Streeeetch

So many things happen every day, and while I admire the people who blog every day...honestly, I'm too busy making memories to write them down!
In our household journal that the SOL sister have written in when they come, several sisters used to word "stretch". "Austria stretches you", they say. The first day, when myself and my 3 other household sisters here opened the household box and read that, I don't know about them, but I didn't get it. As the days pass, however, I can't get that word off of my mind. When I realized my classes were not going to be a piece of cake, when I got blisters the size of texas on every one of my toes from walking all day, when I experienced just how uncomfortable sleeping on a bus really is...I began to understand the meaning of "stretched". Even further than that, I feel that God is stretching me to the very seams in my spiritual life, in my relationships, and in the non-stop pace of life here. It's the kind of stretching that leads to a better formed product, though. You know when you're spreading pizza dough? You have to tug and pull at the dough, that just does not want to spread. If you make a hole, you don't know what you're going to do, but you just keep stretching. Yes, I just made an food analogy, but that's the way my mind works, I guess.

Speaking of a non-stop pace....I have to go before I have really written anything concrete. Well, I'll put up a picture of a mountain. Ok. Bye for now.

Cliff bars and Backpacks

So I have to say, I'm not much of a hiker. An occasional nature walk, but not the hardcore, Cliff Bars and boots, backpacks and scaling rocks, mud and bugs sort of thing. So I still am baffled as to why I signed up for a 16 mile hike. Yes, you heard me right, and no, Dad, I did not get the conversion from kilometers to miles wrong- it really was 16 miles. When the school told us about this hike, they described it as a hike "anyone can do". A 7hr, low key, occasional hill, fun pilgrimage to Our Lady of Mariazell shrine. I figured this was a standard, everyone-does-it-I'll-be-fine sort of thing, so I signed up, along with 3/4 of the student body here.

Let me tell, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my 20 years of life. The day started out great, with sunshine and good spirits, and it truly was gorgeous. I brought a backpack that had mine and my roommate's lunch and bathing suit, towel, water bottles, and other essentials in it. I soon realized that it was not the smartest choice. I honestly didn't mean to overpack, and it didn't feel like overpacking back in the comfort if the Kartause, but let me tell you, 3 hours in and you start to feel like every oat in every granola bar in the bag weighs 3 pounds. My camera was in the bottom of the backpack, and I regret not being able to get the most gorgeous parts on the trail on record. When you're walking for that far, and that long, and asking yourself why on earth you ever thought it was a good idea, I realized that so much of your attitude can be affected by the people you are with. I was lucky- the group I was with prayed together, laughed, and encouraged each other. It truly became a pilgrimage and a bonding time as we fell and got cuts and lost nearly all willpower going up steep inclines.

A couple hours in, one of the sisters joined our groups, and she was the greatest blessing of all. She had been sick for 10 days before the hike, and still felt called to come on it with the students. At the toughest parts, she kept us distracted by asking about our lives, and we all opened up to each other even more as we got to learn about each other's families and lives.

I was worried about how my knee was going to do, although I tried not to show it, and there were times when I pictured my physical therepist rolling his eyes and me and calling me an idiot. I am just so happy that I was able to do that hike. If I had known what I was getting into, I'm sure I would have thought I couldn't. I guess God really wanted me to go though, because He got me through it, and honestly, my feet hurt 10 times more than my knee.

The thing is- it was awesome, and hard, and a sacrifice, but I would do it again. Well......maybe not right away.