1/2 Way Done

“Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.”

- Steve Jobs, introducing the first iPhone in 2007

In 2007, I was entering my freshmen year of high school. I was this shy, timid kid who was trying to convince my parents to let me get my first phone. Eventually, on my 15th birthday, they finally allowed me to get one. While not an iPhone, I absolutely loved my LG Shine. I wasn’t able to text on it, only make phone calls, and if I could try to wait until nights and weekends to make my calls (after 9 pm), that was better too; that way we didn’t spend a ton of money on our minutes each month.

Mom and Dad saw my phone as a tool more than anything else, and in reality, that’s actually what it was.

So when did our phones turn from a tool we used to improve our life to a device that sucks us into a spiral of mindless swiping?

“Feeling bored or anxious? Check your e-mail. Nothing there? Check social media. Not satisfied? Check a different social media account. And then maybe another one. Like a couple of posts. Follow some new people. Check to see if those people followed you back. Maybe go look at your e-mail again, just in case. It’s easy to spend hours on your phone without using the same app twice- or staying focused for more than a few seconds at a time.”

- Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up With Your Phone

I just recently finished a book titled How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price- it’s a quick read and well worth the $10 price tag it’s currently listed for on Amazon. I HIGHLY recommend that everyone with a phone read it because of how incredibly troubling it was to learn from Catherine Price how much our phones are configured to addict us to them. Like a bad relationship, they suck us in and while we can admit that the relationship isn’t super healthy, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s really hard to end it, to make changes.

I read this book after already starting my social media fast and it changed a bit of my perspective on why I needed to get rid of social media for a while. It made me realize that social media is a problem in my life, but only a product of a much larger problem- my phone.

Since reading this book, I’ve been more intentional in tracking my phone screen time through my phone’s settings and it’s crazy to experience the real change between using my phone less and having more time to do everything else I want to do. I’ve included the data since beginning this journey earlier in the month and will provide another update once the month is over.

My Phone Screen Time Data

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Through this process- I’m learning that my phone doesn’t need to run my life anymore, that I can instead rely on myself more and utilize my phone as a tool rather than thinking of it as an extension of myself.

It’s been a cool journey to be on and as I head toward the end of this month, I’m excited to see where I land with it after all is said and done.

social media no more

In January, I started on a journey called 19 for 19, where I set 19 different goals that I wanted to work toward throughout the year. One of those is a social media fast in the month of July, and with that starting tomorrow, I wanted to share with you all a bit of my why for doing this.

When I wrote 19 for 19, all I outlined about this goal was that I was going to be taking a month off from social media. I’ve considered doing this for several years now, but I always justified not doing it because I was in charge of different social media accounts for businesses and organizations. I’m choosing not to use that as an excuse anymore but to get to the real reason why I am doing this, I want to share about my journey with social media over the years.

Let me set the scene for you. It’s 14 years ago, I’m in 6th grade, I just turned 12 years old, and my parents FINALLY allowed me to create my very first hotmail e-mail account. I remember sitting around our old desktop computer with several of my friends, Nate, Zach, & Tyler, as we debated back and forth on what my new e-mail handle should be. Back then, you were locking in not only your hotmail account, but also your MSN Messenger username. After much debate, we settled on dvguy_14@hotmail.com, and so began my dive into the world of social media. Everyday after school, you could catch me on the computer, logging into MSN messenger and hoping my other friends had already logged on for the afternoon.

Then came Facebook. With expertise that can only be described as equal to that of a FBI agent, I created my first Facebook account on March 5, 2008, without my parents knowledge. For five months, I hid my Facebook activities from them until one fatal day (August 18, 2008, to be exact) when they discovered that I had created a Facebook account and my ruse was up. At that point, my mom made me change my profile picture from a “cool” photo of me to a “lame” photo of my name that I created on Microsoft Paint so that my face wouldn’t be out on the web for others to see and find me.

my very first Facebook profile photo- the definition of cool

my second Facebook profile photo- courtesy of my Mom

I laugh at that story a lot now because our society has come such a long way in our acceptance of what is shared on social media since those days 11 years ago. Through the years, though, I’ve created several other social media accounts to connect with people in different ways- Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Every one of them serving their own, semi-unique purposes and every single one of them increasingly occupying more and more of my time on any given day.

