Another Flashback

Wow. Two blog posts in one month. I am on a role. But, seriously...being a nursing student, keeping up with schoolwork, putting in community service hours [which we're required to do to graduate], and working is hard! Nursing students don't get enough credit..just sayin'. But, anyways, it's test day, and I typically don't do much the night of a test. Why, you ask? Because I just spent almost a whole week studying my butt off for the test I took earlier today. And I'm brain dead. And I need something fun. So, catching up on blogging it is! And movies. I'm also watching Cinderella. Probably my absolute most favorite thing to come out on dvd lately. I can't help it. I'm a sucker for fairy tales. 

Anyways, on to the real reason for writing today: another flashback to Spain. I only have a few journal entries left, but I still want to share!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - Leganes, Madrid

Spending time in God's Word

 Today we arrived at our location at 0930. A few of us were able to sit in on an intermediate/beginner Spanish class. It was great to get to learn that way! At around 1130, one of the men shared his testimony. It was amazing to hear how God was working in his life, even when he didn't know! Being here has really opened my eyes to the north African and Moroccan religion. I never thought I would have been so drawn to it, but I really am! These people have captured my heart, and I want to pray for them as much as I can! Especially S, as he goes back to Morocco and witnesses to his family.

Eating lunch in the sun

At 1430, we ate Dominoes pizza. We also worked on our lesson for the day. My group had a four-year-old class at 1730. They were brilliant! Most of them knew English words for colors and numbers, and we also played duck-duck-goose for 30-45 minutes! Between classes, we started organizing all craft supplies and teaching materials. At 1930, the youth came. The 2 teenage girls from Monday (H & I) that came yesterday brought five other girls! We had a lot of fun, playing ninja and around-the-world with them. My heart is already so full of love for them! I pray that we can be great influences, and that others will come along and witness. I want for them so badly to know Christ!

Adventures with the team

Well, that's enough for today. I still think my heart goes out to those children we taught and spent time with. I don't think God is calling me to Spain, but he definitely brought me there for a reason. To open my eyes. And show me others to pray for.

Now, to go enjoy the rest of the fairy tale on the tv.

XOXO, Nichole

Flashback to Spain

I'm sitting here at my kitchen table with a delicious cup of raspberry chocolate truffle coffee. Trying to pretend that it feels like fall outside, since it is, in fact, September. Which is kinda fall...although not technically. Anyways, I should be focusing on the task in front of me, which is to tackle my first patient profile/care plan/pathophysiology paper that is due tomorrow at midnight 11:59 PM. Instead, I keep thinking about the fact that I kept telling myself I would write about my trip to Spain. And only got one post done. So, here I am...procrastinating, and writing about that amazing trip. It shouldn't take too long, right?

Monday, March 9, 2015 - Leganes-Madrid, Spain 

It has been completely different than I thought. And yet, somehow, it's exactly how I thought it would be. We aren't technically in the city of Madrid, which I thought we would be. We're more on the outskirts of the city, like suburbs. Yesterday, we got to go into the city, which I absolutely loved!

Cimber, one of the leaders, going to church

Let's face it, I am a city girl. Some of my all time favorite places are cities. So, yeah, I love Madrid. We walked around for hours, took pictures, ate traditional Moroccan food and gelato.

Moroccan food

Gelato

 And let's not forget about the delicious Starbucks! Seriously, I think I may be addicted to cappuccinos now...

Starbucks in Spain

 It was an amazing day. But, the real magic happened today.

We started today by meeting at 9:30 AM to head to the mission building. Once there, we did some debriefing, had some coffee (my fav!), and prayed. One thing I have learned is that prayer is SO very important in missions! 

At around 11:00, Eva had some ladies come for aerobics. I think it is absolutely amazing how she can witness and build relationships through exercise! At 12:30, the team had our second Arabic lesson. We learned colors, objects, fruits & veggies, and some phrases [fast forward to September, and I don't remember anything..]. I honestly wasn't that interested in learning at first, but I actually really liked it! 

