restaurants instead of going to chains, but I have never committed to doing it. Knowing my reputation of actually doing things when there is a time limit or goal, I decided to eat local for one year. 

I have already found so many independent restaurants that are fabulous. My favorite Thai restaurant, my favorite burger place in Philly, my favorite cafe, my favorite vegan restaurant - they are all independent. 

Although I started a few days ago, I bumped my official "start" date up to June, just because it sounds better and is easier to remember. From June 1st 2015 to June 1st 2016, I will be choosing local restaurants to eat at and local cafes for coffee. While I am sure I will still shop at grocery stores and Target, I will keep my eye out for local stores and farmer's markets that I can also shop at.

Exceptions - When a big group of friends, or the bridal party of my best friend's wedding, or a family friend's big family all decide to eat out - I am not going to miss out just because they go to Applebees. I'm going to spend time with my friends, even if they vote on going to a chain restaurant. This happens rarely and to me, it is more important to make memories with your friends than prove a point and complete a challenge. 

However, when it is my choice, or when I am going out with a few friends and I have a big say in where we go, or when I go on a date with Nick (I already convinced him to try this with me), I'll try somewhere independently owned. 

I know some of you aren't able to commit to a whole year, but if you ever discover an independent restaurant/cafe/store, write a blogpost about it to encourage your local friends to try it. Comment with your link below - I'd love to see it! 

Follow my instagram here and my twitter here as I'll be sharing each time I discover a local shop. Use the hashtag #oneyearlocal whenever you find an awesome independent restaurant or store, I'd love to see what you all discover! 

About the picture at the top, for all of you coffee addicts, you probably recognized the green straw. Yes, it is a carmel macchiato made with coconut milk from..Starbucks! A few days ago, I used up my Starbucks gift card (so that I could have no excuse to cheat). I had to photograph it because it was my last purchase from a chain for (at least) one year. Here's to one year local! 

Student Teaching Memories

I spent my semester of student teaching in a 95% White, high class, suburban elementary school. With SMARTboards and computers in every room and an iPAD cart, there was no lack of resources. However, I have never seen so many hurting, needy children as I did in my second grade class.
Let me remind you that the children in a second grade class are either seven or eight years old. There were students in my class who were anxious, clinically depressed, and severely overstimulated. No seven year old should be taking anti-depressants. I sadly heard the words, "I'm stupid. I never do anything right" from more than one of my students. No seven year old should believe that about themselves.
But what the perfect place for a Christian to be! To show these children the love that they clearly do not receive at home. To pat them on the back and ask about their day. To look them in the eye. To pull them into the hallway and let them cry about their feelings of stress, anxiety, and fear. To just listen to them, when it’s clear that their parents are far too busy.
I definitely feel like I was put in this class for a reason - a reason that goes far deeper than teaching the long E sound and how to use a ruler to measure. Every morning as I drank my coffee and prepared for the long day of teaching, I would pray for each student by name, knowing that most likely, I am one of the only people who are praying for them. For some of them, I am the only person to say, “You’re smart” and “You did well” and “You’re not a bad kid.” Every day I felt thoroughly used by God, and I am so thankful for this experience.

Prayers for Nepal

It's been one week since the earthquake that killed thousands in Nepal. My heart broke for them as I cried and prayed. All of my friends are okay, but I find it hard to rejoice in that, when I know that thousands of other people died. So far the count is close to 7,000 and it is still rising.

Most of these thousands who died weren't Christians. We know this because way less than 1% of the population are Christians. Most are Hindu or Buddhist, a small percentage is Muslim. So besides a handful of people who might have heard of Jesus before, the rest of the thousands all died without knowing Jesus, some without even hearing his name.

And I can't peacefully drink my coffee or wash dishes or go for a walk without feeling the weight of all of those lives lost. I wish I was there, finding people, saving people, sharing with them the good news.

I think of all of the people I saw - the old man spinning his prayer wheel, the little girl who held my hand as we ran through her village, the sweet family who we stayed with in Tukche. Are they alive? Did they know?

Things like this happen all the time. Earthquakes and tornados and hurricanes. But it's never affected me because I never had a connection there. I spent a whole month last year, living with Nepalis, learning their language and culture. To know that some of them are gone breaks my heart. To know that most of them never knew Jesus breaks my heart even more.

What can I do before the next disaster? Before more people die without knowing. Before the next murder or the next child sold into sex slavery. What can I do to save these people before it is too late?

My heart hurts as people speed by me, drinking their Starbucks, bluetooth in their ear. What can I do before the next car accident, before the next divorce, before the next death.

I feel the urgency of spreading the gospel more than ever before. Everything within me wishes I was in Nepal, but commitments and college debt have tied me down for the time being. I can't wait until the time when God sends me and uses me to reach the unreached, to share the good news before it's too late. To love the locals before, after, and maybe even during the next natural disaster.

But until then, I'll pray. I'll pray with the urgency I feel that more lives will be saved. That those who survived the earthquake will find food and shelter and water. I'll pray for workers who can go now - that God uses them in amazing ways.