As the years progressed, I continued to use social media to connect with friends but also added in using it to run business/organization’s professional accounts. While that dynamic still exists today, I have reached a place where I want to spend less time on social media for social connections as well as less time just “browsing” social media just to pass the time.

If you know me well enough, you know that I’m a numbers guy so let’s take a look at some data courtesy of my phone’s screen time tracking.

In the last 7 days, I have spent an average of 5 hours and 30 minutes PER DAY on my phone for a weekly total of 38 hours and 38 minutes. Now that’s including everything from social media and playing games to texting, Face Time, and phone calls- so let’s drill that down to look just at the social media data.

In those 7 days, a total of 20 hours and 20 minute was spent on social networking apps:

• Facebook: 10 hours and 26 minutes (avg. 1 hour 29 min a day)

• Instagram: 4 hours and 45 minutes (avg. 40 min a day)

• Snapchat: 3 hours and 55 minutes (avg. 33 min a day)

• Twitter: 1 hour and 18 minutes (avg. 11 min a day)

A few months ago, I set time limits for these four apps specifically with the hope of cutting down my time on them each day but those limits have not been effective in keeping me from clicking the “ignore for 15 minutes” button; a practice I do throughout the day when I hit the limits. The screen time app goes even farther in its analytics of my usage and shares that I, on average, pick up my phone a total of 113 times per day and receive about 156 notifications every day- that’s even with having push notifications for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter turned off. I also feel I should acknowledge that all of this data isn’t including the time that I spend on Facebook or Twitter on my laptop too.

I share all of this because I think there’s value in being vulnerable with everyone on how much time I actually spend on social media- it really is quite excessive.

That is why I am doing this. That is why I am taking a break from social media in July.

I am taking a break from social media because I want my life back. Instead of being social on my phone I want to be social in person. I want to take back those 20 hours a week spent on social media and redirect that energy elsewhere.

When I look at the goals that I set back in January, several of them require a good amount of time committed to them, but when I spend so much time a week wasted away on social media, it sometimes feels impossible to reach those goals.

This next month, I’m excited to read more, to focus more on creating/developing Mankato Drinks, to put more energy into other Web Design/SEO work, and to be more intentional with connecting with my friends right here in Mankato. In August, be on the look out for an update on how all of this went for me.

I’ll see you on the other side.

this is me.

In January, I told myself that I would commit to writing a new blog every month and oh man how badly I have failed at that. I hype up writing to be this grandiose thing that needs to be perfect before the world ever sees it.

These last 6 months, I’ve thought a lot about vulnerability (thank you Brené Brown) and how it is so easy to preach vulnerability but it’s a whole different ball game to be practicing it. So with that in mind, here I am, being vulnerable about my life the past 6 months and writing a blog that isn’t 100% perfect, but it is real, and that should count for something.

I’ve had a hard time being me over the years. Specifically, i’ve really sucked at relationships and being vulnerable with my feelings.

Let me explain.

When I was younger, my Dad and I would sometimes argue about silly things where I thought I was right and he was certain that I wasn’t. After some back and forth, one of us would eventually say, “Wanna bet?!” and Dad would wager a dollar or something. And you know what, every single time, I was wrong. I honestly can’t remember a time when I was younger that I won one of those silly bets with my Dad.

I share this story because back then, I was always in awe with how my Dad could always win those bets. As I’ve grown older, though, I’ve realized that Dad only won those bets because he only bet on things that he was nearly 100% certain that he would win. My Dad’s ability to always win these silly bets taught me about not taking chances when I’m not close to guaranteed the win.

Now don’t read that story and think that I blame my Dad for me not taking chances or being vulnerable with people, I absolutely do not. I think I’m just naturally a person who doesn’t like to take a lot of risks and my Dad taught me about how to be smart with some of the risks I do or do not take. I’ve always been someone that only likes to do things when the outcome is a sure thing; when it is a near 100% guarantee that I will win, be right, or be accepted.