We ate lunch around 2 and started preparing for the night. At 5:15, my group (Deya, Collin, and myself) started teaching six 4th graders. It was great! We definitely had challenges, but I can't wait to see them again! If anything, God has just added six new names to my prayer list! These children need Jesus! 

At 8:15, it was time for the youth. We weren't sure if anyone would come, but two girls showed up. Deya, Emily, Kristen, Rachel, and I spent an hour spending time with them, playing games, and teaching them English. They were the sweetest girls ever!

I am so excited to see them for the next four nights! I especially am praying for them. At one point, they asked about America, culture, and religious freedom. They were amazed that all of us (five girls) had a choice in life and beliefs! It breaks my heart how much I take for granted! I feel like God has put them in my life (however brief that may be) for a reason. I will be praying for them constantly. I already feel like they have a little piece of my heart. 

I am so excited to see what God has for me and the rest of the team!

11:30, pizza for dinner. Yummy.

Well, I guess that's that. I finished one more entry about Spain. Now, time to start procrastinating, and time to start tackling that paper due tomorrow. At least there's coffee...

XOXO, Nichole

Saturday, March 7, 2015

After snow, ice, delays, a very long flight, and missing our second flight, we finally made it to Spain! Boy, what an adventure already! Thursday afternoon, we headed to the airport. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:50 pm, but we had to check out of the hotel in the afternoon, so we spent some time at the airport. We made it pretty quickly through security...they didn't even make us take off our shoes, which was nice! After sitting at our gate for a few hours, they announced that we would be boarding about 45 minutes late. That's ok..we could still totally make our next flight! It was snowing outside, but other flights were still taking off..

We finally boarded our plane. I was all the way in the back. I had never been on a plane so huge..it was pretty cool. At least, at first it was cool...About 2 hours later, we were still sitting on the tarmac. Not so cool anymore. We finally took off, and I was so happy to be in the air. I barely slept at all on the flight..airplanes are not easy to sleep on. Plus, it was SO turbulent! 

We finally landed in France at around 10 am Europe time. We got on another flight to Spain pretty easily, which was totally a God thing. Then we went through customs and had a couple of hours to chill. I drank my first European cappuccino, which was heavenly. 

I also ate some kind of croissant with chocolate in the middle..also amazing. Then we went in search of some French macarons. 

Can I describe them as heavenly, too? Because they totally were.

We finally boarded our plane for SPAIN! As we were flying away, I saw the Eiffel Tower from the window. Of course it looked super tiny..but maybe one day I will see it for real.

We landed in Spain completely exhausted. You know that thing, jet lag? Yeah, totally real. Thank goodness we were in Europe, which, I discovered, has some pretty amazing coffee.

After meeting up with our host, we headed to the organization we would be working with for the next week. We took a tour of the building, had some dinner, and headed to our hotel for some MUCH needed sleep. Oh, did I mention that we took the metro? Yeah, every bit as confusing as you think..

This morning, we got to sleep in a little and woke up to gorgeous sunshine. After some delicious breakfast,we took the bus (all by ourselves) to meet Dan and Eva. We got to see a little bit more of the building, and did some work and preparation for the coming week.

For lunch, we ate at this little bar/cafe down the street. We had salad, bread, and paella (top left corner in photo). Paella is basically this delicious conglomeration of rice and seafood. Emphasis on delicious! Seriously. For dinner, we got to experience some flamenco music and tons of traditional foods, such as: Spanish tortilla, chorizo, and pig ears. Yeah, pig ears. Kinda like chewy bacon.

It was a wonderful and exhausting day. (Have I mentioned that dinner is at 9:30 pm usually?) Tomorrow we will be heading to church in the city of Madrid. We also get to experience some Moroccan culture! Can't wait for that!

