jordan

The dinner party

 

IMG_3078 IMG_3128 IMG_3131 IMG_3137 IMG_3138 2 IMG_3144 2 IMG_3149 IMG_3154 2 IMG_3171On Sunday night the NAFD crew gathered to celebrate the end of another semester and another season of our lives.

Some of us are staying here, some traveling to other countries, others are moving across the country, and another is biking across the country. Out of our darling group, we have a wide variety of different passions and loves and it is always exciting to see.

I love these ones more than most anything on earth.

“If I knew that today would be the last time I’d see you, I would hug you tight and pray the Lord be the keeper of your soul. If I knew that this would be the last time you pass through this door, I’d embrace you, kiss you, and call you back for one more. If I knew that this would be the last time I would hear your voice, I’d take hold of each word to be able to hear it over and over again. If I knew this is the last time I see you, I’d tell you I love you, and would not just assume foolishly you know it already.”- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

*Some photos by the ever lovely and talented Ora*

Race day | Wilmington, NC

raceday4raceday5 raceday2 raceday3I recently got around to developing an old roll of film.

This is some of what I found –> late summer trip to Wilmington and images of a marathon.

It is amazing how our brains choose to remember only bits and pieces of days months ago. I forgot all about how green the grass was there, how J looked an awful lot like Lincoln then, and how I broke my shoes that night while running to get watermelon.

I’m increasingly anxious and excited for this summer, for warmer days, and finding the balance between making and not making plans.

What life looks like these days

PicMonkey Collage11 2014-01-12 13.08.58 PicMonkey Collage12Transitions between cool and cold days | Blue is the only color I can see this January | Jordan Lake is lovely | Friends from far away places and places not too far | Nights are good | Work from the bed | Sometimes I wear hats | Hurt foot | CH // Carrboro life

More –> here.

On slicing onions at a silent retreat and other life updates

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The past week has been one incredible blur.

Last weekend was lovely and I cannot think of anything better to do after exams. J and I went to Hot Springs (outside of Asheville) to the Southern Dharma Center for three days. We spent the entirety of the weekend in silence, living in one beautiful and intentional community and participating in working meditations, seated meditations, and even a little yoga. I learned a lot through the experience and found the whole thing to be more rewarding than challenging in the end.

One funny moment of the weekend was during my kitchen working meditation for three hours. I was assigned various tasks, mostly chopping vegetables and fruit. And I quickly learned that in the past when I cut an onion, I make it clear to the world what I am doing. I found it all so frustrating, tears streaming down my face, eyes stinging in pain and not being able to share that with my fellow workers. In the process I managed so cut myself and found myself once again wanting to resort to words and wanting to share my pain with others. I didn’t and through the painful, now funny experience, I learned that communication extends far beyond my simple words.

After our retreat ended and our hike through the snow, J and I went to the hot springs and then drove home.

On the drive home, I turned my phone back on and learned that my favorite person in the world, Gran had had a stroke. She is and always will be my hero and it all came so suddenly. My week since I learned the news has seemed hazy, difficult, and confusing. She is in our thoughts and prayers constantly and I look forward to spending time with her someday soon. She’s a truly remarkable, fiesty and fun individual and not being with her in all this has been torture.

I’m back in Davidson, back home and in light of everything, I look forward to being with family and enjoying these next few weeks.