seasons

When snowflakes start to pour out of the sky, I can just smile. It is beautiful. It sets a mystic, glorious, peaceful tone throughout the streets even if I'm rushing somewhere. Snow itself is such a weird concept for me. So it falls from the sky and has so many effects. It is slippery but firm when you fall on it. It can be packy, flaky, powdery. It can hurt (especially when it is in a round form zooming from your brother's glove to your face). It can protect (hiding behind a bank from wind or from the next snowball...).
Though I love the season, I have to admit I get stir crazy. I want to be able to run outside with shorts on again. I want to ride my bike to my practicum every day and not have to worry about the crazy brown slush ruining the few nice clothes I wear. I want to sleep on Bascom hill while I'm pretending to do homework. I want to sit outside and read my articles instead of on buses. I want to slackline. I want to see all my friends in their full glory and not hidden behind fourteen layers of jackets, scarves, mittens, hats and every article of clothing they own.
But I will enjoy winter. I would miss the extreme seasons. Plus if my trip to South Africa comes through this summer I'll get two winters in a row...oh joy.

Frisbee

This is the first year I've done frisbee and absolutely love it. I love being part of a sports team and working out with others. It's awesome and makes me really energized. I'm realizing there is much more to learning a sport than just the rules and techniques. There is strategy, there is understanding your teammates, there is the game-related lingo. I was telling my brother Joel today how it's been weird even learning what the expected uniform is. It is long, baggy shorts with a semi tight fitting t-shirt jersey, unlike the high short/short sleeve uniform of cross country. Even the cheering is a lot different like yelling, "hot D", "sweet bid", or "siiiick".
It's a good time. and i love it.

Free Food Revolution

So starting a new blog has turned out to be a flop, but try number two should be golden. I feel like the last month or so has absolutely flown by. I realized I haven't been home (in Madison) on a weekend for over a month. Crazy. But what have I been up to you may ask...well a lot of randomness: frisbee tournments in the cities/in Lousiana, ALPs (adventure learning programs--my new job) training weekend, chaperoning Snow Camp for Blackhawk Church's jr. high. In midst all the business one of my favorite things has been Sunday afternoons at 3:00 at the end of State Street. Free Food Revolution. It is amazing. A little background: a couple decided to start bringing food outside to feed the homeless, and creating a potluck atmosphere: whoever can bring food brings food to share and chills/eats/talks to everyone. It is sweet. A couple of stories. On one particular Sunday I think it was the coldest it had been all year. A roomates mom had given us handwarmers to bring as well as a big pot of warm soup. Though there were less people around (most were warming up in the library or capital), those who came were extremely thankful. The handwarmers were a hit. My roommate Katie was wearing a scarf I had made in the hopes of giving it to someone who needed it. A man, speaking mostly Spanish, asked her if there were any scarfs to give away. Though when she offered the one I had made which was around her neck he refused, he eventually took it after her attempt to explain it's purpose in Spanish. The same man was with a group of other Spanish speaking men, all coming after hearing we had gloves we were giving away. All the gloves had been taken, but after realizing how cold it was outside, especially to live out in it, Katie and I gave up our mittens. The thing I like best about Free Food Revolution is that it doesn't create a superior/inferior atmosphere but a community helping when it can. I love hearing the stories and histories of the people I've met. Stereotypes and ideas I've held, often unconsciously, are being broken down and replaced with real experiences and relationships. and I love it.