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Sheraton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

Here I sit, in a super nice hotel room, drinking coffee and reading my Bible. Of course my mind is wandering...we leave for the airport at 1. Our flight to France leaves at 6:50 pm. And we'll be in Spain by 9 am tomorrow! Although, when I say 9 am, I mean Europe time...which is actually 3 am here in America. So that should be interesting. I like my sleep, so not sure how tomorrow is going to go! 

Coffee. Lots of coffee. Which I am totally ok with. :)

So, Spain, huh? I can't believe it's finally here! I am probably equal parts excited and nervous. I love traveling, and for some reason have always had a love for Spain! It's always been a dream to go there, and the fact that it's for missions just makes it so much better! Did I see myself working with Muslims? Certainly not. But I guess just because God gave me a passion for Spain doesn't mean I have to work with Spaniards. Let's face it, God has a crazy way of planning things out.

With all of the anticipation for this trip, I've been thinking more and more about my relationship with God. Lately, this thing with ISIS has been really getting to me. But, ISIS isn't the only thing persecuting Christians. Christians are persecuted everywhere! It even happens in America (although it's more verbal than anything else). And it makes me think: if I was being persecuted, would I be able to still stand by my Savior's side?

It's a scary thought...one I prefer not to think about. But it is pretty thought provoking. I've spent my whole life in a good Christian environment. Never has anyone held a gun to my head and asked me if I believed in God. Never have I been tortured so much that you can barely recognize me [To be honest, I don't even go up to random people and talk to them about god. And I should. Really. I live in America. I have the freedom] And you know what? I should be experiencing that! Do I want to? No. Do I think I could get through it? No. But, God made the ultimate sacrifice for me. He died. For me. So I should be willing to go through anything for him!

Anyways, just a thought. But, in light of that, please keep my team in prayer. We should be safe, but we are in a different country...

XOXO, Nichole

Spain On My Mind

I've been back from Spring Break for 2 days, and I am definitely having withdraws. Now, it was no ordinary Spring Break, and here's why: I went to Spain to serve the Lord. And what I experienced there was more amazing than anything I could have experienced at the beach.

In the next few posts, I plan on going day by day and writing about everything in detail. Unfortunately, I don't have the time for that now. Nope..as soon as we got off the plane in DC, it was back to reality. Back to school and classes and tests, quizzes, and projects. I also seem to have acquired some kind of cold or sinus infection, which makes jet lag even less fun. And I should be studying for my Spanish class right now, but instead I'm getting distracted on my computer...

I can't wait to share everything with you guys! God truly worked in my life in an amazing way. My eyes were opened to a different religion, one I never would have given a second thought about before. I built relationships with people that I never knew existed. I learned to love the teenage girls in Leganes, and they will forever be in my heart. I learned how to have a stronger prayer life. I discovered friendships that I hope to keep forever, and got to know people on my team like I wouldn't have thought possible. We became a family. And it was amazing.

But, sadly, that's all I can share for now. Keep a lookout, though, because I hope to start posting each day soon! And I can't wait for you to experience my trip with me through words and pictures.

XOXO, Nichole

Dear Disgruntled Guest...

Hey there. Long time no see. I figured with Christmas Break I would have unlimited amounts of time to blog. Well, sadly, that was not the case. Almost every night has been busy, I have 1, 000, 001 things to do, and I've been working. Yep. Funny, I'm not even working full-time right now, but every day STILL tires me out. Which brings me to the topic of my writing today: my job.

Yes, I may or may not be venting. But, here me out. It's worth reading. 

I work at a fast food, or "quick service", restaurant. I am not going to reveal the name of it, but those of you who know me know what restaurant it is. I love my job. Really. I love the people I work with. I love the regular customers who come in. I love the business. But there are definitely some things I do NOT love. Let me elaborate.

