3:40 am.
Darkness has surrounded me and despite my body slowly giving in, my mind won't let me go to sleep.
It's racing with memories, old and new. My heart is over flowing with joy and gratitude as I feel so extremely blessed.
I have spent the last week with some (20+!!) Missionary Kids (MKs) from Papua New Guinea, which has been an unbelievably special time and has been far beyond all that I could have hoped for. After half a year of packing up my world and adapting to a new one, figuring out college and the American life, it was exactly what I needed- to be able to bring in the New Year with old loved ones was such a treat.
The great thing is that MKs have this special bond that no words can describe. Even the MKs I haven't seen in years or were never close to, we still connect deeply, and even MKs from different counties that I meet- we all have this thing within in us that just has an understanding that can't be described. It is quite remarkable.
It has been so much fun because I've been able to see people I haven't seen in 5ish years, friends who have since gotten engaged, friends I wasn't close to before but now have formed a friendship, friends I thought I'd never see again and one of my very closest friends in life. We've made new memories that are separate from PNG ones, but also reflected on the old.
Part of me feels like I never left PNG because, as bazaar as it is to see all these faces again, and in a Westernized setting, it feels so natural. As much as I love my life at college, that is exactly what I needed, to totally step aside from current life and go back "home", to the familiar at least. And since I was a million miles from home this holiday season, it's the next best thing.
But in the middle of this excitement I've been reminiscing (as expected at New Years) and realizing how much has happened in the 6 months since I've left (which I haven't blogged about) despite it going by in a blink of an eye.
God has been so incredibly good to me- providing me with friends, people to fill ever little whole I might have in my life, great teachers and classes. To give me comfort in time of pain, strength in times of weakness, energy finishing many a late night paper. I have learned so much in every area of my life and just really discovering so much in me and...this world.
2012 was really quite some year. Starting in PNG blowing up deodorant cans on a dirt mound, and cruising in the back of a pick up truck, to having every "last", cramming it all with memories. Senior trip, Banquet, Grad, packing up, lock ins, retreats, holidays, outreaches, SRC events, Cairns vacation, reunions, goodbyes, traveling around the US with my mom, visits from a brother, moving into a dorm and starting college, Thanksgiving in Ohio, Christmas in Georgia. And how fitting that it all came full circle to end it with a house full of PNG folks. It was definitely a great start to 2013. :)

We've spent the week eating out, going Ice Skating (still feeling that one...), watching the new Les Mis (SO good), catching up on each others lives, playing Chinese Checkers like a pro, drinking countless cups of coffee, and just all around enjoying each others company. I am truly happy and ready to start another semester.