Walk In Love

Sketchy Friday

2012-02-17T19:37:00.000+08:00

I seem to have the tendency to find myself in very awkward and sketchy situations. Take today as an example. My friend told me about this easy job she heard about from a friend of hers. The job pretty much entailed Americans recording themselves speaking English. Most of these recordings are used by companies as instruction manuels and other who-knows-what purposes. It's 100 yuan per hour, sounded good to me?

After Chinese class I, along with 2 other friends took a cab to this place and when I stepped into the building I felt a little uneasy just because there was a ton of uncertainty looming around the whole situation. What if this wasn't legit and they kidnapped us?? One thing I didn't want was to be separated from my friends. What do you know, we get separated. The good thing was, I knew Chinese so I knew what they were saying and established some form of authority with them. Better not take advantage of me!

They took me into an empty room and I started recording different commands/phrases/sentences. It wasn't bad at all. Twenty minutes later I was done and got my stuff together, thinking I was leaving. Um, not quite. They then said that I now had to get into a taxi cab and record. At that point, I started freaking out. Getting into a cab with a random person, headed towards who knows where, without my friends. No, not going to happen. Being the cautious person that I am, I began asking a million questions and demanding answers. The answers didn't help but I got in the cab (I don't know why) and the person I was with just told the driver to drive around the block for twenty minutes as I recorded myself saying these English commands/phrases/sentences again. During the entire ride I kept looking up keeping tabs of where I was and making sure I wasn't being driven to somewhere random.

I sped through the recording, got out of the cab, took my hundred dollars and PEACED OUT. Nothing went wrong but I just felt uneasy the whole time. They asked me to come back again because they need more recordings done. We'll see, we'll see....

Some of the sentences were hilarious though and I had to contain my laughter. They made absolutely no sense. But, this was an experience and I came out of it alive and ok. I'll take it!

via

This is EXACTLY what I said when I got out of my last class today.

Happy Weekend!!

Busy Thursday

2012-02-17T08:05:00.000+08:00

I'm going to be double posting today since my internet wasn't working last night. It kept dropping my Skype calls with my Biggie, Kendall. RUDE.

Yesterday was my FIRST whole day at work. The work culture here in Beijing is completely different than that of the US. ...well, maybe my office may be the exception since we have a UK director rather than a Chinese director. My friends who have Chinese bosses say that no one works in the office and it's pretty much social hour. Oh no, not at Octagon. Everyone legit works straight through the day and is insanely quiet. The set hours are 9:30-6:30pm but in reality, many of them work until about 8:30 or 9pm everyday.

I got into the office (treated myself to a Starbucks Hazelnut Latte. DIVINE.) and began working. Research, research, research. It was great though. I'm learning so much and my boss caught me by surprise when he said that this account is pretty much my own account. Seriously?? So, I get to be making phone calls next week. It was only my second real day, and I've already been entrusted with so many responsibilities. Lunch time was great and hectic and I LOVED getting to know my co-workers who had me laughing the entire time.

By the end of the night, around 6pm my boss literally had to kick me out of the office.

Boss: What the hell are you still doing here?

Me: ....working? Doing research?

Boss: Go. Get out. HAVE A LIFE.

Me: But, I won't be here until Tuesday and need to get this done.

Boss: You are an unpaid intern. Stop working so hard. I don't want to be the one keeping you from having a good time in Beijing.

What made this whole conversation even better was that accent of his. DAY MADE.

It was an eventful first full day and I can't wait to get back next week into the world of INSANITY since we have a show. But first, I gotta get through today--class, going to record myself speaking English to make some extra spending money, and class again. At least it's Friday?

PS Did I mention some of my writing will be on Mastercard billboards/promo material in China. Like I said, I love my job.

PPS I need to find the perfect outfits for a press conference and concert next week. Any suggestions?

