Rest

This last week at home has been really stressful for me. With my family moving back into my grandparents' house from Thailand, the house (including the room my sister and I share) is so full of stuff that there's practically no place to unpack anything to. My boxes from Salem haven't yet been unpacked because there's no room to put anything except on my bed! So I haven't packed for Pasadena yet, I'm studying for the GRE and taking it this Tuesday, and I have been feeling a little lost and panicky about not having a job or even an inkling of a job for this fall. Add onto that the crunch of limited time to spend with my family and the general sense of loss and uncertainty that comes with most transitions, and I was feeling a little overwhelmed earlier this week.
And then I went backpacking overnight with my friend Cate. :) We hiked up into Jefferson Park and camped in an absolutely beautiful part of the woods with a view of Mt. Jefferson. I loved chatting with Cate, squishing my toes in the mud, splashing on the edge of what felt like our own private lake, and just sitting and listening to the silence. I think it was the first time in several weeks that I felt thoroughly and overwhelmingly happy. Thank God for good friends who take you adventuring, for mountain meadows and forests to quiet your soul, and for family to come home to. :)