I share this because relationships have been tough for me. When it comes to relationships, I struggle to name my feelings because of the fear of things not be reciprocated and the heartache that accompanies it.

I don’t like taking chances on things that aren’t guaranteed- like sharing my feelings for a girl.

I grew up in a small town where we were taught not to show our emotions and taught not to share too much with others because so and so down the road would gossip to everyone else and soon the entire town would know. While this is an over simplification of a small town thing, the underlying truth is that I have carried the need to have a guarded heart with me for my entire life.

That mentality has almost surely tanked my ability to be vulnerable in relationships and put my heart out on the line at the risk of feelings not being the same.

A bit ago I mentioned that I don’t like taking chances on things that aren’t guaranteed- like sharing my feelings for a girl. For the past several months, I’ve been trying to impress this girl who I’m not even sure knew that I liked her. The story that I had been telling myself was that my flirting was enough and that this girl was into me too- but without ever confidently speaking my feelings to her, the opportunity passed by me and I never got the chance to tell her how I felt.

I failed to share my feelings. I failed to be vulnerable with her. I failed to tell her how incredible I thought she was, even though it was so easy to tell others back home how much I was into her.

I don’t really have an ending to this post. I’m just trying to be more vulnerable and today, that’s looking like writing down my frustration with myself not being willing to take chances in relationships.

I wish I could say that things are going to change because I would like to take steps in that direction, but today really just looks like naming my gaps, being vulnerable with anyone reading this with where I’m at, and making a commitment to strive to be more vulnerable in relationships moving forward.

Missional Perspective

Why, after 5 trips to Jamaica, did I feel like I didn’t really spend my week being as productive as I could have been? Now for those of you reading this who supported me on the trip- I urge you to keep reading, this post isn’t as bleak as that first sentence may lead you to believe.

But in all seriousness, I walked through my latest week in Jamaica wondering why things felt so different. I’ve taken several trips now that follow the Helping without Hurting in Short-Term Missions video series curriculum on RightNow Media. This series is based on the book, When Helping Hurts, which puts a spotlight on poverty alleviation around the world. The video curriculum specifically focuses on training and developing teams in a model of doing short-term missions work that helps to empower local leaders and support long-term missionaries in the field.

Acknowledging the truth in this video series has been easy for me in the past and I believe that the series speaks a lot of truth into the students who take this trip each year. However, my attitude toward the trip this year felt different from the very beginning. I found myself asking the question, ‘Why does a mission trip quit feeling missional?’ The question felt so weird and dirty to say out loud given that I’ve gone on this trip 5 separate times now over the past 7 years.

More specifically, I was walking into this year’s trip feeling less and less like I was going on a mission trip and more like I was just going back to Jamaica to visit friends in country.

I felt weird about that all week. I felt guilty that maybe I shouldn’t have been a leader on the trip.

It wasn’t until the very last day of our trip that I finally got some clarity and felt resolve toward this question and it came in the form of a conversation with a long time friend. Andrea and I have known each other for 6 years now. We were both heavily involved at UNI and ran in the same social circle through college. She’s someone who’s thoughts and opinions I value hearing because I know that she will be honest with me in conversation and tell me how it is- not mincing her words to make someone feel better about themselves.

Standing in the lobby of our hotel, I shared with Andrea that I had been feeling like I was just visiting friends on the trip and that the missional side of it was missing this year. In previous years going to Jamaica, I was asked to build relationships with our team, the students, the teachers at CCCD and with those engaged in full time ministry in Jamaica- and I did. I know their names and parts of their story. I’ve built friendships with them and am excited to see them when they’re able to make trips to the states to visit and when I get to visit them in March. These relationships took years to form, but in making them, the trip evolved from a mission trip to a foreign country to a trip to visit some friends. Friends who are just living their own lives in a different part of the world. They work there, they go to school there, and they have their own community there.

They’re not less than me. They’re not better than me. They’re equal to me.

Processing this reality with Andrea helped me to better understand why I was feeling they way I felt about the trip. She then hit me with some more truth- my role as a leader on this trip was about being missional with the students we bring.