And I ask you to join with me in prayer. I'll share some pictures of my time in Nepal. Pray for them, pray for their villages. Pray for all of the unreached.

This morning as I write this post, this is the most recent news report. The video and pictures are heartbreaking. Click here to watch and read.

Student Teaching Update

After over two months straight, I finally get a week off for spring break! It's been tough to keep up on blogging and social media, so I thought I'd post an update!

This semester I have been student teaching in a local 2nd grade classroom. I have absolutely LOVED it. I feel so comfortable teaching, using classroom management techniques, and creating fun activities. I have grown so much as a teacher, as a woman, and as a Christian.

I have been so busy, between student teaching 8-4, working 4-6, and lesson planning and/or babysitting at night. My friends complain they never see me anymore. Student teaching has sucked my social calendar dry, which stinks because I'm trying to lead a Bible study and help friends plan for upcoming weddings. I definitely don't have enough hours in my day. It doesn't feel like I'm in college anymore. It feels like I have a real job (only..I don't get paid).

I have had so much fun teaching the students about motion (rolling, spinning, etc.), Native Americans, chapter books, measurement, and soon starting a unit on opinion writing. I love teaching them how to learn.

During this spring break, I am nannying a ten year old boy, so I am spending a lot of time in the woods, playing games, and watching cartoons. While he's currently playing games on his iPAD, I'm in the middle of writing lesson plans for next week, and stressing out over which school districts are hiring. I never really get a break, do I?

I know that I am doing what I am called to do. Even on the weekends, I find myself thinking about the kids, and praying for them. I love them so much, individually and as a class. It's a difficult class, but I am learning so much, and I am grateful for each one of them. My co-op has been absolutely amazing and inspiring. I love learning under her.

Only one month of student teaching left. As soon as we get back from break, I'll be teaching whole-day. I'm so excited! It's only going to get harder, but I know that I'm only going to grow more.

What to Bring and What Not to Bring on a One Month Backpacking Trip

Since my crazy summer abroad (from Nepal to Bangladesh to Haiti), I've been asked so many questions.

Q - "How did you survive so long without regular access to the Internet?"
A - "It's easier than you think, and life is actually 10x better."

Q - "Did you have jet leg?"
A - "Only once but I didn't mind, because I was able to stay up late and read more books."

Q - "What did you eat?"
A - "Beans and rice, rice and beans."

Q - "Did you see any elephants?"
A - "No, but I saw hundreds of monkeys and even more lizards."

Q - "How do you use a squatty potty?"
A - "You don't want to know.

But one of the most frequently asked questions is what I brought when I backpacked the Himalayas. Since I am such a frazzled and my-mind-going-everywhere-at-once kind of person, I never give good answers. "Um..hiking boots?" So here I am, sitting down and writing a complete list of what to bring and what not to bring on a one month backpacking trip.

WHAT TO BRING 

1. Good socks. They save your feet from blisters, which could make your trip miserable, and they keep your feet warm and dry.

2. Personal hygiene products. Girls, you know the obvious one. Trust me, you can NOT find tampax in Nepal. And all other personal hygiene products such as deodorant, lotion, soap, have bleach in it to pale your skin (the opposite of America's tanning sprays/tanning lotions). Speaking of...

3. A good deodorant. Trust me. When you're hiking in the 100+ degree heat with no electricity and no water available to you, you're going to want a trusty deodorant. I used Degree Motion Sense Anti-Perspirent, and it worked GREAT. I only had to put it on once in the morning and I was fine for the whole day.

4. Baby wipes. Might sound weird, but this is actually the number one thing I suggest that you bring. Most of the places we stayed had showers but sometimes they didn't or the showers they did have didn't work. Being able to wipe the dust and dirt off your skin before you crawl in bed is a luxury. Also, you can find ones that don't smell like gross babies. I used Huggie's baby wipes, in their Cucumber and Green Tea scent. Ahhh.

5. Bug spray. I didn't find that mosquito nets were necessary, but I suppose it depends where you stay. However, with all those viruses spread by mosquitos, bug spray is TOTALLY necessary. Or you might end up with dengue fever like me :(

6. Hairbands. The Himalayas is no place for curling irons and make up. So for any girls who feel like they'll die without something pink and floral in their backpack, I brought ALL the headbands I own, and boy do I have a lot! I wore them almost every day. Usually it was because my hair was CRAZY and I had nothing to do with it. But sometimes I wore them to spice up my outfits, considering I only brought about three t-shirts.

7. Layers. Although you'll be getting sunburned at 9 in the morning, the evenings get terribly cold. Think leggings, dri-fit long sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, and if you are cold-blooded like me, bring a hat! I wore my hat almost every night, I swear, I wouldn't have slept without it.

8. Head-lamp. I actually didn't bring this one. I brought a flashlight. But imagine it being 9pm in a village with no electricity, trying to balance in a squatty potty (aka a hole in the ground) with your hands full of toilet paper and a flashlight. Trust me. Get a head-lamp.

