Updates, Part 2

Updates, Part 1 is important because it gives an overview of my life last semester, which I failed to keep up with. Part 2, however, I think is more important because it brings you more up-to-pace with my life now.

As I mentioned in the other post, I had a hard time with school in the Spring. I just didn't want to be in school. I realize now that last school year was just a bad year overall transition-wise. After coming back from Germany, I had all of that to process and transition out of, while also transitioning back into American culture and dealing with reverse culture-shock. Then starting the fall semester, I went in knowing that after becoming so close with Kristen, I would only be able to see her about once a week when she was on campus for a few classes. There was also the looming, my-roommates-that-I-have-lived-with-for-four-years-are-graduating-without-me feeling. I realized a few weeks ago that one reason the Spring semester was so hard was because I was mourning those friendships I was about to lose. Apparently, I was trying to escape from that (hence the, I-want-to-pick-up-and-move-back-to-Europe feelings I had). I didn't know I was the flight rather than fight type.

So there was that. I was also mourning the imminent death of my grandfather, who is not doing very well health-wise. His health started going downhill quickly in the Spring, and I was unable to visit him this summer because the week my parents went was the week I was in Rhode Island for the wedding. A happy week, but overshadowed by missing out on precious family time. I'm still mourning that, and bracing myself for what's coming.

On top of all that, I absolutely hated Organic Chemistry. If the class was structured differently I think I would have understood more and done better, but it wasn't.

So there you go. I basically said all of that in the other post. So here comes the new stuff:

After four years of preparing myself to go to medical school and much longer of anticipation and mental preparation, this summer I decided that I am no longer going to pursue medicine.

The process to letting go of this calling actually started two years ago, when I wasn't taking a science at all because I was studying abroad in the Spring, and there wasn't really a point in taking the first half of a class and then coming back to finish the second half in the summer. So that whole year I was able to focus a little more on music. In Germany it was more like an intense focus on music, because the culture is so strongly influenced by the arts. Being there and then coming back and preparing to take a science again got me thinking about a life of doing music, instead of medicine. There you go. The wheels started turning, the ball started slowly rolling, and the thought in my mind began to grow and grow. Music became the only thing I wanted to do, but I sort of ignored that thought last Fall. Maybe I thought it would go away.

Then Organic Chemistry happened, and I hated life and didn't see how I could ever get into medical school with a C on my transcript in one of the only 4 classes I needed to get in. I was starting to give up, but I didn't want to give up completely on what I believed to be God's calling for me. That was the end of the Fall semester. I was so burnt out, and didn't get any rest or refreshing over Christmas break. Which leads to my post about last semester. Hop over that to the beginning of the summer.

So this summer, I was still processing. I had been back from Germany for a year, and I was still pretty much as confused as I was when I got back. About mid-semester, I was in Organic Chemistry in the Spring and I suddenly realized while sitting in class, "I am so glad I'm not a science major anymore." I made a decision almost four years ago to pursue music, and I am so happy with that decision. Thinking about that realization this summer, along with the desire to do something music related and the quickly growing absence of desire to do medicine, I started to consider ending my pursuit of a medical career. So when I was driving past the hospital one night with my dad after a movie with him and a couple of friends and I got a sick feeling at the idea of ever working in a place like that, all of the pieces finally fell into place. The thought of working in medicine put a huge, heavy weight around my neck and physically made me sick to my stomach. The thought of giving up medicine completely released the weight from my neck and made me feel lighter and free. I decided to fast and pray about it for a week. If by the end of the week I didn't feel any different about giving up medicine, I would go ahead with my decision. My feelings didn't change, so I did not study for the MCAT this summer and I did not enroll in the last science I would need to apply to medical school. I am so happy with my decision. I feel like now I can do anything I want. I have the whole world at my fingertips, which is terrifying for some, but is so freeing and exciting for me.

So that's where I am now. No longer pursuing medicine, but instead focusing intently on music this final year at APU. I don't know what I am going to do when I graduate. Maybe I will go back to Germany and teach music at a small school there, or maybe I will move to Washington and work in a coffee shop and take yoga and have my own garden and bees. Maybe I will go to culinary school, or maybe I will get a job in the music industry here in LA, or maybe I will get involved in music ministry. Maybe I will do some combination of those things, or maybe I will do none of them. Who knows? I can't wait to see what God brings me this school year, and where he takes me when it is over.

Grace and Peace,
Suzannah

Hannah's Wedding

School is starting soon, so I'd better get caught up from the summer before I run out of summer...