Tuesday Tunes & Pinterest Wednesday

2012-02-15T21:10:00.000+08:00

Did I really just eat dinner out of a plastic bag? Yeah, I did. Thanks Beijing! It may have been in a plastic bag but my bao zi (pork buns) and jiao zi (dumplings) were absolutely delish. Didn't have time to take a picture because I was starving. I'm a workaholic and haven't eaten all day so FORGIVE ME. Wednesdays are going to be insane for me. I have class at 9am for three and a half hours then I immediately head to my internship (an hour and 15 minute commute) until 6:30pm and finally commute another hour and 15 minutes back home. Worth it though! I had another wonderful day at work. Seriously, I can listen to my boss talk all day. His British accent is just incredible. He's also absolutely hilarious and everyday I thank him for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. He simply laughs and says I'm being ridiculous. I honestly hope I don't let anyone down in the office!!

As promised, I owe you all a Tuesday Tunes! Well, this week's Tuesday Tunes feature is my absolute favorite artist: Dave Barnes. You all know I'm totally obsessed with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This past Tuesday he just released another single from his upcoming album. It's called "White Flag." As always, Dave Barnes does not disappoint and I am hooked! Give it a listen! You won't regret it!

How handsome is he!?

Woo! Pinterest Wednesday. I feel as though my addiction to Pinterest has gotten worse since I've gotten to Beijing. I wake up pinning on my phone and go to bed pinning on my phone. Yup, addict right here! My "Wishlist" board on Pinterest is growing bigger and bigger everyday. Hey y'all, my birthday is in July...just sayin'.

My three favorite things: Chevron, Monogram, and iPhone

via

Crushin' hardcore over this fabulous Kate Spade cross body. It's the perfect size and look at that color! It's screaming spring and summer.

via

I've been itching to buy a pair (or 3) of Tori Burch Reva Flats. They actually have knock-off ones in Beijing but I will definitely be going back State side and investing in a real pair.

via

How beautiful is this Lilly dress? The Navy one is my absolute fave. Can't wait to hit up my Lilly spot in Bethesda when I get back!

via

My niece in AKPsi has this wristlet and when I saw it, I instantly fell in love. This Michael Kors wristlet is absolutely perfect and such a genius idea. It's practical and super chic. WANT.

via

The list can go on and on but I'll stop right here and spare you all. I would just like to add right now how I love the fact that my grandfather is currently texting me. No problem at all. In fact, he's even texting in Mandarin Chinese. Mad impressive.

Valentine's Day and First Day Interning

2012-02-14T20:45:00.000+08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I know for a fact that when I start having a family of my own and have kids, Valentine's Day will be a big thing in my household. Decorations, sweets, cute things EVERYWHERE. No doubt about that! This time last year I was having so much fun decorating my Little's (who is currently studying in London for the semester!) room for Big/Little week. I remember distinctly emailing her the night before/the morning of Valentine's Day and warning her that I will be vomiting Valentine's Day all over her room.The stress of that week was well worth it though. I absolutely loved spoiling her and to say that I'm in love with her is an understatement. She's FANTASTIC and so happy that she is in the Strong Family.

Few Highlights from Little's Big/Little Week Last Year

Didn't know how to rotate the picture so just tilt your head. First night was My Favorite Things night. Yes, those are mix CDs hanging from the ceiling.

Valentine's Day! Red velvet cupcakes+Nutella+strawberries. PERFECTION. And plus some mini valentine's around the room.

Beach night! This was definitely an adventure. I brought along my friend Kelsey that night and had some fun!

My Little Claire (cMm) and I at last year's Unity. Yup, total coincidence that we're both wearing black lace dresses. We were simply meant to be. Miss this girl so much!

This Valentine's Day was spent in Beijing interning and skyping with friends! As some of you may know, today was my first day interning at Octagon. It wasn't a full day but still, I went into the office! It was quite a commute (about an hour or so) and it was my FIRST Beijing rush hour traffic commute experience. I totally forgot to take a picture of the metro today because there are absolutely no words to describe the volume of people on the Beijing metro. You are packed in like a sardine and you can barely move even a millimeter. People push you onto the car and people push you off the car. You simply have to go with the flow of things I guess. To say I was overwhelmed just doesn't cover it. But, I love my office, the staff, and the environment. I'm going to be working on some awesome projects and helping with one of the company's biggest accounts. Oh, and did I mention occasional free concerts?

