peanut butter jelly time/why i'm a starbucks whore

so. omg. life is still very different, and i'm still adjusting, but i'm definitely trying to enjoy the differences rather than miss familiarity.

one of the main reasons adjusting has been challenging is because i crave community - i need it - and i know it. i'm the type of person who could be by myself for an entire week and actually really enjoy it, but i know that God created us to be social beings, and despite my interpretation of my own personality, i know i still have a need to connect and be with others. well, i think God answered prayer this week, and, as he normally does with me, it was in a pretty random way.

last tuesday i ventured out for a drink from starbucks. for the past ten years or so, i've lived reallllly close to a starbucks, regardless of where i lived, so i've become a bit spoiled. i recognized the fact that it was a really good thing i'd have to make a drive just to get a drink from starbucks when i moved up here, b/c with the given gas prices, i'm not likely to drive anywhere with the exception of work, publix, and the gas station. well, i'd gone maybe a week and a half without having starbucks, so i braved the distance. i walked in, asked for what i wanted, and sadly was told they had changed their menu and no longer had the drink i liked. what the. ok. fine. so, i was walking out of the store when i heard someone call, "laura?"

now, people up in flowery branch call me "laura sue," so i knew this had to be either someone from tennessee (college friend) or savannah (hometown). either way, i really didn't expect this person to be talking to me b/c, well, why would anyone i know be at starbucks in buford, georgia?? well, i turned around and saw one of my favorite smiling faces. it was lauren t. i met her through a friend when we were in high school. she's basically fabulous. i was so confused though as to why the heck she was, well, where she was. i knew that she had graduated from tech a few years back and then had spent time in bosnia, but i wasn't too sure what she had been up to since returning to the states. it turns out that two years ago she moved to gwinnett county and started teaching high school. so, there she was, at a starbucks three minutes from her house grading papers when i walked in for a drink that apparently no longer existed. yay, God!

after one of the best hugs ever, i sat down with her and we caught up on things. we got to talking about church, which was fun b/c there are lots of interesting churches up here, and she invited me to a small group that will start meeting this week at her house. this is exactly what i've been looking for. so, this week i'll be checking that out, and i couldn't be more excited about it.

at school i'm definitely still adjusting. about half of my pop culture knowledge is useless now. very few of my kids listen to rap or hip hop regularly. it honestly makes me sad, however, my new students are helping me out. on friday two kids asking to play some music of theirs for the class off of their ipods, and i agreed to it. one kid played beethoven's fifth symphony that had been remixed with techno (not too sure how i feel about that...) and the other put on the song "peanut butter jelly time," but the hardcore screamo version, which was hysterical.

so, i'm learning. adjusting. and always seeking God and ways to connect to the kingdom.

there's more, but if i don't stop typing soon, adam might start throwing books at me b/c he's been waiting for me to say i'm ready to go to church.... later, kids.