Catchin' Up!

O man, sorry it's been awhile since I've last posted. I haven't been busy exactly--just kinda a bum you could say:P Haha--and I've been loving every second of it. I'm sure you've all had those days where you have a million things you could be doing and you don't do any of them! Well, that's been me the past couple of days. However, I've been writing lots of poetry, drawing a lot, and reading the Bible (in Spanish!!!) I just found out a couple days ago that I'm going to be going on a mission trip to Mexico over Spring Break with St. Mary Church (at Miami)--AY, estoy TAN entusiasmada:) One of my goals for college has been to go on a mission trip and now it's coming true! I've realized, however, how necessary it is to just rest and relax--I really don't always have to be doing something all the time. I can just be:)

But, when I haven't been sitting around in my P.J.s, I've still been meeting with lots of people and getting to hang out with my mom a lot. My dad is on a fishing trip so we've had lots of Girl Time including long walks around the neighborhood, lots of movies, and midnight pizza:) My sis just got back a couple days ago and it's really great to have her home now. Hopefully we'll be able to hang out a lot! MY dad comes back tmrw, though and then the family will finally be back together!

Last night I got to spend the night at Rach's in Cincinnati because we're going to be camp counselors for her church camp next week and had to get things ready for all the fun! It was SOOOO great to see her and we ended up staying til 3am (w/o realizing it) talking (in spanish:)).

I know I'm jumping around a lot, but I keep remembering things! Last weekend, we had a SOUL reunion in West Chester, OH at Emily's house. Not all of the SOULs could make it, but it was so great to get a re-dose of SOULove form those who could be there:) We never cease to have fun--no matter where we are!
Oh, and this past week I got to see some of my friends from JOOI (Jr. Optimist Octagon International) in OH--Amanda, Peter, and Leslie. They are the first people who really encouraged me to start the Optimist Club at Miami!!! It was SOOOOO great to see them:)
I'll try to keep up better so I won't be so random next time!!!!!!!!!!

I'm Alive!

Now that I am almost halfway through the program and with midterms lurking around the corner, I would like to let you know that I am still very much alive despite my hectic schedule. All sorts of interesting activities and sightseeing tours are lined up for us during the week, throughout the weekends and on top of that, we have classes to attend, plus our very own big plans to travel around Europe and all. I think I am spoilt for choice and truth to be told, I find it a little difficult to balance them out! Well, the sad realistic part is: I can't have everything.

Just last night, we had a formal dinner - Harry Potter style... 

Everyone was dressed to the nines.

The adorable TAs came dressed up as characters from Harry Potter... amazing not? 

So, here's Harry.

I am going to be best friends with Harry, cause he's my favorite! ;)

Even the menu was adapted to suit the Harry Potter theme. Very amusing.

We had a feast. Food and wine was good. It was all fun and definitely a night to remember. It is during times like this, I'd try to remind myself that "THIS, IS NOT A CRUISE". 

On another note, I think I am gradually falling in love with this place... 

Home Sweet Home

Whew, so this Wed. will mark my 1st full week that I've spent at home the whole summer. It's been SO great; and while I didn't really have many plans going into it, my calendar is filling up fast!

This past weekend was really eventful. Friday afternoon my mom and I took Gina (little sis) to the airport bc she's spending the next 2 weeks in TX and Mexico with my Aunt Barb and Uncle Ajax (Barb is her godmother so she is SO spoiled:P lol).

Gina and I waiting at the Dayton airport

That night was great bc got to see many relatives. My mom and I went to Smokey Bones with my Uncle Jim, Aunt Vicki, cousins Adam and his wife Erin, and Stefan, my Grams, and my Uncle Rick who is visiting from TX. It was SOOO much fun and really awesome to catch up with everyone who I haven't seen in awhile. On Sat, my mom, dad, and I drove up to Coldwater, OH--where all my family is from (my parents are high school sweethearts and are some of the only ones in their families who moved away!)--to spend some more time with my
Grams and Uncle Rick. My Grandma Lillian (Dad's dad) ended up going to dinner with us, so it was a really nice visit. My dad and his brothers are also getting ready to go to Canada for their yearly fishing trip so he brought his boat up to my Uncle Len's house. It was so great to see my Aunt Lucy and cousins Brian, Michelle, and Nathan too. We also stopped in to see my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Terry too. This isn't even tho whole family either!!! Haha.

What I've really loved about being home is being able to catch up with friends from high school. It's so funny to see how some things never change despite lots of changes--if that makes any sense! I've been running into people at random places around Centerville, but on Sun. night, we had a planned SUPER reunion at Starbucks. Here are some pics of my lovely amigos:)......