I work in the drive-thru for my job. This includes places such as headset, window, bagging the food. There is actually a lot more involved in getting your food out to you than you think! We are hard working and don't get paid all that much. Those of us who work during the day are full-time. Some of us get to work as early as 4:30 AM if there is breakfast involved. That's early. Seriously. You try waking up at 3:00 AM five days a week. Not easy. But, I am not writing this so you can commiserate with me. Nope, not at all. I'm writing this so you can possibly show us a little more respect. Like I said, we work long hours, some of us have families to provide for our school bills to pay..and we don't get paid that much. So, here goes...

Let's start with the wait. So many customers take it upon themselves to complain about the very few times they have to wait in line. Yes, I realize drive-thru is supposed to be fast. I do. And yes, it is our job to get your food out to you fast. But, at the same time, I cannot make people coming through the drive-thru get their money out in 0.5 seconds, take the bag from me, and leave in less than a minute. Now, don't get me wrong, that would definitely be ideal! But, trust me, it won't happen. Which brings me to the next topic.

Please, please, PLEASE, if you are going through the drive-thru, have your money ready! Please don't drive up to the window and look shocked when I tell you your total and hold out my hand for the money. Please don't make a joke about having to pay. It's great that you're nice, and I would much rather have you joke with me than yell at me. But please have your money ready! And having two handfuls of change in your hand and asking me if the total was in fact $12. 82 and counting out the change in pennies is not ready. Not even a little bit. So please, have your money ready. And by ready, I don't mean that you have to get out of your car, open your trunk, and grab your card. Yes, cards are fast. But, no, getting out of your car to get your wallet is not fast.

Let's talk about sauce, shall we? So, at this restaurant I work at, we have a sauce limit. Because, in case you didn't know, sauce costs money. But, we hand out sauce for free. But, there is a limit of sauce per item or meal. This limit is drilled into us by management when we start working. Going over the limit is counted as waste. If we waste sauce, the chances of getting a raise are slim. Some of us work hard to get a raise. So, please, respect us when we deny you of the THREE extra sauces you request, because I could get in trouble. While I won't get fired over handing out too many sauces (at least..I don't think I will) I won't be getting a raise either. And, like I've already said, I work hard. I have things to pay for, college to finish. And when you tell me "I NEED at least 2 more sauces. I don't care if you have to take it out of your paycheck, you are going to give me more sauce." I am most definitely NOT going to give it to you. Because, #1. HOW RUDE. and #2. I am not entitled to give you sauce over the limit. I am a human being, and I should not have to tolerate being nice to you after you say things like that to me. 

Ok, last one, and I think I may be done. When I hand you your food, please do not question that I have given you everything. How about a little trust? Yes, I know sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we are working at such a fast pace trying to get your food to you in less than a minute that we miss big orders. Sometimes the people on headset accidentally switch a car and don't inform us and we hand out the wrong food. SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN. We are only human, after all. But, please respect us enough not to question our abilities. As I've said before, I am a college student. I have done 2 years of nursing school (I am changing my major, but that doesn't really change anything..) This past semester, I got an A in my chemistry class. AN A!! I studied my butt off. I am smart. I got a 3.77 GPA this semester. Next semester I am trying to get a 4.0. I do not plan on working in fast food for the rest of my life. I have future plans, goals. So, PLEASE, do not talk to me like I am stupid and don't know anything. I am quite capable of accomplishing anything in the fast food business. I am only working so I can have money to pay for school. And, you treating me like some stupid person does not make me want to be nice to you. Sure, I will be nice to you and smile. It's my job. But please don't talk down to me. I deserve better. For all you know, I could have spit in your food.. (of course I didn't, and I never would. EW. But it could happen. Just sayin')

Well, I believe that is enough venting for today. I hope I didn't offend anyone, but I just had to do this. After all, it's time to get these things out in the open and start fresh, right? Because, tomorrow is the first day of 2015. Gotta start it off right! :)

To all of you fast food employees, I love you. Keep working hard at what you do. And those of you who really are slackers, shape up! Work hard so you deserve praise. Make someone else's day better. You can do it.

