A Whirlwind of Events

August 4. What the heck. Where has the summer gone? Hmmm maybe it passed me sometime between a trip to Africa, a canoeing adventure in Canada, my sister's wedding, and an American Idol audition in NYC? Naaahhhh....

I had originally intended to write a blog about each of these events separately, but since time has caught up with me, I find I'm creating a hodgepodge blog entry that will most definately test my reader's attention span. ha...

From June 12th until the 26th I was in Uganda, Africa on an OCMC mission team (See previous entry!). It was an incredible experience and I enjoyed every minute of it; from medically treating over 3,500 patients to the bumpy roads the Ugandans travel on. It was eye-opening to see the Ugandans living with so little but never ceasing to give everything they had to not only their comrades, but strangers and the missionaries from the U.S. who have so much back at home. It was the most humbling realization I had while I was there, and even more so when I came home and saw the wealth around me; how is it we can have so much and they have so little? How is it we are so unhappy and they are so joyful?

Our team traveled to the regions of Gulu and Lira where we set up a clinic each day in different little villages; most of them an hour or more away along nearly impassable roads. We treated patients and saw mostly malaria, parasites, worms, HIV, STDs, and Epilepsy, as well as complications (such as backaches, headaches, and stomachaches) from these ailments. It is interesting to note that we saw very very little or no problems with high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. How different our culture and way of life is!

The missionaries on our team were incredible people and I was blessed to have been part of such a group. The Ugandans we met there; the priests and translators were unforgettable. There is much work to be done in Uganda for the betterment of their future, and I ask that you keep them all in your prayers. Also for the implementation of a permanent clinic to be set up in the near future.

For those of you who know my family, we are a close-knit, goofy bunch who love to get dirty, and seek adventure and thrill together. For us, the more random and less-traveled the excursion, the better. Family vacations in the past have taken us backpacking, hiking and camping in the Wild wild west, jumping sand dunes, and biking across Idaho. This was our last real family adventure; a week before Ellie's wedding. My Dad decided something different, so we drove 24 hours north near Thunder Bay, Canada to Quetico Provincial Park. We rented 3 canoes and spent several days paddling the lake system, camping and fishing. It was complete solitude and just gorgeous. But the best part wasn't the spectacular scenery, the wildlife (bald eagles, loons, moose, and black bears!), or even the vastness of Lake Superior, but it was the time we spent as a family; Getting lost, picking islands to camp on, playing Bid Pitch at night, fishing (and eating the catch!), getting rained on, paddling capsize-able rough areas of lake (that almost resulted in mutiny from one of the paddlers!) and even arguing that made the trip so memorable. I am truly convinced that I am part of the best family ever, and I feel so blessed!

On July 25, my oldest sister, Elizabeth (Ellie) married Eleftherios Constantine. It was the only event my family has been talking about, planning and stressing about for the past year. It was a beautiful wedding, with family and friends that came from all over the U.S. to celebrate. The entire weekend was memorable; from the get-togethers to the visitors to the special time we spent just as a family or the three girls and John. It has made me come to many realizations in life; how fast time flies (cliche, but I swear it was just yesterday we were running around in our backyard in bathing suits and tutus carrying baskets and making "soup" out of bits of mud, grass and sticks!), how I am not looking forward to planning my own wedding one day (haaa...), and how sometimes I keep thinking "when I'm older...." and realize that holy crap I'm almost 23! The whole weekend sped by and was all such a blast, but I realize its not the awesome party or events of the weekend that made it so memorable for me; it was the little things and little thoughts that really meant the most. When we all came together (Rogers, Mellas's and Constantines) to whip up a spectacular open house just hours before it began. Seeing my little cousins Kevin and Stephanie asking my Dad what they can do to help, Derek and Beth always being there despite the crazyness of it all....that evening of wild preparations will stand out in my mind as something more special than the party itself.

Not the walking down the aisle or the kissing of the bride, but the emergency stop to Tim Hortons on our way to the church so the bride could pee....the excitement--unlike anything I've ever felt before--of waiting in the Narthex with my closest cousins...of seeing my sister and my Dad dance to a song that I wrote and sang just for them....of being able to smile and laugh as I see how those closest to me have grown, and how despite distances we have stayed so close as a family. These memories are the special ones in my mind and if I can hold onto anything of that weekend, its those moments.

As if life hasn't been crazy enough, a few days after the wedding, my mom, dad and brother John left for NYC/New Jersey to audition for American Idol! I have loved the show the past couple years and being musically inclined (or at least I like to think so...), heeded the suggestion of several people and decided to try it out.

Without getting into a long explanation of my insanity, If anyone knows me, I am the most uncertain, random, and lost individual trying to make my way to common sense. Its been quite the road, and its still winding away. But regardless of my liking to chase turtles and work with coral symbiodinium in a lab, I have always been drawn to music and performing. Being a beatnik scientist or a struggling musician have always been toss-ups for me. Anways, the excitement and thrill of auditioning for the most watched TV show was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I had no idea what it involved; standing in lines from 4am until mid-afternoon, TV cameras, wild fans, producers, celebrities, and an audition process that was as stressful and physically taxing as well as exciting and unforgettable. Needless to say, I found I was never nervous, but enjoyed every minute of my 30 second audition spotlight. For those of you that watch the TV show, there are thousands of people who audition, and before you get to audition for the judges as you see on the show, you need to pass two separate "cattle call" auditions in front of producers first. There were many amazing singers who didn't make it through to round 2, and many that made it through just for entertainment purposes; superwoman costumes, "The Joker", or sex appeal (taking off one's shirt is an almost guarantee golden ticket). My brother John and I faced the producers together, which was really special and though we both sang really well, we weren't crazy enough to be on the show...a good or bad thing...? haha. The producers judging did tell me specifically to keep singing and to keep up my smiling, because apparently they enjoyed my non-stop grin. Hahaha. It was a great experience, and now that I know the ropes, have ideas for next year's audition....none which include removing articles of clothing though, don't worry.

Another great part of the trip was visiting NYC. I hadn't been there since I was probably 7 or 8 years old. So we saw all the tourist sights, and although I am not a big city person, thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop excitement the Big Apple holds! I would definately visit again soon.

So there you have it. A novel-legnth blog post for a whirlwind of events.