OOTD for my first day interning! (sorry mom that my back is slouched. I'll have better posture next time!)

Back to preparing my presentation about Apple and the Fair Labor Association auditing...in Chinese. OH, and sorry I've steered off from my Tuesday Tunes and Pinterest Wednesday schedule. I'll have a combined post tomorrow!

Forbidden City

2012-02-12T07:58:00.000+08:00

I can't believe that I have only been in Beijing for two weeks exactly. I was on the bus talking to my friend Rachel and we were saying how it feels like time has flown by but at the same time, it feels as though we've been here longer than two weeks. Does that make sense? It does for me!

I won't write too much today; instead, I'll overload you all with photos. A group of us spent our Saturday morning/afternoon today wandering the Forbidden City. These pictures honestly do not do this place any justice. The details and the magnitude in terms of size can not be captured in a picture. It was beautiful! And I would love to thank the weather for cooperating. It was warm, which is now a relative term (40 degrees is warm), and set the tone for a great "tourist" day. Unfortunately, we didn't go to Wangfujing. I'm waiting for it to get a bit warmer and I will definitely be visiting one evening. Wangfujing just seems more lively during the evening time. Afternoons? Lame.

Tiananmen Square

Walking up to the Forbidden City.

These girls keep me laughing all the time. Ab workouts.

This is only the entrance into the palace. It's a maze in there...hence, Forbidden CITY.

My friend Rachel and I clearly looking clueless. LOVE her bag. It's like a tealish/aqua color. Totally snagging one of those.

Emperor's Seat

Cutest little girl EVER....until she did something completely unexpected. whomp.

My roommates and I

Dragon steps. Look at all of that detailing. How amazing is that?

Oh hi, don't mind me. I'm just being the typical tourist at the Forbidden City snapping photos.

Goodbye Forbidden City! Until next time...

First Week Exhaustion

2012-02-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

First FULL week of classes....CHECK. Just got out of my last class of the week and man, I am beyond happy to be done. It's crazy to think that I'm this tired by Friday and I didn't even go into my internship this week. We are in big trouble.

SPEAKING OF MY INTERNSHIP...it's official! I am an intern at Octagon's Beijing office. I am over the moon with this opportunity. Keeping this to myself...and well, my parents, for the last week has been incredibly tough. Me containing my excitement? Yeah, right. Last week I met with the managing director of Octagon's Beijing office for coffee and I honestly didn't expect an offer at all! I guess persistence really does make the difference. Thank you Alpha Kappa Psi for training me well. The managing director, Ryan, is insanely chill and cracks me up. I have a feeling he and the staff will be spoiling me in the next few months. My first day is Tuesday and I potentially may be working at a concert my first day of work?? Seriously, I may not ever return to the States (unless the Octagon office in NoVA accepts me into their Summer Experience Program!).

Oh wait, I still go to school at Peking University don't I. How are my classes?

1. Chinese: Alright, this class is WAY more intense than it needs to be. I have never struggled with Chinese before so this past week and a half has been a rude awakening for me. I wish I stayed in independent study. In the morning I wake up thinking about Chinese characters and then I go to bed thinking about Chinese characters too. It's never ending. While other students are having NORMAL Chinese classes, my class is talking about the economy, internet, globalization, and all things business related. EW. We are learning the same thing as the immersion kids who have 27 hours a week to learn the material while we only have 9 hours a week. Does that make sense to anyone? Oh, and when I say "we" I mean me and 2 other people.

2. International Finance: Loving this class so far. Our first night of class was on a holiday so the professor lectured for an hour and let us go. SUPER chill guy (I mean, he wears Ed Hardy jeans). It seems like very little math involved and is mostly conceptual. Thank God! I struggled enough last semester at AU in Business Finance.

