A Smattering of Favorite Moments

I jumped out of an airplane for my 30th birthday. This was an experience, make no mistake, especially since I’m completely phobic about flying. How then do I fly all over you ask? Simple. XANAX! Anyway I was just Facebook chatting with an old high school friend (shout out Jimmy). I was saying that as I exited the plane I thought “this was not a good idea.” And he said, “yea, but I bet you count it as one of your best moments.” Which got me thinking . . . I’ve had such a spectacular life. I mean really! I have a gorgeous family and the most amazing friends that I think anyone has ever had, and I’m not trying to be hyperbolic, it's really true.

I started thinking "what do I count as my greatest moments," and this is what started popping into my head:

Making Minnie Driver uncomfortable at a play in London. (I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, Bryan, when you said it was her!) – 2000

Successfully saddling a horse (thank you Rachel!!). –2009

Playing a British version of Monopoly with the Nigerians we were staying with in Logos, Nigeria (that was the point we finally looked at each other and thought, “oh, we all are the same here,” up to that moment we had been eyeing each other uncertainly). –1995

FINALLY hearing my name called at graduation [from Etövös Loránd in Hungary] (I wasn’t sure until I heard it if they were really going to let me graduate) after barely surviving 16 linguistics classes, the writing of a master’s thesis, and that little business of extortion the secretary to the foreign students pulled on me at the LAST minute. –2002

Thinking and crying, "well, I'll never graduate since they want me to pay them a bribe" (to get them to accept all my general credits and to not have to take a foreign language exam, which for the entire 4 years I was there, every semester they had said they would accept and that I didn't have to take) and then hearing my dad on the phone say, "How much? I'm putting it in your account." –2002

Unexpectedly coming upon Anne Brontë’s grave with Jen while roaming around the Yorkshire Dales (it would have been even more sublime if it had been Charlotte’s grave—but I’m not complaining, much). –2000

Landing in Europe for the first time, granted it was only a layover in Brussels on the way to Africa, but still it was Europe and I was there. –1995

Singing, completely abandondly, with Jeni, Julie, and Karen, while Karen's parents played dulcimers. –2005

Being hopelessly lost on the streets of Venice—that’s seriously Magical! –2005

At a birthday party for a Hungarian friend, looking around, and realizing I was the only American among Hungarians, Nigerians, Cypriots, South Africans, and Australians. (kind of a sequel to the monopoly one. I absolutely love when tons of cultures all come together and form a new community!) –hmmm 2003, maybe

Meeting Alida, Jason, and Andi at the train station, as they passed through Budapest, to pass off a video and then being convinced (correction: dared!) by Alida and Andi to jump on the train (I was moneyless, phoneless, id-less), skip class the next day, and go back to Miskolc (2 hours away) to watch the Sting: Behind the Music tape Jason’s parents had just sent them. (It’s a very dangerous feeling [the next day-riding back] to be in a foreign land, where your ability to communicate is basically nil, riding a train without anything to help you should you miss your stop.) –hmmm, 2000 or 2001

Landing in Australia the first time and feeling that overwhelming sense of camaraderie from everyone I met. We were all on the same team, I didn't know what we were playing, life perhaps, but we were winning. –2005

Trying, with Julie, to read a Midsummer Night’s Dream with British accents by the River Avon in Stratford Upon Avon, laughing hysterically, and switching to southern accents. “Ill met by moonlight fair Titania.” “What, jealous Oberon?” –1995

At the opera house in Hungary watching a completely inexplicable opera by Wagner, while Jen “translated” the German for me. Oh did the other boxes cast us disapproving glances! It was the entrance of the dinosaur while the Klingons in big boots were belting out their song that really pushed things over the top. –1999, maybe

Standing at the rail of the boat with Katrina on the way from Athens to Kos as we prayed over our ouzo bottle containing our pact, and then tossing it out into the Agean Sea (not anywhere near enough of our pact has come to pass, but it was a marvelous moment). –2004

Hiking up to the top of that “mountain” in Norway with Katrina and Stian, and cooking out on the little grill Stian had lugged up there, while listening to the tinkling of the bells on the sheep that were even higher up. –2004

Going in the back door, and bypassing all the security, at Versailles with Alida and Ildi. (the memory of you guys flashing your entrance passes at the other tourist who was trying to get out is CLASSIC). –1998

Sitting outside in Newcastle with Katrina and Stian drinking mint tea from her tea set from Jordan and enjoying other Jordanian treats, and talking and talking. –2009

Sitting, exhausted, in the marble, chandelier decorated McDonalds in Budapest after bussing back from Romania, while Edo and Krisztina got our food. When they came, laughing, back to the table, I was so keenly aware of how much I loved my life at that moment. –2003

The way Krisztina would plop down on my bed, very late at night, as I would be trying to fall asleep, in spite of my constant insomnia, and say, “Wait, don’t go to sleep yet, we haven’t even chatted. What happened today?”