9. Germ-X. Get a little travel-size bottle. Although I'm sure that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't do much to cleanse you, it makes you feel a little better after you use that squatty potty.

10. A journal. Write about everything! Where you went, what you saw, what you smelled, who you met. I re-read my journal so many times. I miss my friends so much, but I am thankful to have the memories written down for me to re-live.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

1. Umbrella. When you are hiking up and down mountains, it's kind of silly to hold an umbrella. But when it rains, it pours. I suggest just bringing a rain jacket.

2. Many snacks. I suggest bringing a couple helpings of trail mix or even some gummy worms or something cute like that. But I was surprised by how many of my own snacks went to waste. We always ate either at a local's house or at a local restaurant. And any snacks could be bought straight from the many fruit stands all around.

3. Many clothes. I brought 2-4 shirts, 3 pants, 4 pairs of socks, 1 pair of hiking boots, 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of Toms. That's it. And that was MORE than enough. Wash your clothes at night, if you feel the need to.

4. Technology. Leave the laptop, phone, and iPAD behind. You're surrounded by beauty. Look up at the mountains, not down at a screen.

5. Jewelry. There are so many bad things that could happen. You're climbing around in the dirt, hopping across rivers, and feeling your way through the electricity-free villages. There is no need for jewelry. It will get lost and/or stolen.

6. Perfume. First off, it will attract bugs. Second off, you're going to be smelly and sweaty and gross anyway, so you might as well quit trying.

7. Fear. I had no idea that spending a month in Nepal would involve teaching the village children how to play volleyball, going white water rafting with a guide who barely speaks English, eating daal bhat (rice and bean soup) for every meal for seven days in a row, parasailing above the Himalayan mountains, or taking a tour through Buddhist temples. If you're not going to go with an open mind, ready to take on every and any adventure that comes your way, you might as well stay home.

And of course, bring a camera. You're going to want to remember everything.

Dear Future Husband: Before I'm With You

Dear Future Husband,

I just wanted to let you know that my life is not going to "start" once I marry you.

My life has already begun, and I want to take advantage of every second of it.

I can't wait to be with you, but until then, I am going to make memories so that one day, I'll be able to tell you stories. I'm going to travel, work hard, go on adventures, and make the most of every minute of my life. Because my life has already started.

I do not need you to have a good time. I do not need you to feel complete. I am complete, I am whole, and God has a purpose for my life. His plans for me don't start after I get a husband. They've already started. They're happening now.

When we're finally together, we'll go to Europe together, or maybe Mexico, or maybe anywhere. I've always found going alone to be a bit boring. I can't wait to have hobbies with you. Dumb hobbies. Like playing parcheesi or yard sale shopping on the weekends. Or putting together a puzzle. I'd even but together a puzzle with you. How dumb is that?

So someday we will be together, having fun and traveling and playing parcheesi.

But until then, I'll be having fun.

And I hope you are, too.

Because on the nights when it storms or when I can't sleep, I want you to tell me stories. And if you are waiting to live until we get married, how will you have any stories to tell me?

I've been thinking about you today. Someday I'll tell you stories of all of my adventures. Like when there was a moose in my front yard. Or when I was lost for hours during my first camping trip. Or when I parasailed through the Nepali mountains.

God has great plans for your life now; He has great plans for my life now. And He has plans for us together. Glorify Him now with your own life, so that later, we can glorify Him together.

Love,
Jessica

Here's to 2015.

During a Thanksgiving celebration, we all went around saying what we were thankful for. Mine was easy. I am thankful for how much can change in a year.

2014 was a huge year of growing into the woman that I've always wanted to be. I grew in my confidence, in my faith, in my relationships. I prioritized my life, learning from the past, and looking forward to the future. I have broken, healed, lost, and loved.

I am humbled to say that I still have so much to learn. I still struggle. I still find myself acting selfishly, spending more time focusing on my fleshly desires than on the world around me. I get impatient, I get sad, I get overwhelmed. I am not perfect, nowhere close. I still have so much more growing to do. But looking back on this past year, I am so proud of how far I've come. 

One year ago, I was inspired by Bonnie to name 2014, proclaiming what you expected to get out of the new year. I named 2014 "a year to love and to learn." I learned so much about the world, as I travelled through Asia, and about myself, as I looked at myself and what I needed to change. I even got a tattoo, a triangle, to represent my ongoing desire to change into a better person every day.

This year I am going to name 2015 "a year to become myself." All last year, I was surrounded by inspiring people who showed me what women and men of God are supposed to look like. I got rid of everything holding me back and discovered who I want to be. This upcoming year, I want to become that person. I want to become a wonderful friend, an inspiring woman of God. That is my prayer and my goal for this year. 

2014 was by far my favorite year - a year I messed up, a year I tried again, a year I traveled, the year I found myself, the year I found love.

And here's to 2015. I have so much to look forward to - graduation, more traveling, new experiences, more growing. 

Some highlights of 2014..