3. China in the Global Economy: Just got out of this class. One word...TORTUROUS. 3 hours of monotonous lecturing. Super sweet professor but he moves at a snail's pace. I'm just thankful that I have some fun friends in this class to keep me slightly entertained.

To summarize everything: Chinese is ruling my life here but my internship is keeping me sane. I guess you can call me a work-aholic.

Forbidden City tomorrow and then Wangfujing with some friends. Pictures to come! (FINALLY.)

Monthly Goals--February

2012-02-09T20:02:00.000+08:00

I definitely have to do a better job at posting my goals up at the beginning of the month. I have them written down in my journal at the beginning of each month, PROMISE. Can you believe that we are almost halfway through the month of February already?? How did I do in terms of my goals in January? Progress report down below!

January Goals:

Pack everything into one suitcase and one carry-on (With the help of my mother I was able to do this. What would I do without her?)
~~Say all my goodbyes with as little tears as possible~~ (So incredibly tough, especially since I went to campus a couple of days before I left. But, COMPLETED.)
~~Physically get on a plane and go to Beijing~~ (Oh, there were definitely second thoughts.)
~~Read at least 2 books~~ (YES. I read two amazing books--Heart of the Matter and The Help. Totally recommend both! ...although I did get very upset reading Heart.)
~~Finish studying the book of 1 Corinthians~~ (Such a great book teaching about the body of Christ and living in community.)
Continue keeping up with the new blog (I wish I could cross this off but I most deifnitely did not keep up with the blog. Whomp)

February Goals:

1. Explore Beijing--GET OUT! Have conversations with the locals. Experience the culture. Work those negotiating skills.

2. Conquer Chinese--This is a super intense class. Gotta nail those dictations and essays!

3. Be intentional in my relationships in Beijing

4. Join student organizations--I can't wait till the native Beida students get back to campus. I want to socialize!

5. Immerse myself in biblical community--I'm so excited to start getting involved with BICF!

6. Commit to my quiet times

7. Excel in my internship--Dream internship, here I come! I always want to make that extra effort

8. Keep up with the blog--...no matter how bad things get!

Today was an awesome, awesome day. I got off campus, explored a shopping mall, and met with the director of the Young Adults ministry at BICF. The world is so small, let me just say. Who knew we would know some of the same people? WEIRD. But, it was amazing to sit with someone and just talk about what God has done in our lives and what He's doing. It was also really encouraging to hear what God's doing in Beijing. To say I'm encouraged would be an understatement I guess. Talking to Jason kind of took the nerves away and I'm starting to feel as though it's going to be a growing semester for me. It's time to put on my big girl pants and face this city!

Pinterest Wednesday: Churches in Beijing!

2012-02-08T18:03:00.000+08:00

Happy Pinterest Wednesday! Long time no see.

YES. Contrary to common belief, there are in fact churches in Beijing. When I was preparing for this semester, I remember sitting with my mentor Whitney and discussing my anxieties about studying abroad. Two of these anxieties included not having biblical community and not having the opportunity to go to services. Yes, there's always the possibility of watching Frontline services online, but that's just not the same. While in one of my slumps last week I decided to Google "Christian Churches in Beijing." I mean, why not? When the search engine came back with results I was SHOCKED. There's a church literally a metro stop away from campus or a 5 minute drive from campus. I was completely excited and the idea of going to church on Sunday kept me going all week.

Come Sunday morning, I got dressed and headed out to service. I must admit, I was a little worried that someone was going to stop me and arrest me for going to church. Nothing like that happened, of course and I learned that some churches have permission to hold services and operate in China as long as attendees have foreign identification. Karen=Happy! Not only do I now have a place to go on Sundays but I was also plugged into a small group and am so looking forward to the "Friday Night Fellowship" for "college students and young professionals." Y'all have no idea how absolutely pumped I am. Tomorrow I'll be meeting with someone from the Young Adults ministry for coffee to learn more about the congregation and how to get involved.

