Top 10's

Due to it being a Saturday and spending it at Medici studying for a test in Spanish linguistics, I am allowing myself to deviate a bit and dabble in something I routinely do: Top 10 lists. They are awesome. And you can do them for pretty much anything. Top 10 favorite cities: done. Top 10 favorite parks: done. Top 10 favorite bran muffins: done. See what I mean?

I'm not trying to act like someone hasn't discovered the power and creativity behind Top 10 lists. I am well aware of their prevalence. However, everyone brings their own bias and experience, which makes it not only subjective, but unique. And intriguing. So, here we go. Rachel's Top 10 "Things you should probably do in Austin" list. Living in this wonderful city for 12 years, these are some of the activities I have found to be fulfilling and well worth your time and/or money.

Rachel's Top 10 "Things you should probably do in Austin":

1. Walk/Run/Bike Town Lake on a nice day. By yourself, with a friend, with your dog...just do it.
2. See a show at Stubb's. Outdoor or indoor, they provide an intimate setting no matter who's playing.
3. Peruse South Congress, stopping at Jo's for some coffee and dining at South Congress Cafe, Enoteca Vespaio or Home Slice Pizza, depending on the occasion. Can't really go wrong.
4. Get a latte or mocha at Caffe Medici on West Lynn (where I currently am as I write this...) They are wonderful and addicting. This area is referred to as Clarksville and is quite charming.
5. Go to a movie at Alamo Drafthouse, preferably the one on South Lamar.
6. Check out the Farmer's Market every Saturday, located in the heart of downtown Austin. You can't get more local than this.
7. Spend a morning on Burnet Road. First have coffee at Pacha, a wonderful South American-inspired coffee shop with great coffee and friendly baristas. Next, make your way over to Upper Crust Bakery and grab one of their renown cinnamon rolls. Trust me, they are pure flakey goodness.
8. Enjoy some Tex-Mex at Hula Hut, which is on Lake Austin, or at the Chuy's on Barton Springs. The waits can get intense on the weekends, but it's worth it. The chips and queso do not disappoint.
9. Take a friend or significant other to the 360 bridge (apparently its official name is Pennybacker Bridge). It's a small hike but the view is amazing.
10. Attend a Texas football game. There's nothing like it. Afterwards, walk through campus and take a picture by the UT Tower, which will be lit orange, signifying yet another Longhorn victory.

Yours for Hooking 'em and Keeping Austin Weird,
Rachel

p.s. Stay tuned for the next Top 10...coming your way the next time procrastination takes over.

Countdowns.

Rufus Wainwright concert- 7 days
Denver for Thanksgiving- 17 days
Micalla comes to Austin- 34 days
New York Christmas trip- 38 days
Christmas in Houston- 46 days
Winter Conference in Ft. Worth- 53 days
Mexico City to visit Michelle- 58 days

Woo hoo!

That's all for now. Promise to be better about updating!

xoxo
RD

So I haven't blogged in forever. And I suddenly just realized this and am going to attempt to start right where I left off. So here we go!

Today is September 21st, 2009. I am currently sitting on my lovely bed at the Tridelt house overlooking the sun porch and big trees. Anne Blalock is my lovely roommate. Oh, and I had a lovely semester in New York City. But there's another blog for that. I think that's enough catching up for now....

Last night as I was attempting to begin studying for my first Criminology test on Thursday, I realized how many exciting things this fall holds. So, naturally, I decided this warranted a countdown list...because we all know how much Rachel loves countdowns.

The semester has been off to a great start. Beginning with a last encounter with work week/rush (PTL!), two thrilling football games (2-0..Hook 'em!), and a weekend trip to Virginia/North Carolina to visit project friends, it's been good. I can feel the Lord teaching me unique things in this season of life. I will expound more on this later.

As for the rest of this semester, here are some exciting things which warrant countdowns:

OU weekend in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry- 25 days

San Francisco weekend with Anne- 39 days

Rufus Wainwright concert- 56 days

Denver for Thanksgiving- 66 days

Micalla comes to visit- 81 days

New York for Christmas break- 87 days

We will also begin the graduation/ Anne's wedding countdown....but not yet. I think 100 days or less is a good rule.

