When I Was 21...
As I look back over the last year of life, a lot has changed. I am definitely not who I was last year in November. I want to take this moment to remember some of the greatest moments of of my twenty-first decade of life. Hence, the list that follows.
When I Was 21...
1. Tea-Time Started And Didn't Stop.
Basically, a bunch of people will receive a text inviting them to my apartment for said "tea-time". They show up, tell me what kind of tea they want to drink, and then tell me about their lives. It was never going to be anything spectacular. I just wanted to be around my friends more. Now, though, I get requests for it. "Please call for a tea-time," my friends ask. I have found that after a long day all I really want is to come home to my apartment, put on the kettle while friends arrive, and then listen as they tell me of their adventures. For me, that is why Tea-Time is my favorite event: I am able to listen and serve my friends, and in this way I let them know that they mean something. And in this way, I feel that I mean something too.
2. Three Misadventurous Knights Rode Into My Blog.
The Three Knights are actually based on three of my real friends, Isaac, Sean, and Nathan, who often come over for tea. One night, Nathan (the Sir Nathan) read the story of Izzy and Fafnir and asked me to write a sequel. I didn't want to write the story he wanted, which was Izzy's love story because I was "not ready and not feeling it," or something equally "professional" sounding. That night, though, I suddenly wondered, "What would Sean, Isaac, and Nathan do if they were in this story?" I always tease them about being popular with girls, so I imagined them looking very dashing as a group of knights trying to impress a bunch of princesses. Each one of them has a distinctive characteristic that made it into the story: Nathan has his violin, Isaac has his deep voice and ears that really do wiggle when he wants them to, and Sean has an enormous amount of charm and a stash of chocolate Hershey's kisses. The entire story was originally only going to be one blog post, but it stretched into four because, quite honestly, I didn't want to stop writing it. I had not had that much fun writing in a long time.
3. Psalm 116:1-9 Became My Favorite Scripture.
There are a lot of things people don't know about me, but if I had a chance to tell them anything, these are the verses I would recite:
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me, the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me,
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: 'Oh Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!'
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."
4. Nette Got Married.
Lynette Asbury's wedding was literally one of the best days of my life. Being a part of someone else's happiness in that way was incredible. When we were roommates, I began praying that God would provide a wonderful man to be Nette's husband, and He answered my prayer. I am so thankful that, despite her wedded bliss, Nette still looks out for her ex-roommate as well.
5. I Went Home.
For the first time in three years, I flew back to Brasil. Home, remarkably, has not changed, and even though I have, I know with certainty that despite all the pain of saudades I would not change where I come from.
6. I Was A Superhero.
At least, while I was working at Blue Lake I was. To all the super ladies of Billings Point, I can't imagine my summer without you and I would not want to. Geo, Emily, Rachel, Jade, Taylor, Martina, Barbie, and Alison, I hope we get to meet up again someday. You all rocked my world last summer. I miss grilling pizza over the fire, listening to music, and doing life with all of you.
7. The Valley of Vision Became A Refuge.
For all of you who don't know, The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotionals. It is literally one of the most spiritually enriching books I have ever read and continue to study. When I am tired or confused or lacking zeal in my relationship with God, I often turn to this book, seeking answers from those who have traveled this road before me. They never disappoint me, and I walk away refreshed and rejuvenated.
8. God Used My Struggles With Depression To Help Others.
I will never know exactly how He did this, but He did and I am so grateful.
9. I Embraced Being a Nerd.
And I encourage all my fellow nerds to do the same!
10. People I Loved Died.
Growing up overseas, I had surrogate aunts, uncles, and grandparents who all played a role in raising me. This past year several of them died, and although I had not seen them for years I still cried because to me they were family. Somewhere in the back of my mind I always thought that they were going to be alive, that they might even come to my college graduation or, in the distant future, my wedding. I wanted them to be there so that I could thank them for being a part of my life. I wanted to tell them that God used them as witnesses for Him.
11. The Late Night Library Shift Was Awesome (And Horrible).
Every shift has its quirks. On Sunday nights, Matt and I do our best to make it the "Best Shift Ever" by one upping each other on the closing announcement, buying each other tea (or coffee, depending on how homework is going) and dispensing our valuable advice to students. We've been known to sing and dance on request. Monday nights are usually a little bit more quiet, with Peter and I sometimes talking about literature and life, or sometimes just doing homework. Tuesday nights are always very quiet. John and I are like two old people: we drink tea and say, "Wow, you know, this is crazy weather we've been having," or I say, "John, look at this picture of pandas! They are so cute!" and he responds, with a condescending nod, "Yeah, Rachel. Those are, uh, nice." Then, on Thursday nights, Erin and I both try not to be distracted by Facebook, Pinterest, or each other because when you're a college girl working with another college girl all you want to do is talk and look at pictures of everyone else's exciting lives. This is often the most productive shift, though. We once had everyone out of the building by 11:58 and were out the door 2 minutes later with our homework finished.