My search for a church and community has definitely opened a lot of doors in terms of great discussions with classmates. It has been a very encouraging couple of days here in Beijing. Things are definitely looking up!

Pinterest Words of Encouragement

Catch Up Session!

2012-02-07T18:12:00.000+08:00

Oops, oops, oops! I have COMPLETELY fallen off the blogging wagon. I have now been in Beijing for about a week and a half and have yet to write a single post. Deep down, I think the real reason why I haven't blogged about my time in Beijing is that I don't want to be a debbie-downer and vent about not having fun.

I guess it's catch up time! (In reality, this post is for my parents so that they can read all of my thoughts)

Classes are officially underway and life is beginning to pick up in Beijing. The past week and a half has been overwhelming, relaxing, different, and humbling all at once. I have yet to experience culture shock and to be quite honest, I don't think I will come face to face with it. On the other hand, I do miss the States. I miss being able to easily communicate with people (yes, I speak Chinese but let me tell you, it is VERY difficult to understand the Beijing accent), grab a coffee at Starbucks and sit there for a long period of time, walk freely on the streets without worrying about getting run over by a car, use normal bathrooms, eat without wondering if the toilet will be my best friend in a few hours, and so on and so on.

What I miss the most though is biblical community. This past week I've had tons of free time just to reflect on life back at home and I have come to the realization how much I took for granted biblical community. This past week I've been LONGING for community, an accountability partner and being able to dump all of the feelings that I have compacted within. There's so much that I can say about this that I will simply have to devote an entire post tomorrow on biblical community and church in Beijing.

My time here hasn't been ALL that bad. I know I make it sound like I'm miserable but I'm really not. Everyday I learn something new in Beijing. This city is insanely fascinating and it never gets old. It's filled with surprises. The food in Beijing is insanenly delicious and I could spend all day eating. Problem is, the gym is quite pricey and it's not like I can put on my running shoes and run on the streets. A) I will most likely get hit by a car, bus, bike, or any moving vehicle in general. B) I will probably choke to death on all the smog. C) I will probably freeze to death. But, I will continue to eat and put some of those Pinterest workouts to use! In a few days I'll try and post a few pics of the AMAZING food that I've eaten.

Another thing that I love about Beijing is my internship. Once things are finalized I'll give details but until then, know that if anything were to keep me in Beijing forever, it'd be my internship. This will seriously launch my career in the sports and entertainment industry. I honestly cannot even contain my excitement over this internship right now.

There's just so much going on in my mind right now and it's been an extremely encouraging day. Things are looking up and I'm going to continue walking through each day with an open mind. That's all I can do right?

Thanks for bearing with me and I apologize for this LONG post. I promise I'll blog more consistently so I don't dump all of my thoughts and experiences in one HUGE post.

Hello from Beijing

2012-01-29T13:55:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! I am here...in Beijing. So incredibly surreal for me. It still hasn't hit me that I'm in a different country.

Getting on the plane was, as expected, tough. I was fine until I had to leave my parents at the security checkpoint. At that point, I started feeling the tears well up in my eyes. Thankfully, my seatmate was so sweet and I was able to talk to someone and preoccupy myself for the 14 hour plane ride. The hotel I stayed at last night was BEAUTIFUL. I wish I could've stayed there forever. It was right down the street from the Olympic Bird's Nest and that Water Cube thing. SO GORGEOUS! Chinese New Year is still going on right now and I was able to sit on my balcony last night at the hotel and watch the fireworks.

Beijing has been great so far. Like I said, I still don't feel a difference but it will come soon enough. I mean, I already felt a little homesick last night...

Goodbye America!

2012-01-27T20:50:00.000+08:00

And I am off! This will be a super quick post because I'm currently a frazzled looking girl running around this house making sure I have everything.