Like I said before, I’ve gone on the trip several times and have become friends with some of those living in Jamaica. But as a leader on a college-aged mission trip, my purpose on the trip shifts a bit from focusing on building relationships with those living in Jamaica to leading the college students we bring as THEY build those new relationships.

On a trip where I thought I had already grasped the concept of HE > me (John 3:30), I learned even more how much bigger God is. This trip evolves. The people change. But our God remains bigger than any of that. Back in 2016, this trip helped me better understand how God was at work in my own life and now, it’s really neat getting to watch God use this trip to work in other people’s lives too. I was still able to continue building my friendships and relationships with the student, teachers, and missionaries, but at the end of the day, my long term mission work is the college students we take down to Jamaica. In Jamaica this year, I walked alongside some college students who finally had space in their life to process how God was at work in them. They were able to experience a new culture for the first time and begin seeing how others in a different part of the world worship.

To get back to the point that I made at the very beginning of this post, it’s completely okay that I didn’t feel as productive in Jamaica this year as I have before because this year, I began recognizing my new purpose serving as a leader on the trip. I spent so much more time this year than ever before in conversations with our college students and now that I’ve been back in America for a month, I have been able to continue those conversations as the students readjust back to their life here.

Serving on a missions trip looks different for everyone and I am very thankful for the friendships I have made down in Jamaica and the fact that I get to continue those year round. I’m also thankful, though, that I get to continue serving our college students now that we are back in America by being in community with them and encouraging them to continue exploring their own faith journey.

19 for 19

A couple of days ago, I was chatting with a friend about the new year and they shared with me that they were in the process of creating 19 goals for 2019. So admittedly, this is not an original idea but one that was hijacked from someone else. Nonetheless, I am sharing my 19 goals for 2019 because I have learned over the years that I am at my best when others know the things I am working on and are able to hold me accountable to them. In order to help me with that, I’ve created a new page on my site, 19 for 19, which will be a place for me to update my progress along the way and for you to check in to see how I’m doing. So with that, here are the 19 things that I am going to work toward in 2019.

1. From 215 to 180
   My weight has been something I have always hated. Throughout high school, I was well aware that I wasn’t as thin as the other guys in my class and while I’ve accepted that I won’t be the thinnest person ever (nor do I want to be) I do recognize that I have some extra weight on me that I can afford to lose to be in better shape.

2. Exercise 3 times a week
   To help me accomplish goal #1, I am going to strive to exercise 3 times a week at the gym. Got to get my money’s worth out of my gym membership some how, right?

3. Read 12 books
   For the past two years, I’ve set a goal to read 6 books a year and have successfully accomplished that. This year, I want to read a new one every month.

4. Start my mornings at 6 a.m. everyday, no matter what
   I like my mornings a whole lot, but as I head into 2019, I want to make my mornings more consistent. Whether on a vacation or just a Saturday morning at home, I want to keep a consistent routine in the morning.

5. 52 new recipes
   It is my goal to cook a new meal every week this year.

6. Travel to 4 different countries
   This is a stretch goal for sure, but I want to travel this year because why the heck not? Jamaica and Germany are in the works. Canada would be cool too. Anybody want to pick a 4th and go with me?

7. Floss my teeth
   My dentist will surely be happy about this one. I can’t be the only one who doesn’t floss until the week before their dentist appointment in hopes that the dentist won’t yell too much at me, right?

8. Publish a new blog once a month
   I go through weird hills and valleys with blogging but it’s one of the things that I absolutely love to do. I want to challenge myself to find something new to blog about every month.

9. Social media fast
   I’ve never taken a true break from social media because for so long, many of my jobs have required that I run different social media accounts. I’ve turned off notifications for most of my social media apps on my phone but in July, I plan to take the month off from all social media.

10. Volunteer
    Throughout college, I loved volunteering my time with Dance Marathon but haven’t taken the time since to discover a new opportunity to volunteer with.

11. The side hustle
    Since moving to Mankato, I’ve worked on three websites for local companies and loved getting to do it in my free time. This year, I want to take this thing further and start working on more website for other local businesses as well as expanding into SEO for these businesses.

