it's that time again, the time i get back into blogging. usually it is something that i'm very good at keeping up with, but after a whole summer of no internet, i got used to not being online as much, and therefore have not written in a while.
in this post, i'll give a general overview of what my summer was like and what i learned from the past four months. the following posts will be back to normal.
thoughts: [starting june] when i first heard back in january upon my return to the us from my study abroad that bing's employees (the cafe where i work) wasn't allowing students to work over the summer, i panicked. even thought i constantly work 20 or more hours a week, all of the money i make goes right into rent and bills, and i only end up saving about 100 dollars a month, which is barely anything. i immediately started applying for jobs, usually averaging about 3-5 job applications per day. if you do the math, i applied to hundreds of jobs over the course of six months, and i didn't hear back from anyone. the job search became my life, my dependence, and came even before classes. (how could i survive two summers in a row without work?) i even begged my boss to help me find hours somewhere else, but she told me that nothing else was available.
i was devastated. i applied and failed countless times. while this was extremely trying, i did manage to enjoy life. i got closer to many people at antioch (a guys christain house), and i became really involved with my church and made great friends and finally found a church family where i belong. after praying with them for a few weeks, i received news that i was going to be a video intern for osu and would earn 10/hour. it was so perfect! i stopped applying for jobs, because the position started in april and would end in september. it was amazing.
so i began working on my internship as a videographer for international student services at osu, and soon began to realize that while the opportunity was amazing, the group i worked for was so unorganized, unprofessional, and extremely undereducated in the subjects we worked on. but suddenly in late may, i found out that my living situation was drastically changing. i was the most scared i've even been and worked even harder than ever at bing's so after two months of that, i began the job search again. eventually, i applied at every single posting on craigslist, just hoping someone would hire me, even i was doing data entry. my dream job the entire time was to be a barista at some coffee shop, but i heard nothing from anybody.
during june, i did some work on my internship here and there, and worked about 20 hours a week on that. josh and i even made a small trip to idaho and enjoyed some time there helping and visiting with his family. i was able to spend a lot of time with friends, and even though i worked on video editing, i honestly felt the most relaxed i've ever felt. after a few weeks of just enjoying quality time with friends, going to portland, and enjoying the summer sunshine, i found out that i got a job offer at a coffee shop called the beanery! i was so excited! the only catch? the job was offered in albany, a 25 minute drive from corvallis. i happily and joyfully accepted.
i worked 5:30-10:30 everyday, meaning that i had to leave at 5 am and get up even earlier. i learned to deal with it, and eventually picked up tons of hours there and was able to make extremely high rent payment on my own the entire summer. the atmosphere of the beanery was way different than any job i was ever used to and at first it was a challenge, but soon it became way more than a job, but an opportunity to make people feel joy and to feel loved. i started to just love and help people, to go above and beyond the job requirements, and i honestly saw a lot of changed hearts and people that seemingly were never given chances, suddenly appreciated being allowed a chance. in addition to working at the beanery, i continued my internship and even picked up night shifts at the dining centers to make rent. i befriended people there that most other employees hated just because of differences. it was beautiful to see the chance i gave going a long way when those people thanked me for it later.
besides my many working hours, i was able to enjoy sports outside, bike rides, starry nights, hanging out with friends, and being 100% independent from home. overall the summer was a balance of work, hanging out, and personal growth. i learned what hard work really is, and i had to build my image at work from the bottom up. i learned financial struggle, and i learned that relying on god is the most amazing thing. he will provide for you. this summer really shaped and formed me in ways i never could have imagined. i experienced a lot and i'm truly greatful.
photos: here are a few highlights from summer (in reverse order for some reason)
josh and i at one of 6 summer weddings
dj and i reppin corvallis rec softball
my friend anika came to visit, and now she lives here!
after a long and fun bike ride, we hiked up bald hill
josh, me, katrina, and nathan at adam barrett's wedding
christy and i at a free christain concert!
jetboating on the willamette provided us with a front row seat for fireworks!
touring the rose garden in late june
my amazing graduate!
why i chose these photos: all of these photos represent the joy i had this summer and even though i was really busy and struggling financially, i managed to have a GREAT summer!
question: how was your summer?
inspiration: "no matter what you are going through, no matter how hard things are, look to find joy in everything and that joy will get you through.