Today is the day. I am getting on a plane in a few hours headed to Beijing for four months. There are way too many emotions going on right now inside of me to even give a clear answer on how I feel. Be praying for me and hopefully I will have access to update the blog.

Happy Monday!

2012-01-24T04:20:00.000+08:00

Happy Monday indeed! It is Chinese New Year! Sorry I've been away for a couple of days, it's been insane around here. But, it is a new year, the year of the dragon. I am so excited for the fresh start! There seems to be a bit more excitement surrounding this new year for me and I think it's because I will be flying to Beijing in FOUR DAYS. What??

What better way to start off the new year than to read my horoscope! I am a sheep and LOVE IT. Here is my awesome horoscope from Astrology.com. In this upcoming year of the dragon, the sheep (I) will go through periods of stress during my personal life but I have to stick it out because "the amount of love and support in your midst is likely to astound you." I'm assuming this will happen when I'm abroad and through my senior year. Another aspect of my horoscope: "If you're single, this could be an active, whirlwind time for dating, so step out of your shell!" Promising?

It seems like it will be a pretty good year! So, bring it on year of the Dragon!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

7 Days

2012-01-21T01:23:00.000+08:00

At this time in exactly seven days, I will be on a plane headed to Beijing. Things are getting a little bit too real for me. I'm starting to say all of my goodbyes and this knot in my stomach is growing bigger and bigger. My friends have been great. They call me pretty much every day and check in on me to calm my nerves. They're incredible and I am so blessed to have them in my life. I'm going to be ok! God has this plan for me and I have to rest in that.

Time to start packing!

American Idol

2012-01-20T07:15:00.000+08:00

I am not an American Idol fan. Haven't been in awhile. But, I will admit, last night I did cave and watched the season premiere. You know you're getting old when the contestants are younger than you. Most of them are between the ages of 15-18. Seriously?? For the most part, the premiere was quite boring but two of the contestants caught my attention and I'm now cheering for them!

Colton Dixon

This guy is my FAVORITE. Don't understand how he didn't make it last year! I thought he was fantastic! In order to give his sister the spotlight he decided not to reaudition this year but the judges ended up making him audition and he is once again headed to Hollywood. This is an original that he wrote. The lyrics are...phenomenal. Did I mention he's Christian? PERFECT. Marry me?

Phillip Phillips

Second favorite of mine. Interesting name right? He has such an infectious energy. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. His arrangement of Thriller!? Crazy. These are QUALITY artists. American Idol, don't screw it up.

After watching last night's Savannah auditions, it just makes me want to move to Georgia even more.

Pinterest Wednesday

2012-01-19T05:53:00.000+08:00

Greetings from Richmond! I have dubbed RVA the land of sweet tea, Wawa, and the southern twang. It's been busy these past couple of days but the weather is so beautiful that I won't complain. The sunshine and mild weather is making me yearn for summer. I'm not a huge winter fan. Summer ALL THE WAY. Thus, my Pinterest inspiration for the week: Summer outfits!

Not a fan of the flats with this outfit. I'd totally wear a pair of Sperry's to complete the outfit!

I actually have this shirt and always love to pair it with a nice pair of jean shorts.

LOVE the lace back.

These wedges are a total wishlist item. I am definitely on the hunt for a pair!

Alright Summer, hurry up and come already!

Tuesday Tunes

2012-01-18T00:05:00.000+08:00

autumn never seemed this cold before
here I am sleeping on the floor
we changed just like the leaves
outside my house

I would just like to start off by saying: Happy First Day of Classes to my AU friends! Wish I were with you guys today.

While my friends are toting around their backpacks, going to new classes, reading through syallbi, I am once again hitting the road. The past few days have been very relaxing at home but my bags are repacked and I am about to head out to Richmond for a couple of days. No worries though, I have not forgotten Tuesday Tunes! I leave you with Jon McLaughlin and Sara Bareilles' "Summer is Over."