Ben, Collin, Kevin, Me, Gayle, Steph, and Meagan:)
Las chicas
Los chicos
Steph and I:)

I've also been able to hang out with/baby-sit some of my neighbors who are absolutely AMAZING! I feel like their more like my siblings bc I love them so much. It's been really hard to be away from them while at MU, so this was a wonderful reunion. Today we created a hotel in the house and backyard, complete with restaurant and spa. I had a lovely meal of fish crackers and a capri sun and Amy (who is 8) painted my nails whil sean (who is 4) walked on people's backs ro give them back rubs. I was in heaven:) haha...

My girls:)
(Amy, Madi, Kaila, and Mary-Kate)
Me and Sean: Goofy face!
Me and Sean: Mad face
(this was ALL his idea--I swear!!)
The lovely Madi dressed up as the wealthy lady visiting the hotel:)

Oh man, life is good:)

Purple Mt. Majesties

Hello, Hello!
In my first week after SOUL, I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel or what I was gonna do with myself for that matter! Luckily, my family strategically planned a trip to the Smokey Mts. which proved to be exactly what I needed...

We left at 6am on Fri. and got to Pigeon Forge, TN around 11:30. My first reaction: i hated it. There were stores and restaurants and just gaudiness everywhere--not ANYTHING like the layed-back-no-worry mountain getaway I was imagining. Luckily, the cabin we stayed in wasn't in town...

This is what I mean;/

We stayed on Kero Mt. (pretty far up in the Smokies) in the Sunshine House--the same exact cabin my parents stayed in on their honeymoon 26 years ago. Yes. I know. I was creeped out too! haha. My parents though it was a great idea!:P It really was great, though. It's this little place on the mountain that has an incredible view off the porch...especially for sunsets:)

Feel the love!Still going strong after 26 years:)

There's a pond near it so Gina (my little sis) and I went row boating while my dad fished and my mom relaxed on the deck.
Mom, Gina, and I went and explored some trails around the place and--funny story!!!!!--ended up getting completely lost and the sun was setting and we ended up having to be driven back by this random family that just happened to be driving by on this isolated mountain road and just happened to be from Dayton too...talk about a God moment!!!!! Facebook message me/email me for the whole story!!

You would think we would've realized we were on the wrong trail when we had to climb thru stuff like this!Gina had the map tho and she was on a mission--let's just say it was a GREAT learning experience!

Each day we went to a knew part of the Smokies and found knew trails and even hiked to some waterfalls--ah:) Breathtaking. We saw deer (right on the trail!), wild turkeys, and even a couple of black bear cubs!

Abrham's Falls in Cades Cove (Smoky Mt. Nt'l Park)

We also visited this Indian reservation and I got to do some Indian dancing with them!

The guy behind me speaks Spanish and we talked to each other--it was SO cool!

One of the coolest things we did was go to Cherokee National Park in NC and i got to hike part of the Appalachian Trail!!!!!!!! Omg, it was SOOOOOOO amazing. I felt like such a mountain woman! lol.

On the trail--it was rough, but AWESOME!

We also visited many historic cabins, churches, and other structures through the mountains. I felt like I was Laura Ingles Wilder--right out of Little House on the Prairie!!!!!

It's a good thing i didn't live during these times--I wouldn't have fit!!! One down-fall of being tall:P

Being in nature and especially in the secluded mountains gave me a lot of time to think and reflect and pray...and really just be able to live in the moment. I felt like i was in constant conversation with God and He was guiding me and giving me so much peace.
I did a lot of drawing and wrote some poetry and even sang. It was so strange bc one night I was sitting by myself on the porch watching the sunset and I just started singing. I don't even know why--it was like it wasn't even my voice! The next night i went up to this swing that's on a high part of the mountain that overlooks this incredible valley and just swang and sang again. It was so great to just be still.

At first I thought it was kinda weird that my parents chose this place for their honeymoon, but after being there, I know why. It was so cool to see how happy they still are and how they show their love to each other, especially being back at this place. I guess I had never really noticed it so explicitly before. The mountains are so full of beauty and mystery...

(See my facebook page for MANY more pics!!!)

One Hell of a Hike! (or two?)

Heya! I am back from Edinburgh (Scotland round 2) and I am sore all over... BUT I am already excited to blog about my experience this past weekend!

One significant part of Scotland is the beauty of its nature and the highlands. A part which I did not get to savor when I visited my friends up North before the start of school. This time round, I took full advantage of it and went hiking twice in one weekend on top of touring the city centre of Edinburgh (the capital of Scotland). Now, my quadriceps are pretty much aching like none other. Yet, words can't describe the gratifying feeling for having accomplished those (almost) impossible missions.

If you think it was an easy breezy walk. You are most probably wrong. I mean, considering the fact that I am not a person who goes hiking on a regular basis, (I can't even recall the last time I went on a hike), both were definitely challenges for myself. 

Saturday, 10.01 am; The Trossachs

There was no obvious trekking path for the most part of the hike. We basically had to trudge through tall plants...

