+so why do I worry? why do I freak out? God knows what I need; You know what I need

I cannot remember the last weekend where my plans were to stay in Nashville and take it easy. This weekend has been one of those and I was pretty good about documenting it with my iPhone. What a lovely, lovely rest.

A remarkably beautiful Friday dawn

A homemade wreath with flowers from the Dellinger wedding

New desk and fixed computer before heading to Monica's house

Rise and shine, early 13 mile run Saturday before meeting Kristine for lunch

Sam's Pub and Dragon park with Devon after seeing The Dark Knight Rises

Playing with the fiance

Stocked fridge for Mexican dinner night with the Harms' post-church

Lazy Sunday mornings catching the Journal up on life as of late

Olympics app? Oh yes.

+you make beautiful things

Oh dear, what a long-anticipated weekend! Kelly and Drew are married at last and enjoying a (hopefully) restful and luxurious honeymoon in Cancun and Mexico. Lucky birds. I loved being able to be a part of Kelly's side of the weekend and am beyond excited to talk about details and thoughts post-wedding.

at the Bachelorette with LJ!

Rehearsal dinner at Front Porch Farms, with the Devon

Morning-of!

So so happy, last hour as Miss Stack

Reception!

Devon's height perspective at the reception with the lovely Alicia

+it's a long life, only one last chance-couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?

It took so long to get here. Lonely nights, studying non-stop, working harder than I knew was imaginable. Oh, and how worth it!! Sitting next to good friends and my sweet Devon and taking it all in... How easily we forget the tumultuous 24 months of skyping and texting and paper-writing and heartache. I think it's easy to move on and forget, but I need to live in daily acknowledgement of how far we have come and keep the reality alive. Deep appreciation. And sweet relief.

+we can't stop, we can't stop, moving forward

Anddddd we're back! Orientation is officially over at Belmont University until August. The boxes are packed and stored. Invoices are paid and decorations are all down across campus. 8 sessions later and I couldn't be more proud of the student leaders that welcomed me in as their leader for the May and June. What a blessing. And the lessons I have learned in such a short time have been worth the sleep deprivation and hectic days. "...Welcome to Belmont!"

I am just bookending what is my first full week of my real-year-round-full-time-gig as a Residence Director here and it's been such a difference in pace. HR videos and trainings and paperwork. Much different than the frenetic nature of orienting students and families! I am a jumble of being-engaged, being-a-new-resident, being-out-of-grad-school gal and my thoughts and my words are often lost on me.

My thoughts on post-grad so far. In the most brain-dumped-into-words manner:

Totem poles and being young and starting over and fish ponds and the size of fish and appreciation and teachable moments. Insecurities and faking confidence and wondering what is said behind closed doors. Late nights, new bonds, working out old kinks. Storytelling, polished, and eloquent. Figured out but still in progress. Blessed beyond all measure, arrived, accomplished. Broken, terrified, small. Innovative, fresh, big-hearted.

More to come. Oh, so much more to come!

The Summer thus far:

Decorations in the Student Life Center

Prepping for nightly Fiestas

Last day energy!

+she took the midnight train going anywhere

Change of pace post! I have an intense processing post in the 'pending' section, but I opted for a more lighthearted post tonight. (And if you work with me or live in Nashville, I apologize that what you're about to see is a spoiler for seeing me soon!)

Over the past year I've gotten into reading fashion blogs. I started with What Would a Nerd Wear and then transpired into what is now 20+ fashion blogs on my google reader.

In that vein, I did some power-work-clothes shopping at the outlets this weekend and figured I'd share!

I went in with a firm budget and came out with 17 new pieces and also found Devon several things and stayed under budget!

Here are the basics (plus tanks you don't see). Notice how great they are to mix and match - can't wait to put them together with clothes I already have!



Banana Republic Outlet: white sweater, lace navy top, purple silk top, orange swearer, lace white top, lace/denim skirt, magenta sweater, tan knit sweater, green dress.

Ann Taylor Factory Store: navy tank silk layers, polka dotted shirt with longer sleeves

Gap Outlet: dark wash jeans, navy blue skirt (and Devon's khakis, polo, fitted shirt)

Famous Footwear: Dr Scholl's tan wedges (so comfortable!)

I feel like a new woman! I think the green dress is my favorite so far. Cheers to working!

+you make me feel good, you make me feel safe

I should write tomorrow, but I've been itching to write for weeks and tonight as I plopped down on my couch at 11:45pm after another long day of orientation, I realized that the processor in me wouldn't let me sleep until I could write out my thoughts.

We are in full swing orienting the class of 2016 to Belmont University (and maybe some c/o '15 and '14 in there too)! We have 8 iterations of orientation throughout the month of June and these past two weeks we have completed 5 of them (if you count tomorrow in that). I am officially flying solo and putting that hard earned M.S.E. to work!

While I have yet to spend a weekend in Nashville (wedding season, Birmingham and Evansville editions), I have managed to acquire a bookshelf, bed, couch, table, chairs, entertainment center, TV, and a bike.