What a PERFECT collaboration. These two are a couple of my most favorite artists (did you notice both of their names are missing the conventional "h"? CLEVER.) and this song is absolutely perfect. Their voices are simply...soothing. Amazing lyrics, amazing harmonies, amazing song. "Summer is Over" pretty much puts words to that feeling I get when summer comes to an end. You hit that point where you know that you have to let go of everything that has happened over the summer and what you've felt because it's time to return to reality. Oh summer, you're such a tease.

So, I'm off to Richmond and I hope that you all will fall just as much in love with Jon McLaughlin and Sara Bareilles' "Summer is Over" as I am.

Monday Pick-Me-Up

2012-01-17T07:23:00.000+08:00

It has been such a busy/productive Monday. Woke up mad early for a run, skyped with my friends who are all abroad, worked on a real estate contract, started the marketing plan for my dad's restaurants, and then had a great lunch with my family. Sounds exhausting but it always feels great to be productive and cross things off of the to-do list.

Want to know what I'm insanely excited about? The Australian Open! With the Australian Open, it means that the tennis season is officially underway. It's quite obvious who has put in the work during the offseason. ...which reminds me, I REALLY need to start getting back to a normal workout routine.

So, who am I rooting for to win the Autralian Open?

Sam Querrey--but of course

John Isner--duh...maybe?

I seriously think Mardy has a big chance! He ended 2011 amazingly well. Let's hope it continues!

(PS What's up with all of them fist pumping?)

Definitely cheering for the Americans. Well, I'm off to babysitting! Bye for now.

Happy Sunday!

2012-01-16T02:37:00.000+08:00

Reppin' my Patriots shirt today

And the Patriots beat the Broncos 45-10! Last night's win marked the Pat's first playoff win since 2007. Well deserved guys, well deserved. I am beyond proud of the boys and how they played last night. Tom Brady and the offense (especially Gronkowski and Hernandez) were totally on point. On top of that, UM HELLO the defense actually stepped up and played well! Tim Tebow and the Broncos just never got the chance to pick up the rhythm during the game. During the fourth quarter, I did feel bad for Tim Tebow. There was so much hype surrounding the game and it definitely added the pressure for Tebow. To be honest, y'all can't blame him for the poor game. The offensive line just wasn't playing well. So cut Tebow some slack! LET THE GUY HAVE A LIFE!

Next up will be the AFC Championship Game against either the Texans or the Ravens. One step closer to the Superbowl!

PS how awesome was that John 3:16 commercial during the game last night? LOVED IT! It was so cool how so many people who were watching the game were able to hear about the love of Christ!

Have a WONDERFUL Sunday!

Patriots v. Broncos

2012-01-15T05:26:00.000+08:00

Weekends are always my favorite because with the weekend comes football. I am a HUGE football fan and a big Patriots fan. Tonight is the big playoff game--Patriots v. Broncos. Don't get me wrong now; I love Tim Tebow and love his passion for God but I LOVE Tom Brady and the Pats. Is it bad that I don't see much of a fight from Tebow and the Broncos? Let's hope Brady and the crew will get through this round of the playoffs without too much difficulty.

Ready to see these two square off again this season?

So, tonight it will just be me watching the game, cheering on the Patriots while babysitting.

14 days

2012-01-14T09:07:00.000+08:00

14.

That is the number of days that stands between me and the start of my spring semester in Beijing. So many people have said, "You must be excited!" or "That's so exciting!" Studying abroad is definitely exciting but for some reason, I just can't seem to hype myself up. I am drowning in anxiety and fear at this moment. It's not so much the idea of studying abroad that makes me anxious but instead, it is the idea of being away from my family and friends. In the past 20 years of my life, I have established this "home base"--a group of people who I go to whenever I need support. To be separated from my home base by thousands of miles and a twelve hour time difference is a little nerve-wrecking to say the least. What if something were to happen? It would take my parents at least 13 hours to get to me. Scary, right? Who am I going to go to for emotional support when I need it the most? I am a total homebody and get homesick easily. Take for example my freshman year of college. Even though campus is only 30 minutes from my home, I still got homesick and went home all the time (even during the middle of the week). How will I deal with feelings of homesick-ness??