I lived with Hannah for four years at APU. We got paired randomly, along with Malia, freshman year, and then lived together all four years of their college careers. The summer between freshman and sophomore year, Hannah met Caleb (again), and they started dating. They had a long distance relationship (with Hannah in California and Caleb in Rhode Island) for the next three-ish years, dating and getting engaged the Christmas of junior year. This summer they got married!

(Just a warning, this will be a photo-heavy post. I took about 760, and I obviously can't post all of those.)

Let's begin at the beginning of the wedding celebrations: the bachelorette! We did a wine tasting at Newport Vineyards, and then drove over to a restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island that was quite close to the water front. Here is the group of ladies that was there!

The APU friends group, with the bride-to-be!

A wine tasting includes an explanation of the various processes that the winery uses to grow, make, age, and bottle wine.

So that was two days before the wedding. The next day was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and it poured all day long because of Hurricane Arthur, which was hitting North Carolina and moving up the coast about that time. The best part about that (besides it raining all day, of course)? Because it rained all day the day before the wedding, the humidity was cleared up and the day of the wedding boasted beautiful weather.

Ok. Wedding day: July 5.

Hannah, her bridesmaids, and friends got ready at the church where the wedding was. When the time came, her sisters laced her into her dress:

Almost ready, with her bridesmaids around her.

After this, two of her friends from nursing school and I bowed out and went to find our seats.

Caleb's father, who is the minister of the church where Hannah and Caleb got married, performed the wedding. 

Finally a married couple!

Because Caleb has such a huge family, there was a small reception at the church immediately after the wedding for the entire church to attend, and then a separate reception at a different location for family and close friends.

Hannah's dance with her dad, Russ:

They danced to Brown-Eyed Girl, which was lovely.

Caleb and his mom danced to Another One Bites the Dust, because Caleb is the youngest of seven kids, and is the last to get married.

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was lovely, but the best part was by far seeing a dear friend marry her best friend and the love of her life. Their relationship encourages me, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for them!

There were five other friends of Hannah's from APU that came to the wedding. They left for New York the following morning, and I stayed in Rhode Island for a couple more days. The day after the wedding, I got to spend some time with Gab and Ashley, A couple of Hannah's childhood friends. We went to various places around Wakefield, and I got to see more of the beautiful state of Rhode Island. We went to Point Judith Lighthouse and sat on the rocks for a while, enjoying the waves crashing on the rocks.

It was a beautiful, perfect day. After that we went to an Irish pub and had a late lunch. The pub was right on the water, and we got to sit upstairs on the deck with the sea-breeze cooling us off. So lovely.

After that, they took me to a place called The Umbrella Factory, which has quite a variety of things going on. There are a couple of greenhouses where you can buy various plants, several shops with local art and other fun things. I bought a lovely tree necklace, which I can't wear enough. They also have a goat, emus, chickens, and ducks that you can feed and pet. They also have a café where you can get lunch and other café-type things. We didn't go in there, so I can't speak for that so much.

Obviously, greenhouses mean lots of beautiful flowers to take photos of:

After that, we went to a place called Daddy's Bread, which is is bread shop that operates entirely on the honor system. Ashley's family owns it, and she bakes the bread that is sold. It is a small shop that you walk into, and there is no one there to take your money. The bread is on the shelves, and you leave money in a box for the bread you take. It's pretty cool that it actually works as well as it does; Ashley's grandfather started the shop and it has been in operation since 1975. 

There are slips of paper for people to leave notes for the shop - these are just some of them. There are also big binders full of letters and people signing in to say they were there if they want.

Just a few of the favorite notes that have been left.

Ashley's aunt lives behind the bread shop and keeps a horse and chickens, so we went to hang out with the horse for a little while.

I flew home a couple of days later, on the day of the FIFA World Cup final. I got to watch the Germany v. France game with the Kraines' on the day of the wedding rehearsal. We rooted for Germany, obviously. I was disappointed that my flight home was during the final, because I wanted to watch the game so badly. The game started while I was en route to Washington DC for my connecting flight to Las Vegas, which was several hours later. When I landed, the game was 30 minutes underway, and the score was already Germany 5, Brazil 0. I was amazed. I really thought Brazil would put up more of a flight than that, but watching the recap, it was clear they did not.

My trip to Rhode Island was lovely. I really like the East Coast. Everything is so green! I suppose if I am unable to move back to Europe when I graduate, the East Coast could be an option over Los Angeles.


Grace and Peace,
Suz :)