...and muddy paths to get to the top... 

At one point, we even had to scale up rocks on a steep slope...

The weather was not at its best. In fact, we were anticipating a downpour to make it even more of a challenge. Fortunate enough, that did not happen. Well, not exactly. It did drizzle a little on our way down but the two hour hike was definitely worth it all because the view from the top was spectacular! 

Oh, I should probably also mention that we went down the same way we got up... I don't really know how I got home in one piece but I actually did slip a couple of times. Scary, I know.

Sunday, 8.31pm; Arthur's Seat

Yet another hiking adventure. This was a much shorter one but a good amount of effort was needed too. I did not properly equip myself for the hike because we were told that it was only going to be a steep uphill walk... only to realize that I was wrong when we arrived at this.

Apparently, we took a more difficult alternative path by mistake. Having no choice, I had to scale up those rocks in shorts and boat shoes. Not a very clever decision but thank God I got through it. After hiking the Trossachs the day before however, we realized this was actually not as painful. Being on top of the world never felt better and that made up for everything.

View of the city of Edinburgh from the top was breathtaking while it lasted as rain clouds started to gather within minutes... Before long, we had to make our descent.

Both hikes required a good amount of focus and attention. Reflecting on the experiences, I have taken away a few learning points which are applicable to life in general. While facing challenges and obstacles, very so often you will find yourself having to face it alone. In this case specifically, no one was able to help each other throughout the entire hiking journey because everyone had to focus for their own safety. For this, I'd say the phrase "the survival of the fittest" describes it best - If you can't keep up, you are left behind. You are basically on your own. On another hand, following others, you also learn from the people in front of you. You take the steps they took and avoid the paths which caused them a nasty fall... On top of that, determination and willpower are essential to complete the entire journey successfully. Giving up was not quite a possible option. 

Along the way, I've asked myself: how many times in your life do you get to do challenging hikes like these with a group of people as energetic as you are? My answer is: probably only once. I could never have imagined myself performing feats like these. This was indeed an eye opening experience for myself. In all honesty, I am very proud that I made it to the peak! Twice.

Taste of Chicago & the Counting Crows

"Mr. Jones and me," went to the Taste of Chicago... Ok, that was a little cheesy...





So, if any of your from the Chicago area, then you can probably recognize the two pictures above... the Taste! The Taste of Chicago is a large food festival that happens every summer in Grant Park in downtown Chicago. With around 50 vendors present, an estimated 100,000 head to the taste each day for the 10-day festival. The food ranges from African-inspired dishes to empanadas to deep dish pizza.

Despite a few weeks of cold weather, Chicago has finally warmed up. This made this weekend the perfect opportunity to head to Grant Park. Even though the Taste was packed with people, we still managed to weave through the traffic and find food that hit the spot. My first taste portion was rollof Rice and goat from a Nigerian restaurant. The second--and by far my favorite--was the jibarito. Originally from Puerto Rico, a jibarito is a sandwich made with fried plantains (instead of bread) steak, lettuce, tomatoes, and a garlic sauce/mayonnaise. Just look below to see what this sandwich looks like...





What goes nicely with food? I cannot think of anything better than a free concert by one of my favorite bands... the Counting Crows. After eating our fill at the Taste, we walked about 5 minutes across the park to the band shell, where the Crows and Augustana took the stage. Spending a good deal of my time listening to the Crows, I cannot tell you how enjoyable it was to see them in such a great setting. There is nothing like a free concert in the middle of the city, a stone's throw from the lake and from Michigan Avenue. Chicago really has so much to offer.

What a drastic change the last few months have made on the makeup of the city. Just 3 months ago, I was in Chicago interview for internships this summer... the streets were barren and windswept. Now the city feels alive. There are multiple festivals every weekend, free concerts in the Grant/Millennium Park, and farmers' markets around every street corner. Chicago is such a great place in the summer, the city seems to truly thrive on the heat.




Thanks for reading.... I gotta run. I live about 2 block from the beach (its still a beach, even if its on a lake, right?) and the sun is calling my name. Hope this summer is treating you all well. Happy 4th!

Love & Honor,

Matt Hoffman

Another Transition

Hey all,
I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've written. I've been in reflective mode lately since MU summer orientation is now officially over (as of Mon.) and thus, I am home in Centerville once again. Home is great, but wow, there's just something oddly comforting about working (if you can call it work:) lol) with 19 people 7am-midnight--and still being with those same people when not working--and eating the same dining hall food eveyday (no exaggeration) and bragging about AMAZING small group sessions with 1st Years and making random runs to Bagel and Deli at odd hours of the morning and dancing--ALL the time--and crying and praying and getting an ab workout just from laughing so much and realizing that these 19 people have had a life-changing impact you and that you will never look at the world or yourself the same again.