These next two weekends are also going to be pretty eventful. This Thursday we have our Tridelt/Kappa ranch party and then Friday me and my bffl's will be taking a trip to "Greer Pastures", the family farm in La Grange. This weekend is the antique festival, which only happens 2 weekends out of the year, and after talking about taking a girls trip to the farm for the past 3 years, it is finally happening. Should be a good time. The following weekend is my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary and therefore all the Greer's will be congregating in Houston for the weekend to celebrate. The woman I lived with in New York will also be having an art show in Houston on Thursday and so my mom and I will be going a day early to be there for it. However, the plot thickens. Rachel called me a few days ago asking if I would drive up on Tuesday to be on a panel discussion with a few other women to discuss the major theme of her pieces: the power and burden of beauty. So, I will also be driving up on Tuesday and driving back for class on Wednesday...only to return Thursday. I am excited to be able to participate in her panel discussion, as I was able to see the process and development of this theme in her work throughout last semester and discussed it with her often. Her show in New York will be the first weekend in November and she already said she would fly me up if I wouldn't mind being a part of the panel discussion there as well (wouldn't mind? please.) However, I have not yet committed as I am still waiting to make sure I will not have any exams that week. Ugh. School, please stop cramping my style. k thanks.

Yesterday I listened to a Tim Keller sermon called "Waiting and living by faith". I was there when he gave it in the spring and had been wanting to re-listen to it in light of trusting God with the future/next year/every day of my life....It was a powerful reminder of what it really looks like to "wait on the Lord", a phrase thrown around way too often in Christian circles without a correct understanding/interpretation of what this actually means. Something he said that struck me was our need to lay down the burden of "assumed omnipotence". I struggle with doing this for fear that a loss of control will leave me high and dry and off course. I am learning that this reflects an incorrect view of God and what is true about Him and His character. He will not leave me high and dry. I am learning that "waiting on the Lord" is not a passive thing, but requires me to trust Him each step of the way, accepting my inability and discovering that complete dependency upon Him is actually the safest place to be. It is a process...like everything else...and that is ok.

Off to Ballet....the only class I have Monday/Wednesday. Senior year isn't too shabby after all.

Tomorrow!

Yes, in less than 24 hrs. I will be in New York City!

It is seriously insane how fast time flies.

I just finished packing my two modest-sized bags and am very proud of myself. I ended up shipping my coats and shoes, but for everything else 2 bags is pretty darn good for a Texas girl, where everything bigger is obviously better. :)

 

Mrs. H is picking me up at the airport and then me and Serena are going to have dinner while she goes to a business dinner. I can't wait to see Serena, it has been such a long time and I'm sure she's all grown up now!

These past two days have been a bit crazy since I was in Ft.Worth at the Crusade Winter Conference until the 5th and then have had the past two days to catch up on sleep and of course prepare and pack for New York. I am so glad I went to the conference though; it was absolutely amazing. Seliece and I went together for the 3rd year in a row and shared a hotel room with my childhood friend Lauren Claire and a Chi-O named Virginia, whom I loved getting to know! I was overwhelmed with much truth was packed into every talk, session, workshop, etc. Needless to say, I left challenged but also very encouraged and refreshed. I'm sad that I only have one more left!

Well, I think we are going to watch a movie as a fam, but I just had to write the night before the big day! It feels like the night before Christmas, round 2...I love it.

Honesty and depth are vital to our relationships and conversations. If there is one thing I have learned about relationships, this would be it. How can a relationship grow or flourish if there is no transparency? 

This morning I was reflecting on my relationships and found a common theme- all the relationships where I have experienced the most growth or those relationships that are the deepest have all been where both people are transparent, honest, and open. They are safe relationships. Do you know what I'm talking about? There are so many people, Christian and not, that think they need to look perfect and disguise their struggles and/or hardships...but why? Just a reminder: we all have them. 

Something I often have to remind myself when I look at my struggles and imperfections is that I am still in the process of being sanctified by Christ. No matter how extravagant our sin is, God's grace and love is always more extravagant. We have nothing to prove. 

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written....guess things have been pretty busy.

Anyway, not a whole lot is new in my life. I will be finished with school by Saturday night after my last final, and then will have a little less than a month to continue preparing for New York. I am such a dork...2 nights ago I literally packed my bag to see how much I could fit, as I am trying to only have one bag and 2 carry-ons. I decided I should ship my coats and shoes, since there is no way I can fit those in one bag. Hopefully it won't be too expensive to ship them...or I may have to re-consider my packing style. I can't believe I will be there in 29 days!

Tonight we are having our 3rd-annual Christmas dinner at the Dodds house. Seliece, Anne, Mallory, Allie, Jordan, and Christy are all coming and it will be great to all be together before everyone heads back for the break and then I head out for the semester.

