What did I forget? :)

Ok, at Cory's suggestion, I'm going to type my lists on here. One reason is so I can have them on here if I go again, and also so y'all can proofread it and tell me what I'm missing. :) (Don't laugh at me- I have them organized by what bag I'm taking them in!)

Purse/Backpack

-passport/money/ID (in wallet)

-camera

-phone

-laptop

-medicine:

     -dramamine

     -pepto tabs

     -tylenol/ibuprofen

     -allergy meds

     -immodium

     -Emergen-C

     -5 hr energy

-snacks

     -granola bars

     -trail mix

     -pretzels/chips

     -candy

     -crystal light

-bible

-book to read

-journal & pencil/pen

-sudoku/word find

-neck pillow

-sunglasses

-shout wipes

-Tide-to-Go

Carry-on

-1 outfit:

     -socks

     -underwear/bra

     -pants

     -shirt

-travel toiletries:

     -shampoo

     -body wash

     -face wash

     -comb

     -deodorant

     -toothbrush

     -toothpaste

-first aid kit

-snacks

Suitcase

-shoes/slippers/flip-flops

-socks

-underwear

-bras

-pants/capris/jeans

-shirts/undershirts

-bathing suits

-jammie pants/shirts

-dresses (?)

-sweatshirt

-rain jacket

-bandanas

-shampoo

-body wash

-face wash

-scrubbie

-proactive

-hair paste

-comb

-deodorant

-body spray

-make-up

-moisturizer

-toothbrush

-toothpaste

-hand sanitizer

-wet wipes

-sunscreen (body and face)

-bug spray (100% deet)

-razors

-contacts

-contact solution

-glasses

-tweezers

-Q-tips

-Tide-to-Go

-"girl stuff"

-Emergen-C

-allergy meds

-Pepto (liquid)

-Midnights

-tylenol

-alieve

-immodium

-band-aids

-aloe

-ear plugs

-eye cover (I'm a light sleeper)

-camera/phone/laptop chargers

-flashlight (for when you need to pee at night)

-bed sheets/pillow case

-towels/washcloths

-small bag (to take while off-campus)

-trash bags (for dirty clothes)

Help me out! :) I still feel like I'm missing something! 

Now you all can see first hand how anal I am about my packing lists, AND how much I over-pack! 

Awesomeness :)

If anyone wanted to know, this is why I'm going to Mexico. Absolutely beautiful. :)

At least I started!

Ok, so I'm STILL not packed! BUT... I did start...

The monsters in my closet... :)

Started my little piles! :) Surprisingly smaller than I expected! (So far...)

I mean, c'mon! I'm only packing like 6 pairs of pants! I usually pack more for a weekend trip! (Just ask my friends :)) Packing this light makes me freak out a little, I'm not gonna lie. :)

I've decided that instead of saying, "I'm going to pack TODAY." that I'm going to give myself little baby goals. Pack my clothes first, electronics, then medicines (Pepto is my best friend!), then toiletries.

The thought of packing overwhelms me to the point of just shutting down and taking a nap, so I figure the one-task-at-a-time deal might work out a little better. I still have to write a finalized version of "the list." :)

Wish me luck!

Plans

I'm gonna tell y'all right up front... this post has little (if anything) to do with me going to Mexico...just a few thoughts that have been swimmin' around my head that I wanna remember. :)


My friend Jontae and I were talking tonight, and it got me thinking a lot about plans. When I was younger (....so much younger than todaaaay- sorry, I had to! lol) I had a lot of plans. According to my plans, I was to finish high school, go to college where I would meet the man of my dreams, get my degree, become a teacher, get married, and have some babies. (The number went back and forth as to how many children I would have- it all depended on whether or not I had a good day working at the daycare. Good day=5 or more kids, bad day=1.) My plan was to be married by 21, first kid at 23. All of my ducks were in a row. :)

Obviously, that did not happen. I remember when I decided to stop taking college classes. I was terrified! My little plan was slowly unraveling... and I didn't have my little ducks in a row anymore! Then my 21st birthday came, with no fella to celebrate with. Scary! Then came my 23. No degree, no dude, AND no babies! (not sayin' I wanted the kids minus the fella, don't get me wrong here!) I remember thinking, "This isn't how it was supposed to work out! This is NOT the plan!"


Then I look at where I am now. No kids, no fella, still no degree. It's so easy to look at life when plans don't go the way you intended and think, "This is AWFUL! My plan was SO much better!" That's what I was thinking about tonight. I could easily look at my life and cry, "God, this stinks!" Then I take a look at GOD'S plan. Would I have the relationship I have with my parents if I moved out (and actually stayed out ;)) when I was 18? No way! Would I be as close to my friends if I had moved away (and stayed away)? Nope. Would I be 10 days away from going on a trip that will rock my world? Probably not. 