In my running world, I started marathon training at the beginnng of last week (Chicago!).

Kelsey booked a flight to come to Nashville! And while all this is enough of an update, today was something of a historic day for me.

Like I said I'm flying solo leading the Orientation Council and our days begin early. This week was our longest week and, being Thursday, we were all feeling it. This morning we began at 6:45am. We circle up to check in, update one another, pray, and head out. (That feels like days ago at this point!) We registered 200 students and their guests and put on programs and presentations all day long. At lunch I spent time with a family from Southern Florida. At the parent reception? Folks from Arizona and Northern Indiana. I learned more in depth backgrounds of my student staff and managed to give warm smiles and patient directions to countless new students (where does that energy come from? God is good). I led a campus clues presentation after dinner, watched students form their own music circle on the quad after advising sessions, and helped put on a late night food and music mixer. Devon came by to show his sweet support and our staff, while tired, still put on an excellent dance show.

Days like these (the full ones) are so wonderful and so exhausting. I rode my new bike to and from work and spent so many steps around campus reflecting on this day but also all the days that led to this one.

My own Belmont experience seems so long ago, but so meaningful. Somewhere between the hugs, connections, directions, explanations, walks, talks, problem solving, and communicating, I realized that I do what I do because I LOVE this time of life. I love that four years in college can change someone far more than four years normally do. I love that transition is so hard and so rewarding. I love the potential and excitement that new students exude. I love being able to be in a place that fosters exploration and growth for my career. What a day, what a week... What a special month this is.

+so make the best of this test and don't ask why

A week of work under my belt, a Memorial Day weekend to recover, and an evening to just sit and relax. There is still no permanent bed or a sofa in my new place.... but there is a bookshelf in the living room, and leftovers in the fridge. I am not in class. I am not a student. I have weekends off. I have nights off. I have gone to dinners at married friends' homes. I have seen Devon IN PERSON nearly every day since mid-May.  I have Zumba-ed, run, and frisbee-d. I have hung out with my fam and with my fam-to-be. I have a line-up of amazing folks yet to see and a month of Orientation to tackle. It has been a month!

Graduation pictures. Dear oh dear - and this isn't even everyone that needs to be pictured, just the ones my Dad got on his camera:

Yes, it's THE Greta - at our Hooding Ceremony

with Dr. Wolf-Wendel

Dear sweet goodness, these ladies. No way to describe!

Only thing better than graduating? Cheesy.

Goodbye sweet Lawrence, KS.

Fiance!

Parents and Devon

One last Mirth Cafe adventure together

+i've closed enough windows to know you can never look back

My heart is so full. My God is so big and so good. I feel a little guilty or like I am cashing in on too much goodness lately, but deep in my heart I just feel immeasurably grateful. It is so good to be back in Nashville. I feel right at home. The sights, the smells, the feel, the weather, the roads, the people, they all just make me smile and remember a time when I was so much more confused than now. Now, I am so excited about working hard, loving others, and growing deeper in my friendships and my relationship with Devon.

Also, I can't stop laughing at how much this photo looks like that photo. Sweet Calvin & Hobbes.

+cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin

Tonight I am writing from my office. I am sitting in sort of a limbo of time.

My things are (mostly packed). My assignments are all turned in. I am on the eve of seeing my parents. Two days away from seeing Devon again, in Kansas again. My halls will close in three days and all that entails. I graduate with a master's degree in four days. We will say our goodbyes and hop on the road to Nashville in six days. I know... you're saying, "Heather, stop doing countdowns or reflections..." ("But guys....") it's next to impossible NOT to reflect and bookmark this moment in time. There is a lot of change. I am prepared for it, more than I have felt prepared for big transition in the past. Perhaps it is because the mental preparation started long before May 2012. And perhaps there is always some sense of finality when you begin living in a place with an end date that is already predetermined.

All I think I want to say can be boiled down to this post http://hlpie.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-is-real-long-distance-real-long.html and if I am about to experience it in reverse. Oh how fast the time goes!

+we get one story, you and I

The book that sat in Matt Burchett's office when I was a Freshman at Belmont was the same one that inspired me as I left for college. Through Painted Desserts by Donald Miller. Donald Miller was up and coming back in '06. So was Rob Bell. And I remember feeling the weight of the words of both in ways I had not before.

I noticed that book up on my shelf in my own office yesterday. I pulled it down, and opened to a place where I had dog-eared six years ago. Words are so powerful for me that as I read line by line, I couldn't help but situate all the words, for the first time, in a new context, and it was hard to not feel the tears forming.

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving, and some coming home. Some summer and some winter. Some roses blooming out like children in play.

My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God.

We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God established the elements, the setting, the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?

Everybody has to leave. Everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons. Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."

I got chill bumps reading this over again. The girl who read those words for the first time long ago would be proud of the girl who is reading them again now. After she left, and ventured out. And the quote is right. I have never been alone. I have no need to worry. And while everything is still back in Nashville, I have absolutely changed.