This week at Mass, I remember Father speaking about God giving us the guidance and how we can come about receiving such guidance if we truly want it. He advised us on how we can obtain guidance through furthering our relationship with God. Father raised the question on why we need to be guided, and the difficulties that can arise from seeking out guidance of our own accord rather than asking God to help us along the journeys in life.
Additionally, the weather has been fluctuating this week. Champaign has had very cold temperatures, mostly within the twenties to thirties. We have not experienced much sunshine except for Sunday and Wednesday, otherwise it has been mostly cloudy throughout the week. It snowed on Thursday morning, but was not cold enough to stick to the ground, and there has been no extreme hazard of ice on the roads. We can expect the rest of the week to be just as cloudy, with only a high of forty degrees.
This week at Saint Thomas More, we started off the week with Valentine's Day. In AP Literature, we had a Valentine's Day Party while doing our work. We had chocolate donuts, candy sweet hearts, and received necklaces along with pencils, heart-shaped erasers, and pencil sharpeners. The classroom was full of red and pink decorations.
Tuesday was not a particularly eventful day. In Study Hall, we discussed astronomy and played multiple card games. I received a stress ball and used it accordingly. Wednesday, we had adoration and did a project in Statistics regarding the average amount of chocolate chips per cookie. Miss Lyons sent out the email to prepare the tour leaders for the upcoming Spring Preview Night, and the AP US History classes finished their tests on the day Mrs. Gosda came back from maternity leave.
STM kids have been raving about the vocabulary game "Wordle" for the past week. Listed below are the wordles of the week:
I planned on talking about the weather, but instead I will be sharing what I plan on doing after graduation in 2023. The juniors recently have been more eager to discuss our current senior plans and our visions of what we hope the upcoming year will look like as it looms closer. For me, personally, I decided back in August that I was going to pursue the idea of teaching. I plan on going somewhere south or east (preferably someplace warm) and getting my degree in Secondary Mathematics teaching. It is something I'm extremely looking forward to.
We started the week on Monday with no school in honor of President's Day. Tuesday, we finally came back from being away from STM since the previous Wednesday. On Wednesday, we had house and I gave my testimony about St. Paul and how he helped me open myself to God through prayer. Mrs. Markun counted, and apparently I said "like" 56 times during my testimony, which is definitely something I'm working on for the future.
Thursday was a good day. I got Starbucks, and the menu order I always get when I know I need energy to get through the day. Mr. Ray played three rounds of the card game "Speed" with me and won twice. One day, I'll get better at it and win overwhelmingly. Vice Versa is set to still be on this Saturday. I am going with two of my other friends, Christina and Melanie. We will be going to the iHotel for pictures and Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner before driving to STM.
Because I got Starbucks on Thursday, I will be listing my go-to orders when I have the money to do so:
During the month of March, I'm most excited for Spring and Spring Break. Spring is my favorite season, and I'm anticipating having a week off of school. For Spring Break, I'll be going to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina where my best friend lives and I'll be living with her for the week, as well as visiting my other friends there. I'll also be learning how to drive a boat.
The weather this week is looking to be decent. Yesterday, temperatures were in the forties, and today we are supposed to have a high of fifty-seven with partly cloudy skies. I'm most excited for tomorrow's weather, as it is supposed to get up to sixty degrees and also have some sunshine. I think the remainder of the week there will be some light rain and clouds, which is a little disappointing compared to the sunshine and higher temperatures.
For Lent this year, I've decided I'm going to practice being kinder, and seeing if I can go forty days without any iced coffee or caffeine. It will be a challenge, as I drink it almost daily, but I want to see if it is possible. I think Lent is a good time to start developing more in the virtue of compassion, so I'll update this journal on how it goes.
I went to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina for Spring Break, which is where I will be moving this summer. I was there for nine days, and for the first seven it was cloudy and rainy with temperatures in the fifties. I have a handful of friends there and met new people that quickly became added to my current group of those I know on the island. Despite the weather, we went shopping in Georgia and the neighboring town, Bluffton, which is where I'll be living. We also did a bit of surfing and I tried new restaurants I hadn't gone to previously the last time I was there.
Thursday and Friday were my most eventful days there, as we went to the beach, played soccer, and then went on my friend's new boat. At first, we could not get the engine going, which took about twenty minutes. Then, we lost our anchor when it fell off of its chain in the middle of the water when we were traveling to the nearby island (Dafuskie) that can only be reached by boat. We then docked at the nearest sand bar to hang out and eat lunch without realizing our boat was stuck in the sand. All seven of us had to push the boat out of the sand after a few trials. Lastly, we got pulled over by water patrol for speeding under the bridge. It was extremely eventful and I can't wait to see them again when I go back in April.
This weekend, I think I feel confident enough to say LOGOS can be described as being powerful and impactful. I grew much closer to people I never thought I would begin to have a relationship with and had the pleasure of becoming closer to teachers and mentors in new ways. I think it is exactly what I needed to further my relationship with God and heal old wounds as well as cultivate joy in the most peaceful and safe environment imaginable. There was never a dull moment when I expected there to be plenty. I learned numerous card tricks and things about myself and others that allowed me to grow as an individual, a friend, and a person called to love others.
LOGOS was full of entertaining moments. Here are the slang words I somewhat failed to teach the faculty and staff:
Milk is most definitely pronounced with emphasis on the "i" like "illness". Likewise, "crayon" sounds like "crahn" with the "a" like "apple". "Pecan" is "peh-cawn" and should not be said as "pee-can". The Caribbean is also supposed to be pronounced like "cuh-rib-bee-un" not "care-eh-bee'an". As someone who has grown up with an immigrant parent and has multiple cultures I've witnessed, my pronunciations are definitely a hundred percent correct.
Prom has just finished, and there will be field day this week on Wednesday. It is supposed to be decent weather, cloudy, and sixty-three. I'm supposed to help out with slip and slide kickball, so that will be fun to be able to spray people and take a break from the stress of upcoming finals and AP Exams. Now that school and family captains have been announced for the upcoming school year, everything is coming to a wrap as the seniors begin to start preparing for graduation in a few weeks.
The weather has been nothing but partly cloudy, and temperatures just above fifty degrees. Any time the temperature is supposed to be in the seventies or mildly warm, it's accompanied by rain or winds. For Spring, it is a little too cold as we approach May. Hopefully, the next month of weather will be much warmer and we can have sunny days in seventy degree weather without any other factors.