12. Get better at golf
    Last summer, I received a set of left handed clubs from my grandpa so that I could finally start golfing instead of being the designated golf cart driver. I went out a couple of times and loved it- I’m just not that good… yet.

13. Learn sign language
    Ever since going to Jamaica for the first time back in 2013, I have wanted to learn more sign language. I have some basics, but I want to learn to the point where I can hold a conversation with someone.

14. Downsize
    When I moved out of my 8th street house and subleased for different people before moving to Minnesota, I packed up my life into two campus. 1- the stuff I needed/wanted with me in the house and 2- the stuff that got packed away in storage for two months. Through this, I realized I have quite a bit of things that I can get rid of because in all actuality, I don’t need to keep that bandana from church camp 10 years ago. Do you get the picture? This winter, I want to downsize my life and get rid of the excess.

15. Grow my hair out
    So you may be thinking- why is this a goal? Well, let me tell you. I’ve wanted to grow my hair out for a while but have never committed to doing it because it hits a point where it looks weird and I just give up and get it cut. My last hair cut was on October 8, 2018, so I’m currently almost 3 months into this thing.

16. Save up 6 months of expenses
    Growing up, my dad would listen to Dave Ramsey in the car and now that I’ve graduated and am paying off a loan- I’ve been following Dave’s baby steps toward financial freedom too. In 2019, I plan on paying off my loan and want to put away 6 months of expenses before beginning to invest money.

17. Reconnect with my people
    After moving away from Iowa a year and a half ago, I realized how easy it is to fail to reach out to your friends back home. And it’s never because you don’t want to, it’s just simply a fact of what life looks like now. Moving into 2019, I want to be more intentional with connecting with some of the people who impacted my life throughout college but I haven’t always done the best of staying connected with.

18. Run a 5k
    I’ve done 5ks before and enjoyed them, but I’ve never been in good enough shape to run a 5k from start to finish without stopping.

19. Curling Champion
    Last year, I took a learn to curl class and was hooked. This year, me and 3 other guys are competing in a 12 week curling league on Thursday nights and I want to win it all. Somebody has to, why can’t it be our team?

a year in the making

This year has been nothing short of an incredible experience. 365 days ago today, I woke up, drove to Sidecar Coffee for one last morning cappuccino as an Iowa resident, and embarked on a journey I was both excited yet nervous for. I don't think my words need to be more complex to better describe my feelings. I was excited to be beginning my next adventure yet nervous for everything unknown.

---- I began writing this blog back in late July, then August happened. So now that we’re well into September, I still wanted to share with you all about my first year in Mankato ----

-- August 2017 --

I moved to Mankato on 8/1, started my job on 8/3, and I met my staff on 8/5. Those 5 days started me on a path of learning that I was expecting but wholly unprepared for. Everything in Mankato was new. Everything at Minnesota State University, Mankato was new. Everything about Residential Life was new. Heck, even all of my furniture was new. The only thing that felt consistent in my life at the time was the fact that I knew come Sunday that I could walk in to a church here in Mankato and feel comfortable- even if the church was new too.

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-- September 2017 --

I quickly learned that everybody in Minnesota is extremely proud of their state. The greatest distinction I saw between how Minnesotans and Iowans expressed their love is that Minnesotans are verbally and visually proud of Minnesota- to them, everything is great here. Iowans are used to the rest of the country talking down to them because we come from fields of corn and there is nothing to do. Iowans, on the contrary, are well aware that the state has a lot to offer. I speak of this because in September, I found those two ideals at odds with many of the individuals I talked to. My staff team quickly pointed out how horrible Iowa is and it has been my mission since to show the great people of Minnesota how cool Iowa actually is. To date, they've been most impressed with Scratch Cupcakery and Sidecar Coffee but my work is no where near complete. Also, I BOUGHT A CAR! Much like my experience interviewing and accepting this job, I had told myself I would look at cars in September and then make a purchase in October. Well, I saw "the one" online on a Sunday afternoon. Called to look at it on Monday. Then drove it off the lot on a Tuesday. It wasn't the game plan, but I've learned that my plans sometimes stink and I need to roll with whatever comes my way- hence, my new Chevy Cruze. 