Despite all the quirks and differences, I know I can always count on two things: TJ will always steal my chair, and Chubby Mug will never have any coffee in it. It's the little things in life that you have to appreciate.
12. Women's Chorus Helped Me Heal.
During some of the darkest days I have ever experienced, this group of talented women helped me push through, with their love, their prayers, and their music. Sometimes I didn't think I mattered, or that God wasn't real. Singing about God and His truth, regardless of how I felt, called me back to reality and to God's love. Making music with these beautiful women has helped me believe that life does matter, and that God is real, even when I can't feel Him.
13. Isaac Albeniz Was Added To "The List."
I have been thinking about my senior recital since I was a freshman. I always knew I didn't want Bach on it, and after six months with Dr. Whitley I knew Chopin would be, whether I wanted it or not. After Piano Literature as a sophomore, I started listening to a lot of Isaac Albeniz fell in love with his exploration of Spanish musical idioms. I decided he was going to be on "the list" and told Dr. Whitley, "I really want to do something from Isaac Albeniz's Spanish Suite."
"Well," Dr. Whitley said, "That's a definite possibility. Why don't you listen to some of it and maybe order the book-
"I already did. The first three from his Book One are the ones I want. I've already read through them and picked out my favorite recordings. Martha Argerich is amazing!"
And that's when Dr. Whitley realized Albeniz was going to be on my program whether he liked it or not.
14. The Palms Went To Mexico.
Mom really wanted us to take family photos, so we all had to go out and buy flannel shirts before the trip. "We can all match!" she kept saying. We had the perfect location for the pictures too: a beautiful lookout on the Mexican coast. The morning of the planned family photo shoot, we awoke to a drizzling rain that continued as we drove up the winding and wending road to the lookout. We read Katie Davis' book on the way up there. The beach and surrounding hillsides looked beautiful, in a grey, rainy, sort of way. It was hardly the sunny, tropical sounding family photo shoot we had planned to take, though. Adam snapped photo after photo of all of us, but we never printed any of them, even though it was the only time in our "career" of family photo taking that all of us had matched so well. My favorite part of the story: the pictures didn't turn out, but we had a blast eating corn in a cup with chiles, and watching the blowhole below us. The entire experience proves just why road trips in the Palm family are always amazing: we always eat great food, tell the best stories (many of which involve me doing something embarrassing), read fantastic books, and find an awesome view. This trip was no exception.
It was a great year, and there was a lot more that happened. However, if I were to sit around writing all about being 21, I would waste all the time I've been given to be 22. Speaking of which, I need to go be a productive college senior and write a paper, which is all part of being a nerdy 22 year old. Some things don't change, even with a birthday.
When I Was 21...
1. Tea-Time Started And Didn't Stop.
Basically, a bunch of people will receive a text inviting them to my apartment for said "tea-time". They show up, tell me what kind of tea they want to drink, and then tell me about their lives. It was never going to be anything spectacular. I just wanted to be around my friends more. Now, though, I get requests for it. "Please call for a tea-time," my friends ask. I have found that after a long day all I really want is to come home to my apartment, put on the kettle while friends arrive, and then listen as they tell me of their adventures. For me, that is why Tea-Time is my favorite event: I am able to listen and serve my friends, and in this way I let them know that they mean something. And in this way, I feel that I mean something too.
2. Three Misadventurous Knights Rode Into My Blog.
The Three Knights are actually based on three of my real friends, Isaac, Sean, and Nathan, who often come over for tea. One night, Nathan (the Sir Nathan) read the story of Izzy and Fafnir and asked me to write a sequel. I didn't want to write the story he wanted, which was Izzy's love story because I was "not ready and not feeling it," or something equally "professional" sounding. That night, though, I suddenly wondered, "What would Sean, Isaac, and Nathan do if they were in this story?" I always tease them about being popular with girls, so I imagined them looking very dashing as a group of knights trying to impress a bunch of princesses. Each one of them has a distinctive characteristic that made it into the story: Nathan has his violin, Isaac has his deep voice and ears that really do wiggle when he wants them to, and Sean has an enormous amount of charm and a stash of chocolate Hershey's kisses. The entire story was originally only going to be one blog post, but it stretched into four because, quite honestly, I didn't want to stop writing it. I had not had that much fun writing in a long time.
3. Psalm 116:1-9 Became My Favorite Scripture.
There are a lot of things people don't know about me, but if I had a chance to tell them anything, these are the verses I would recite:
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me, the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me,
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: 'Oh Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!'
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."
4. Nette Got Married.
Lynette Asbury's wedding was literally one of the best days of my life. Being a part of someone else's happiness in that way was incredible. When we were roommates, I began praying that God would provide a wonderful man to be Nette's husband, and He answered my prayer. I am so thankful that, despite her wedded bliss, Nette still looks out for her ex-roommate as well.
5. I Went Home.
For the first time in three years, I flew back to Brasil. Home, remarkably, has not changed, and even though I have, I know with certainty that despite all the pain of saudades I would not change where I come from.