The more I think about my plans, the more I realize that God's really got this whole life of mine under control. :) It may seem scary, crazy, and not "normal" from my point of view, but the closer I get with God, the more I realize His plan is SO much better than mine! 


I sometimes try to force my plan on God. I forced a relationship to go on YEARS after it's sell-by date simply because it was around the age I was looking to get married. I spent a LOT of money on classes towards a degree when I knew God was trying to scoot me in another direction. When His plan looked too scary, or too "weird" I went along kicking and screaming with mine, regardless of how unhappy I was, just because it was "the plan." 


I'm not saying that planning is bad. That you shouldn't be responsible, or that you should be reckless. I'm just saying that planning is great, as long as you keep your plans open to move you wherever you feel God lead. 


Here's what I look like on paper:
25y single female, living with her parents. No college degree, no significant job experience, no trade skills. Barely making it paycheck to paycheck, with no higher paying job prospect in sight. No potential husband, no boyfriend, hasn't even dated in roughly 5 years. 


Not so hot, huh? You know what though? I would put my life up against any big-wig millionaire, with their 2.5 children and white picket fence. I may not have your job, money, or fancy resume, but I've got more love than I deserve, family who supports me no matter how insane my decisions seem, friends that I wouldn't trade the world for, and I job I look forward to going to with co-workers I actually enjoy spending time with.


I may not look great on paper, but I wouldn't trade God's plan for mine even if I had the choice. :)

Blessings!

You guys may think I'm bein' a little too Jesus-freaky here, but I swear God and I had a chat in Kmart! No, He didn't speak to me in a burning bush in the outdoor section, but I swear I yammered on, and He listened!

I'm a firm believer that God does care about your life. Even the little details- like searching all over God's green earth for a flippin' pair of capris! And because of that, I pray. Sometimes it's just idle chatter, ("God, I could really use green lights all the way to work- I'm cuttin' it close here!") sometimes it's serious stuff, sometimes it's just cause I need to talk and He's the only one there to hear me rant!

I often take it for granted that God listens to me. I talk without expecting Him to listen, ask without expecting Him to answer... I basically just talk. Sometimes because it makes me seem less crazy than if I were talking to myself! :)

Anyway, back to my God moment in Kmart! So I've been on the capri hunt for a bit now, trying to find a few decent pairs (or even one pair!) for an equally decent price. I'm sorry, but I'm just not spending $20 on a pair of pants I'm probably going to ruin working in Mexico!

So I pull into Kmart's parking lot, as a desperate last resort after trying Walmart, Target, thrift stores, blah blah blah, to no avail. As I put the car in park, I simply let out a little exasperated prayer; "Help me out God- it's crunch time and I'm BROKE! They kinda frown on us walking around without pants on in Mexico, and I can't think of any other options."

I went in, fully expecting to yet again not find a single pair of capris, but instead I hit the MOTHER LOAD!! I'm not even exaggerating, I walked into that fitting room with about 15 pairs of capris and 10 shirts!  I was so excited! And to make it even better, some of them actually FIT! I couldn't believe it. Here's what I ended up with:

How cool is that?! 

And that's kind of where it hit me: I pray without expecting God's going to do anything about it. I asked God to help me, and was surprised when He did! That's not cool. I know it may seem like I'm over-spiritualizing things, but it really showed me a little bit about myself.

Same thing happened with my MacBook! I had spent a WHILE working a lot of overtime and saving big time to pay for a MacBook. I finally saved the desired amount, but I really felt God nudging me to use that money to pay for my trip, instead of asking people to sponsor me like last time. I reluctantly agreed, sighed, and said goodbye to my MacBook. :( 

I remember praying, "God, this isn't something I need. But I REALLY want it. Can you make it happen?" And He did! My parents were really generous, and I had a surprise alteration to my tax return which covered almost the whole thing. 

So here I am, typing on a computer I totally don't deserve, getting ready to pack clothes I shouldn't have been able to afford, to go on a trip I am totally unworthy to go on. I'm not being down on myself here people, I'm just explaining how cool it is that God still chooses to bless me, even though I'm a mess. :) it's pretty cool, if ya ask me. 

One thing I've realized with this whole blog thing: I'm really wordy. If I'm going to write this blog, and expect people to actually READ it, I'm going to have to be a tad more concise. :) Bear with me! 

I'm hoping that once I get to Mexico, this will become more of a picture blog; a place where I post some pictures from the day, and the main part of my writing will just involve explaining what the pictures are. As of right now, I can only take so many pictures of my wardrobe, and will hopefully (SOON!) have a before/after picture of my first empty, then full suitcase!! (Nope, STILL haven't started. :P) 

Laundry time! (which hopefully= start packing time!)