I don't know if anyone can truly understand the impact of what SOUL can have on a life unless you experience it. But if this description can at all give you the slightest hint, then you can understand what I mean. I mean, I just want to break out in tears (and I do!) throughout the day because I am just so touched and honored by how God has blessed me with this experience. Sure I had goals going into this and certain ways I wanted to do things, but holy guacamole, were those ever exceeded!

I especially want to make a shout-out to all you 1st Years bc YOU are the reason for me being a SOUL in the 1st place. You have inspired me and touched me in ways you will probably never know and I just want you to know that you all hold a special place in my heart. I'm not exaggerating this or trying to be sappy either. I"m telling the truth. Please forgive me in advance if I don't remember your name (there are over 3000 of you!) bc that doesn't mean I don't remember YOU:) Ah, I could go on and on but I know y'all don't want to read a novel.

I'm still in the process of unpacking, and simultaneously, packing again bc tmrw, bright and early, my family is heading to the Smokey Mts. This means no phone or computer for awhile--woot!! I just want to leave you with a poem that I think sums up the way I'm feeling right now. This is written by the lovely Brian J. Hill, my fellow SOUL and incredible friend.
I dedicate this post to my SOULs....

(the formatting is a little funky bc it's a blog, but youget the idea)
Sometimes
I raise my hands to the sapphire sky
and try and pull it down
To hold the beauty close
to hold the sky in my arms like a bird in flight
sometimes
Like a bird
You send my heart into a love affair with the sky
Sometimes
When I'm with you
I feel like I can fly
And I wish time would die so I could stay with you forever
Sometimes
My fingers clutch my heart to hold it down
To keep my hope at bay
but when I'm with you
I can dare to dream
I can dare to soar
Sometimes
I realize that loving you is like streaming through the air
Even though I don't have wings
It is exhilarating
Joyous and frightening
I believe humans are capable of sustained unassisted flight
Sure our thoughts can fly
Our dreams can fly
Our feet can fly as we swiftly race towards the unknown
But sometimes
We can fly
As simple loving souls
beautiful and free

The Blur of Summer

Summer, has been a fantastic and furious experience over the last month. I can hardly believe it's already July. My month of June was consumed by orientation, working with other Student Orientation Undergraduate Leaders (SOULs) to introduce the class of 2013 to Miami campus and to get them excited about coming to the University. Such a good time.

I have to say this past month was superb. The people I worked with this summer were some of the most dynamic and wonderful people I've had the privilege of being so closely associated. The bonds formed were just one the many benefits of the summer.

I won't dwell to long on each point but to summarize, it was a great leadership experience. A healthy increase in confidence, perception and forethought are among the assets I have consciously noted gaining over the course of the SOUL experience. I feel that it was just a really great growing experience overall.

Grow, grow, growing.
Like a weed.

I hit the ground running this summer and I've just gotten my feet under me, SOUL set the pace and all, but there's still so much to do, there's still August orientation to go but even before that I'm going to be heading out to North Carolina for a family reunion as well as making the attempt to meet up with friends in Maryland all before dinner time/before school starts...Well, we shall see.

Onward and upward.

July 2, 2008 - Fireworks are beautiful when you have great company!

Nope. No fireworks here... but note the date -  I was at Navy Pier this time last year. It was my first time visiting Chicago right when my job as a SOUL ended and 2 amazing friends had brought me around that night. We watched some fireworks, ate strawberry gelato and strolled down the pier... I vividly remember it was kind of a far walk from one end to the other and the weather wasn't too great. Yet, the cold, strong wind was nothing compared to the warmth in our hearts after one month of SOULing. We talked, we laughed and we reminisced our times as SOULs in the past month as we walked side by side...  THAT, was 2008.

...who knew I'd be sitting here in a little town of another continent, blogging about this today, a year after? My point is: in retrospect, it amazes me how much things can change drastically within a year and how much a person can grow and learn from all the experiences (be it good or bad) he or she gathered in one year's time. 

Pardon me for being sentimental, I'm feeling a little nostalgic today - I miss home. I miss my family. I miss my friends. and I miss the SOULs from last summer.

Don't get me wrong... its not that I am not enjoying myself here but the feeling is just different. You are in a new environment, you make new friends... however, you feel the attachment to the familiar faces you know and somehow wish they were here with you on this adventure... Yes, that's how I feel right now.

Well, on the brighter side, it is the end of our first week today! Classes were great, professors are brilliant! I am taking away so much from my classes and I love them all even though there are piles of readings that I have to catch up on... But, guess what? I met 3 other people from Miami! And...and... did I mention I live just right across the street from the house where Charles Darwin had lived? How exciting is that?!! 

By the way, here are some pictures as promised. This is King's College, where classes are held. Do enjoy and have a great weekend!!