Something I read this morning that really hit me in a new way was the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15. Basically, there are two sons whose father divides his property between them. The younger brother sets off for a far-away land and "squanders his wealth in wild living" while the other brother stays and works on his father's field. The younger son spends everything he has and at about the same time a severe famine sweeps across the country. He begins to work for for a man, feeding his pigs, but is given nothing to eat. He discovers that his own father would feed his hired workers and so he decides to return home, but will tell his father: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to become your son; make me like one of your hired men.". But as the son approaches his home, the father sees him and is filled with joy and compassion at the safe return of his son. He runs to him and hugs him, while the son begins to say what he had planned to say. The father ignores him and tells his servants to bring him the best robe and to kill and bring the fattened calf. As they celebrate, the older son hears the music and wonders what is going on. A servant tells him that his brother has come and they have killed the fattened calf because he has come back safe and sound. The older brother becomes angry and reminds his father that after all these years of never disobeying his orders, the father never had even given him a young goat to celebrate with his friends, yet when the son who had "squandered his property with prostitutes" comes home, he kills the fattened calf for him. The part that I loved the most in this story is the father's response. "My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. But we must celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found."

What a powerful story and demonstration of Christ's love for each one of us. He desires so much that we know Him and cares so deeply about our heart. Yesterday I listened to a podcast by Matt Chandler called "After the Heart". He made a comment saying that what makes Jesus so difficult is that He goes straight for our heart. Rather than treating the symptoms, He is more interested in where our affection lies. Does our affection lie with Him? Or does it lie in other places? Do I busy myself with religious activity, without having a heart that is transformed? These were all questions that made me think and re-evaluate my heart. I am so thankful that He cares for my heart.

Well, I'm off to study for Español!

I have had such a wonderful weekend that I decided it's worth writing about. And I'm kind of procrastinating on studying....typical.

First of all, me and Seliece went to the Greenbelt Friday afternoon and went on a great hike/walk. Then I came back to the Tridelt house and read Twilight (oh peer-pressure...) until Christy came back from babysitting. She picked me up and we went to Jason's for dinner and both got delicious spinach wraps and soup. Then we returned to the house and grabbed our stuff to go study. She hadn't been to the Cafe Medici on West Lynn so we went there. Erin was working so we chatted for a while and then Christy helped me a little with making a resume, since I figure I should have one on hand while I'm in New York....and I guess just in general. Anyways, while she was helping me she realized that she had a really great connection for me. Last summer Christy worked at a PR agency in New York City called Edelman and worked with a woman named Autumn. However, after the summer Autumn left Edelman and went to work at the American Bible Society, whose main office is right there on Broadway. Both of us went to the website and I immediately realized this was the type of company/non-profit I would want to work for. I loved their mission statement, "to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message." Lately I have left really confused/frustrated on what I want to do when I graduate, even though I know that God is in control,  I also want to be intentional with pursuing what careers might interest me. Anyways, Christy said she would definitely e-mail Autumn on Monday and ask her if I could possibly intern with them while I'm living there in the Spring. It's so neat too, because I looked up where exactly the office was in relation to where the Hovnanian's live, and it is 0.9 miles away....and my walk would be right across Central Park! I thanked the Lord this morning for being good and faithful, despite the inconsistency of my trust in Him to provide. 

So that was Friday. Today has also been great. Me and Jordan both woke up at around 10 and since she needed to go get her car at the house she had left it last night, I took her and then we went to Pacha to get some breakfast. I got 2 breakfast tacos with coffee and she got an acai bowl with granola and a coffee. We sat on the back porch since the weather was perfect and had such a good time talking. I am so thankful that God put us together this semester- she has been such a blessing! After that she went to watch the football game at a friend's and I went to Town Lake. I decided that even though I am currently very out of shape, I am going to try building up my stamina and start running again. It's always super hard the first week or so, but it always gets easier. I decided I was going to do the 4 mile loop, and I did it, even though I probably ended up walking about 85% of it.....baby steps, right? After this I made my way over to Cafe Medici again to "study"....which I will begin doing in about t-5 minutes. They had blueberry bran muffins, my all-time favorite, so I decided this could be my lunch/reward for some intense spanish phonetics reviewing. I need to find other rewards for my behavior besides food....still working on that one. Tonight I think me and Mallory are going to hang out and possibly go to dinner or see a movie, so I'm looking forward to being with her. 

Nana is in town this whole week helping my mom recover from her back surgery, so I'm excited to spend some good time with her! 

New York update: 60 days!

Hasta.