post-appalachia and rooming fiascos

i love Barren Springs, Virginia. i could write for hours about my experience there. i won't, because i know i'll leave out thousands of details either way, and i'd rather make a few main points:

Faith is a wonderful thing, and the people of Barren Springs had faith unlike I have ever in my life witnessed.
Hope is another wonderful thing, and the people of Barren Springs, depite their circumstances, had immense hope, and gave me great hope.
Love is the most wonderful thing, and from the second our group met the first member of the Barren Springs community, we were loved, and we fell in love.

I witnessed a community truly care for each other, truly appreciate the help of our group beyond what we deserved, truly act selflessly, truly extend warm welcomes, and truly trust our good intentions. I got to meet a man named Sam, the leader of the volunteer community in Barren Springs, who is possibly the nicest, most caring man I have ever met, who gave me one of the warmest feelings I have ever had in my entire life when he told me I was like his daughter (and meant the world to me that he messaged me on facebook today just to say hello). I got to leave my mark, physically, on Barren Springs by doing what i love most, painting, on the walls of an elementary school gym a eagle representing the school's mascot, named for BC. I got to meet 18 other BC students just as passionate about helping others as I.

And now, back from surviving comfortably two 14 hour bus rides, showering only twice, sleeping on the floor most nights, and eating amazing southern cooking, playing with adorable kids, helping build a church, growing my appreciation for country music (and southern accents) and getting to know countless amazing people from Virginia and BC all in one week...
... i can honestly say i was inspired to continue getting involved, meeting people, and extending a helping hand. Because the help I gave was only a tiny fraction of the impact the trip had on me.
Barren Springs, I will be back some day. I promise you that.



AND NOW... on to the less fuzzy stuff.
Rooming was this past week. and it was beyond hell. friends don't come in convenient packages of 8 or 4, let me tell you.
Once upon a time, someone asked me to room with her, months ago. perhaps november. come january, it must have slipped her mind. then comes along another friend, who invites me to join her group, inconveniently adding up to seven. we did not get one of the three seven-men apartments on campus. then comes along person 8, who was drama from the start, but good enough for desperate us, but who ditches us 30 minutes before registration time was over for 8-men, thus disallowing us to even try. then there were 7 again, who all met for dinner and tried to find another 8th so we could break up into two 4s. but bickering occurred and the entire entity dissolved. a thousand facebook messages, emails, texts, and tears later, three risign juniors shoot me an email inviting me to join with them for a 4-man. wonderful, until the housing selection system crashes as does email while our selection time comes and goes. but finally the next day, today, the system was back up, reslife worked things out, and i am destined to Edmunds 323. Four-man, full kitchen, bathroom, common area, two bedrooms. LEGIT.
who cares if i dont know the chicks? i will get to know them. ones from woosta, the others from boston. i get along with older kids better anyways. and 2 of my appa friends are on my floor, and one on the floor below me, woop woop.

all is well in the end.
thank God for the Luck o' the Irish <3