Happy New Year, guys!!

XOXO, Nichole

Home Sweet Home

     Well, here I am again. I am sorry I have been such a terrible blogger. I promise I will get better. This semester has been a crazy busy, nightmare-ish, wild roller coaster, but good news! It's almost over! Only 2 more CHEM 107 classes, 2 more PSYC 101 classes, and 1 more CSPA 101 class. Plus, 3 tests (1 for each class) and a few homework assignments. Oh, and a video for Spanish. I'm actually pretty excited about that, because I am basically going to walk around my house speaking Spanish, spouting off random information and shoving the camera into various family member's faces. Should be great.

     But, for now, I am just going to sit at the kitchen table with my 3 cup of coffee and enjoy not thinking about school. Like I said before, it's been a crazy semester. Which I'm sure you can figure from my lack of posts. It's so sad, but I have a goal to post more this Thanksgiving & Christmas break. I am actually pretty excited for this week. Aside from being home and not having to go to class, my sister and I plan on working on a few DIY projects. I decided it would be so much easier to make presents this year than buy presents! Not that I don't care enough to BUY people stuff..but let's face it, it's more fun to make presents! Plus, I'm the kinda person that doesn't want to leave anyone out, and that gets kind of expensive. I can't wait to post about the DIY adventures that will be happening! 

    How's school, you may ask? Well, it's not too bad. Spanish continues to be my favorite, and that had a major role in my decision about next semester. Yes, you read that right. I have kinda made a decision about the future. I say kinda because I'm still not sure. And I honestly don't want to talk to people about it. Because, what happens if it changes? I don't know...But, as for my current classes, they are going very well. I actually don't think I've ever done this well in school and NOT been super stressed. I mean, I have my moments. But, not gonna lie, for the most part I have been pretty calm. Weird. 

More exciting news!! Last week I posted an ad asking for someone to design some business cards for Elizabeth Maree Cupcakes. I got a TON of responses. It was so hard to choose someone, but I did, and she created the cutest business cards! She also put the logo in digital form, which I needed since my best friend from high school drew the original logo with colored pencils. Anyways, here it is!! And I can't wait until my business cards come in! Business is also picking up, so that's exciting.

NEW LOGO

Other random updates: 

One of my best friends from high school got married! Over a month ago now. It is so weird having a friend who's married! I don't feel old enough..EVERYONE IS GROWING UP AND I'M NOT SURE I LIKE IT! LOL Anyways, it was a beautiful wedding! And I can't wait to go and visit her soon!

 

I turned 22. It's weird thinking that's how old I am now. It was a great birthday, but definitely bittersweet since it was my first birthday away from my BFF in 4 years. Yeah, 4. But she managed to make it amazing, even all the way from Chicago. And my family and friends helped too. So, all in all, a successful 22nd birthday. 

My little bro came to visit me! That was a fun weekend. I can't wait for him to come to school here next year if that's what he decides! 

We ate too much food, walked around campus, he came to class with me..we went to a football game AND my first hockey game! Which I must say was super fun and I pretty much love watching that sport now. So cool! We also saw For King & Country and Britt Nicole in concert. 

Last weekend I drove to Blacksburg to visit my cousin. It was so cool to see Virginia Tech. The last time I saw the campus was over 10 years ago. Both of my parents went there, and my mom graduated from the vet school. It certainly has grown since then..but it was cool to think about the fact that they were there so many years ago! Yeah..I get sentimental like that. Anyways, we had fun going hiking and working on homework. Typical smarty-pants college students, right? 

     So, there's an update on my oh-so-exciting life. It will get more exciting this week, I promise. For now, I am going to go and help my "big sis" cook for our church dinner tomorrow night. It's our first one! So exciting! (Did I ever write about CityLight? I don't remember...I shall have to do that sometime) Lots to do!

    Happy Saturday everyone!

XOXO, Nichole