You all must think I'm crazy. I know, I know. I simply need to let go of these fears and push aside these feelings of anxiety. While at Passion 2012, someone had said, "You can't let your fears cripple you from something amazing." How awesome is that? Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am so blessed to have this chance to study in a different part of the world and to experience new things. Once I'm in Beijing, I know that these anxieties will leave my mind and I will have the time of my life. For now, I will just say my goodbyes (which I am awful at) and put on my big girl pants and be on my way.

Monthly Goals--January

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000+08:00

It's been a hectic day so I apologize for such a late post! Have you all set your New Year's Resolutions yet? I don't like resolutions and whenever the new year comes around, I usually don't set resolutions. They are too vague and not specific enough for me. Instead of resolutions, I like setting monthly goals. It's more specific and more focused. Monthly goals help me in realigning my priorities every month. I know it is two weeks into the month but I've had these goals written down for awhile now and thought it'd be nice to share! Keep me accountable?

January Goals:

Pack everything into one suitcase and one carry-on
Say all my goodbyes with as little tears as possible
Physically get on a plane and go to Beijing
Read at least 2 books
Finish studying the book of 1 Corinthians
Continue keeping up with the new blog

Do you all have any awesome goals/resolutions that you have set out to complete?

Pinterest Wednesday

2012-01-11T21:36:00.000+08:00

I.LOVE.PINTEREST. Enough said there! Hence, daily theme #2: Pinterest Wednesday!

One thing about me is that I am a proud brother of American University's business professional fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi (http://www.alphakappapsi.org/). We are an amazing brotherhood and we all pretty much live through food most of the times. Want to know one of the reasons why I love this brotherhood? The Lambda Nu chapter has a baking army. Yup, you read that right, a baking army! This Sunday we'll all be starting the semester out right by having a baked goods party! I absolutely can't wait. Oh, and you know where I'm getting my recipes! PINTEREST.

Here are some ideas so far from Pinterest:

Nutella Cookies

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

Brownie+Strawberry Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I'm drooling just looking at these pics! Decisions, decisions

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On another note, did anyone watch the season premiere of Dance Moms last night? Don't laugh at me but I am a loyal watcher. It's a guilty pleasure of mine, what can I say!?

oh Abby, you're crazy. stop making the poor children cry!

Tuesday Tunes

2012-01-11T03:20:00.000+08:00

If you know me, you know that I am a huge music fanatic. The long term life plan is that someday, I will be working in the music industry. One of my favorite things is to find new artists/bands all the time.

sooooooooo....
Today, I am introducing one of Walk in Love's daily themes: Tuesday Tunes. The first Tuesday Tunes will be Michael Stagliano. When I initially listened to his music, I thought he was great! As I started to learn more about him I found out that he was on The Bachelorette. Weird?? Never watched the show but hey, good for him! Go Google him; he is quite a cutie-patootie.

I am definitely digging his song "Find You" at this moment. It's kind of sad but it is GREAT. Love the whole "guitar+man+love song" thing he's got going on. Just sayin'!

Check it out! If you have any music recommendations that you think are must listens, let me know!

Welcome to My Life

2012-01-09T23:53:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to create a blog. Tumblr is great but it just doesn't feel legit, if that makes any sense? So, back in December with the new year coming, I thought, "Why not start one?" The timing couldn't be better! I'm headed abroad to Beijing in 18 days and many people have been asking if I will be keeping a blog to keep them posted about my overseas adventure. Well, here it is! Walk in Love won't simply be a way to track me through my abroad experience but it will pretty much be about anything going on in my life.

I'm so excited for the daily themes that I have in mind! I hope that you will walk with me through the next few days/months/years of my life. If you have any advice for me, please don't hesitate in leaving a comment on the blog, tweeting at me, emailing me, or tracking me down in some way.