-- October 2017 --

Over the years, worshiping in church has been hard for me. I know that I can sing well, and I don't say that to gloat, but to help preface the next few sentences. Early on in my years at UNI, I found myself worshipping in church for the people in the seats in front of me rather than for God. I would sing harmonies and try to project louder with the hope that they would turn around after church to tell me that I was a great singer. I was seeking their approval for something that isn't meant for them. So I withdrew from that practice. I intentionally started standing in the back of services so that there was distance between me and the people in front of me. It was this practice that allowed me to refocus my heart on what worship is. As I started attending a new church in Mankato, I was excited to get plugged in more. I decided to take a chance on something I had never done before so I auditioned for my church's worship team. The experience has been really good- as I have learned that nothing I do on stage is for the people in front of me, but for true and pure worship to God.

-- November 2017 --

I went to my first Residential Life professional conference this month, UMR-ACUHO. It was here that I realized how small the world of Res Life actually is, as I found myself running into several people I knew from my time at UNI who were now working in Res Life at other institutions. The conference really helped me grow in my confidence as a Res Life professional because it helped me to better see how my work in Res Life was impacting the student experience.

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-- December 2017 --

CURLING!! This was the month that I realized how long winters in Minnesota actually were going to be and that I needed to figure out how to pass the time before I could get back outside in some shorts. Enter the Mankato Curling Club. On the first Saturday of December, I spent 3 hours in a Learn to Curl class with about 20 other people. We fell a lot on the ice, and our curling skills were incredibly below sub-par, but we didn't care- it was fun. That day, I met the owner of a local restaurant in town who invited me to curl on his team for a short 3 week beginners league starting up the following week. I jumped on the chance and spent one night a week continuing to hon in on my below average skills. By the end of the 3 week league, I was still incredibly horrible at curling, but it was fun. The most fun I had had in Minnesota in a while. Curling was good, and I'm excited to do it again this coming winter.

-- January 2018 --

ROUND 2- here we go. The beginning of January brought around the start of the 2nd semester and a second chance at walking through CA Training with my team. This time I was so much more prepared than the first time around. We started the new year with a renewed energy and commitment to making Stadium Heights a better place for our residents to live. January was the month I started feeling like I was getting into the groove of being a Hall Director. It was also the month that I started working on my application to reapply for my job. That's right. I was hired in July 2017 on a temporary basis with my contract set to expire in June 2018. January was the month where I started the 4 month interview process toward finding out if Mankato would be home in July 2018 or not.

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-- February 2018 --

February was a cold and uneventful month but after several months of constant travelling to different parts of the midwest, I finally had a solid 4 weekends to stay in Mankato. That being said, February was also the month where I played host to friends on almost every weekend. Hosting friends has been one of my absolute favorite things about moving to Mankato. My community in Cedar Falls was incredible and being able to show my people my new home has been really fun. One of those weekends, I took the plunge into the world of skiing and after a full day of hitting the slopes at Mt. Kato, I’m hooked. Did I fall? Yes, but only once and it was 4 hours into the day, so I feel like that’s pretty good.

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-- March 2018 --

In March, I had the chance to attend UNI Dance Marathon for the first time as an alum and absolutely loved getting to watch the DM Leadership Team host an incredible event for the kids. Back in Mankato, I got to select my team for the next year and begin thinking about what I wanted to accomplish as a Hall Director in year 2, if I was asked back in my role. Year after year, March tends to be one of my favorite months of the year because of the opportunity to head to Kingston, Jamaica, on a missions trip. This year was special, though, as this was the first year that I served as a leader on the trip. While in country, I led a small group of college students from Iowa as we dove into scripture and experienced life in Jamaica together. On top of the normal routine in country, I had the chance to watch some of the students I’ve built relationships with over the years show off their skills on their espresso machine. That included taking a trip to the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica to see some of the managers of Deaf Can! Coffee serving drinks to U.S. Embassy employees. This helped me bring full circle the transformation I have been witnessing over the years in Jamaica. The whole idea behind Deaf Can! Coffee is that deaf individuals CAN do things, they are capable of many things and that was put on full display as U.S. Embassy employees actively sought out purchasing drinks from Deaf Can! Coffee baristas.