6. I Was A Superhero.
At least, while I was working at Blue Lake I was. To all the super ladies of Billings Point, I can't imagine my summer without you and I would not want to. Geo, Emily, Rachel, Jade, Taylor, Martina, Barbie, and Alison, I hope we get to meet up again someday. You all rocked my world last summer. I miss grilling pizza over the fire, listening to music, and doing life with all of you.
7. The Valley of Vision Became A Refuge.
For all of you who don't know, The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotionals. It is literally one of the most spiritually enriching books I have ever read and continue to study. When I am tired or confused or lacking zeal in my relationship with God, I often turn to this book, seeking answers from those who have traveled this road before me. They never disappoint me, and I walk away refreshed and rejuvenated.
8. God Used My Struggles With Depression To Help Others.
I will never know exactly how He did this, but He did and I am so grateful.
9. I Embraced Being a Nerd.
And I encourage all my fellow nerds to do the same!
10. People I Loved Died.
Growing up overseas, I had surrogate aunts, uncles, and grandparents who all played a role in raising me. This past year several of them died, and although I had not seen them for years I still cried because to me they were family. Somewhere in the back of my mind I always thought that they were going to be alive, that they might even come to my college graduation or, in the distant future, my wedding. I wanted them to be there so that I could thank them for being a part of my life. I wanted to tell them that God used them as witnesses for Him.
11. The Late Night Library Shift Was Awesome (And Horrible).
Every shift has its quirks. On Sunday nights, Matt and I do our best to make it the "Best Shift Ever" by one upping each other on the closing announcement, buying each other tea (or coffee, depending on how homework is going) and dispensing our valuable advice to students. We've been known to sing and dance on request. Monday nights are usually a little bit more quiet, with Peter and I sometimes talking about literature and life, or sometimes just doing homework. Tuesday nights are always very quiet. John and I are like two old people: we drink tea and say, "Wow, you know, this is crazy weather we've been having," or I say, "John, look at this picture of pandas! They are so cute!" and he responds, with a condescending nod, "Yeah, Rachel. Those are, uh, nice." Then, on Thursday nights, Erin and I both try not to be distracted by Facebook, Pinterest, or each other because when you're a college girl working with another college girl all you want to do is talk and look at pictures of everyone else's exciting lives. This is often the most productive shift, though. We once had everyone out of the building by 11:58 and were out the door 2 minutes later with our homework finished.
Despite all the quirks and differences, I know I can always count on two things: TJ will always steal my chair, and Chubby Mug will never have any coffee in it. It's the little things in life that you have to appreciate.
12. Women's Chorus Helped Me Heal.
During some of the darkest days I have ever experienced, this group of talented women helped me push through, with their love, their prayers, and their music. Sometimes I didn't think I mattered, or that God wasn't real. Singing about God and His truth, regardless of how I felt, called me back to reality and to God's love. Making music with these beautiful women has helped me believe that life does matter, and that God is real, even when I can't feel Him.
13. Isaac Albeniz Was Added To "The List."
I have been thinking about my senior recital since I was a freshman. I always knew I didn't want Bach on it, and after six months with Dr. Whitley I knew Chopin would be, whether I wanted it or not. After Piano Literature as a sophomore, I started listening to a lot of Isaac Albeniz fell in love with his exploration of Spanish musical idioms. I decided he was going to be on "the list" and told Dr. Whitley, "I really want to do something from Isaac Albeniz's Spanish Suite."
"Well," Dr. Whitley said, "That's a definite possibility. Why don't you listen to some of it and maybe order the book-
"I already did. The first three from his Book One are the ones I want. I've already read through them and picked out my favorite recordings. Martha Argerich is amazing!"
And that's when Dr. Whitley realized Albeniz was going to be on my program whether he liked it or not.
14. The Palms Went To Mexico.
Mom really wanted us to take family photos, so we all had to go out and buy flannel shirts before the trip. "We can all match!" she kept saying. We had the perfect location for the pictures too: a beautiful lookout on the Mexican coast. The morning of the planned family photo shoot, we awoke to a drizzling rain that continued as we drove up the winding and wending road to the lookout. We read Katie Davis' book on the way up there. The beach and surrounding hillsides looked beautiful, in a grey, rainy, sort of way. It was hardly the sunny, tropical sounding family photo shoot we had planned to take, though. Adam snapped photo after photo of all of us, but we never printed any of them, even though it was the only time in our "career" of family photo taking that all of us had matched so well. My favorite part of the story: the pictures didn't turn out, but we had a blast eating corn in a cup with chiles, and watching the blowhole below us. The entire experience proves just why road trips in the Palm family are always amazing: we always eat great food, tell the best stories (many of which involve me doing something embarrassing), read fantastic books, and find an awesome view. This trip was no exception.
It was a great year, and there was a lot more that happened. However, if I were to sit around writing all about being 21, I would waste all the time I've been given to be 22. Speaking of which, I need to go be a productive college senior and write a paper, which is all part of being a nerdy 22 year old. Some things don't change, even with a birthday.
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