Belly lauging with Jen and Lídia in the tiny back portion of the school café that was semi smoke free.

Thirsty Thursdays with Rachel and Michelle.

Riding horses with my dad.

Taco Casa stops on the way to SawGrass.

The many delightful cups of coffee and pastries with Alida, Andi, Ildi, and Jen.

Hearing all the latest fascinating things Jen, Heather, and Katrina have discovered.

All the moments involving twinkly fairy lights.

All the glorious dance floor, backyard, lounge room dancing that has been danced around the world.

Being overwhelmed to the point of tears when I was little over how lucky I was to have such a great family. I couldn't figure out what I had done to deserve that from God.

Fifteen billion little, seemingly inconsequential moments when, surrounded by brilliant family-friends and/or brilliant scenery, I thought, “I’m really happy right now.”

This doesn’t even come close to all the great moments, which means, basically, I’ve been the luckiest girl to ever live. It’s good to remember that, because I may also be the most spoiled girl to ever live, meaning I often forget my luckiest girl status.

Employee of the Week

I'm blogging! Mainly because I have an easy work to blog crossover, which requires very little work with the words on my part. (granted it's still taken me 3 months to get this up)

Every week at work we have an employee of the week. They're chosen randomly so don't think this means we are exemplary in anyway, it just means we were drawn from a hat. But when you are chosen EofW you get a nice, close parking space, which is rad if you are frequently a tad late and all the good spaces are gone. You also get featured in the weekly work email, where they have a little Q&A about you. This year we've been giving pics of ourselves from when we were young.

All the pics of my early youth still live at home with my parents so I stole this one off my Aunt Laura's Facebook page.

me and my cousin Jonathon, aged 3 to 4 or 5
I still totally adore Winnie the Pooh, that bear is genius!

Here's my feature:
Name (and nickname you prefer to be called): Leah

Birthday (month and date): August 24

Date you began working at WMU: February 2006 (intern/temp) April 2007 (as a real employee)

Job title at WMU: Web Technician (though I’m actually the Web Designer)

What is your favorite WMU artifact/piece of WMU history? The map of the world that shows where it’s day and where it’s night. (we have loads of antiques and artifacts from missionaries and lands far and wide)

Favorite vacation spot: can’t commit to just one: England! Australia! Norway (in the summer)! SawGrass! All places green, vast, and beautiful that lend themselves to dramatic horse-back riding, preferably while wearing a cloak.

Three words that describe you: frenetic, loyal, noncommittal

Favorite cartoon: Smurfs and Muppets (not technically a cartoon)

Something you miss about your childhood: my grandfathers

Favorite movie: can’t commit: Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, The Village, In America

Food you “just can’t live without:” Hamburgers. Rather uninteresting but true. I'm also very, very fond of pizza, curry, and pineapple

Favorite toy or game from childhood: saving the world as Luke Skywalker (when the neighbor boys would let me be him); learning that I was a long-lost princess from another planet, and then subsequently saving that planet, which was embroiled in a horrible civil war; winning Wimbledon and the Tour de France—the usual.

Hobby or interest you’d like to start: Polo. I’ve no doubt I’d be mortally wounded in seconds, but I’m pretty sure those brief moments right before would be awesome!

Favorite book (fiction): Jane Eyre, hands down! Though as a true bibliophile there is a long list of runner-ups clipping at her heels: The Lewis and Tolkien omnibuses, obviously; most of Dickens, even the ones that aren’t that great; P.G. Wodehouse (he is hysterical. he describes one of his characters who is plagued by the coming socialism to England and has bad indigestion as looking rather like "a pterodactyl with a secret sorrow"); Harry Potter (all of them, but 2 and 5 just a bit more than the others)!