-- April 2018 --

In April, I had my on campus interview and wrapped up my months long interview process with Minnesota State, Mankato, and accepted an offer to continue working as a Hall Director here! It was a long process but one that helped solidify Mankato as home, something I had been anxious about for several months. I like stability and the process of not knowing what life would hold in several months was not fun at all. April was pretty hard for me, not only for that uncertainty but because spring was still so far away. Mid way through April, Mankato was hit with a blizzard that dumped more than 15 inches of snow on the ground and let me tell you, the idea that the seasons impact your mood was never more of a reality for me than in April this year- April was tough.

-- May 2018 --

May brought about a lot of weird but good changes. My team and I moved over 100 residents out the first week of May while just shy of 100 continued to live with us for the summer months. That transition meant on boarding a new team of CAs pretty quickly and preparing for the “Summer at Stadium”. May was also the month that I signed up to play on my church’s softball team. For any of you who knew me growing up, you are well aware that sports were just not my thing- from tee ball to 6th grade little league baseball, I’m fairly positive I only hit the ball a grand total of 10 times. I often tell people the story of my 6th grade season where the coach offered to take the team out for ice cream after any game that I hit the ball in… That only ever happened once. That being said, though, slow pitch softball just might be the sport for me! I might not be the best outfielder ever, but you could count on me to get a base hit every time I went up to bat- I’m way proud of that.

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-- June 2018 --

In June, I dared my team to dream big as we hosted summer events for the residents currently living at Stadium while also beginning the planning process for what the first semester would look like for the new residents moving in. It was in June that i was nominated by one of my team members as a Residential Life Professional of the month and the nomination was selected as a Regional Winner- that was a pretty neat thing to learn about. The most exciting part about June, though, was that our family grew a bit! My brother, Ben, got married in late June to Zoe and it was a really really beautiful day for it. Seriously though, Zoe has been a joy to have in the family and it was neat getting to celebrate her and Ben as they began their life together.

-- July 2018 --

July was FUN. From a spur of the moment decision to day trip up to ValleyFair in the cities for a day of rollercoasters and waterslides to a spur of the moment decision to purchase a year long Minnesota State Parks pass, July was a month I thoroughly enjoyed. In July, we celebrated my Dad’s 50th birthday by surprising him at home after he was away on a trip. Ben, Zoe, and I hid in the house and were there to surprise him when he walked in. Did I ruin the “SURPRISE” part, yes. Was he still happy, absolutely. Back at work- my team and I worked incredibly hard to wrap up “Summer at Stadium” and begin the transition of moving summer residents out and preparing apartments for fall residents. All that hard work paid off as my summer team was nominated for an “of the month” award like I had been the month prior and WON nationally for the month of July!

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 -- August 2018 --

BONUS MONTH! Since I’m a month behind in getting this done, I felt it was only right to share what I’ve been up to in August. It’s like one of those calendars that you get that gives you 13 months instead of 12… Anyway. August was a blur, and I mean that in the best possible way. At work, my new team arrived and completely rocked it during CA Training. We opened our buildings flawlessly and they have worked incredibly hard to make Stadium a place that residents are excited to call home. August was also a month where I hung out with a ton of Mankato friends, attended RibFest for the first time, learned how to golf and found myself on the course way more than I ever expected. I also am not very good at golfing (as shown in this photo) but I’m trying, so that’s a thing.

As I think about August in 2018 compared to August back in 2017, I’m really thankful for this past year. While hard at times, those difficult times helped me grow a lot. I left Cedar Falls last year with a lot of fears and insecurities about my ability to make new friends and start fresh in a new place, and while those fears were real and the beginning of my time here was hard, I am much more confident in my ability to handle life changes than I was back then. Cedar Falls will forever hold a special place in my heart, and you’ll still find me there for my Sidecar fixes every once in a while, but Mankato is home now and I’m really happy with where I’m at in this season of life.