a chookie named muffin

I ran out of time to do the blog post that would do the end of this year justice.

I am home now.

To prove it I did gymnastics on this cliff with Hannah.

The last few weeks of school were full of luaus,

filming a rendition of the Iliad in the back 40,

more hiking,

tearful goodbyes to Stevie Wonder.

"La rana y el elefante son amigos."

Whitworth was a beautiful home for me this year.

Moving into Duvall was like moving into a big house

with your best friends, puppies and crazy uncle.

I think I am in the minority among my friends from home in that I actually had a fulfilling college experience. People were surprised to hear that I was sad to have left. I think more than anything people had expectations for what college was supposed to be, maybe a more amplified version of high school. Acclimating surely may have been easier overall at a school like Whitworth. Maybe I do live in a little bubble. A "pinecone" bubble to be exact. But I don't think that really means much.  What I mean is, when I think back to my list of things that I wanted to accomplish before leaving Whitworth. I can cross off just two. Before coming to Whitworth, I had a preconceived notion of the things I wanted to accomplish and be. Yet, there is no way I could compare that fictional version of the future with the year I have had.

I lived with 5 of the most down to earth and wonderful girls.

I backpacked some of the most beautiful places in the world.

I challenged myself in ways I didn't think possible.

I became part of the foundation of outdoor recreation program.

I made some of the best friends I have ever had.

I learned to stand for the vulnerable.

I took classes that all changed my life.

I danced.

I discovered passions I didn’t know were there.

All this to say, I have done a lot of growing up this year. And goodness I have so much more to go. Yet, I am more sure than ever that after the things that you are passionate about. There are some things that you just know. When we learn to relinquish these ideas of what we think is right for our own lives, we realize that God’s plan is so much better.

Sara Nicole

best times of my life.

Overwhelmed.

Can'tbelievetheyearisalmostover.

BREATHE.

Tu corbata es nublado.

BONJOUR!!!!

I have too much to say. But, they say women talk too much.

Today’s a good place to start.

First: the larp.

one of the most beloved Whitworth traditions.

{Victoria, Sara, Alden}

I went hiking.

twice.

I have a new Bhutanese family. and I love them.

I finished Harry Potter. book the first.

As did the rest of my podmates.

It’s probably for the best because I’ve started talking about old Arry Pottuh in my sleep.

Arry Pottuh that’s what we call him now when we can only get the extra-British narrator to load on YouTube.

I had my first Jubilation concert this weekend and a few of my friends got to come watch. I just never get tired of dancing.

Minus the toupee I had to wear in church today, but we don’t talk about that.

I am completely

overwhelmed

excited

anxious

saddened

mortified

flustered

amazed

that there are 5 weeks until my first year of college is over.

I’m already having to say goodbye to wonderful people.

Oh, and I’m starting a bluegrass band.

Peace.

An Oboe named Ezekiel

Hello.

That’s how people greet one another in America.

That’s where I am now.

America.

I’ve been another Busy Brenda since leaving here:

so to catch you up,

Sometimes when you go to Ecuador,

you see a waterfall,

or two,

you know, you’re right it was three waterfalls.

and sometimes when you go to Ecuador,

you hike up to 16,000 feet with your mom

and your bus driver and tour guide, José

who tells you to keep going even when you feel woozy

and can’t feel the breath on your hand.

and then you run into these indigenous Ecuadorians at the bottom.

and sometimes when you go to Ecuador,

you meet nice young men

who take you up to church towers to see panoramic views of Quito

and when you’re about to leave chases you down the street

to give you a bracelet.

Lucky for me, I have a weakness for such things.

And sometimes when you go to Ecuador,

you go on a canopy tour with your family and two men

who don’t understand your Spanish.

no matter how many times you try.

So, instead they just say ‘¡Qué Cheverre!’

13 times over. give or take.

And sometimes when you go to Ecuador, you spend the afternoon playing with an adorable 4-year old girl.

then visit her school in the middle of the Andes mountains

and have 20 kids come swarm you wanting to take their picture.

And you translate for your parents,

but you get to filter out the extraneous awkward things they say

and sometimes when you go to Ecuador, you find yourself in the middle of a full-fledged Capoiera fight.

then later you find a little town in the middle of a valley

and it’s so beautiful that you just want to marry the mountains

And sometimes when you go to Ecuador,

you like it so much that you decide to study here next year:

CHAO FOR NOW

Saraíta Morrill

PS.

AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com?

I thought so.

Just like Back in Nom

Hola a todos.

Well, it’s official. I’ve sold my soul away to airport gate agents.

I wish the filmers of ‘Airline’ were here for times like this.

I’m on hour 22 of bro’ing in airports. in the past 2 days.

It’s a little game my family passed down from the old country.

We call it, how much can we possibly travel on our non-revenue passes as possible before our heads literally implode.

Some people call us crazy,

and they are right.

The rules are as follows:

Jim crunches the times, mostly.

Jane manipulates the phone people, mostly.

and Sara listens to Harry Potter, mostly.

So, that’s good.

So far there’s been a lot of this:

and this:

Dad likes to borrow the customer service counter to figure out the net gate to sprint over to.

Only to walk back where we started, of course.

Rinse and repeat.

And when people come up and ask questions because he looks like he works there, he answers them like a champ.

hahahahaha.

Every once in a while he looks up and shouts things to me

passed out on the floor.

like:

El Paso! 4:15

Houston! Terminal 3! 2 hours!

So, yeah.

Now we’re headed to Kansas City for the night.

“I’ll never travel on Spring Break again,” my mom says.

She means until next year.

So, until then, or when we get there.

Keep it Real

Sara Nicole

P.S. Did I mention I am going to Ecuador?

Cause I am.

Sometimes, I blog.

Hi, it’s me.

Sara.

I just wanted to let you know.

For those of you who are tired of seeing “breakouts are terrible on your face” on your blog roll.

For those of you who are tired of not scratching your Sara Morrill itch.

That’s good. because the boys are back in town.

Not really. I live in a different town now. duh.

I just wanted to tell you to stand firm. be strong.

I do continue to write in this thing.

I am more overwhelmed than I thought possible.

Not just with school. With bliss.

I am having one of those full-circle nostalgic moments.

sitting in the “Mind and Hearth” coffee shop with one of my best Whitworth buds, Kristin.

I flashed back to the coffee shop dates and

thinking back to the that first week of school when we used to spend our school nights in here.

When she cried with me and held me during my third week of school.

How it seems like eternities since then.

When I came to Whitworth, I never imagined that I would become so close to as many people as I have. The lifelong type.  I think I really hit the jackpot this year.  I never in my life thought I would be able to be living my life growing and living alongside so many people the way I have. Everyday, I just wait for the excitement of college to die down. I keep thinking that one of these days I will be walking back from class without gleaming from the fact that I get to be living here; but it never does.

I know that in college your life is in fast pace, but I feel like I will never take granted of all the people I have surrounding with me-- sharing our stories, taking late night hikes, bursting into eachother’s rooms at random moments, crying from hysterical laughter at most points during the day. I only wish this sentiment could be put into words.

I just decided for this one moment. In the coffee shop, I would let this blog take priority over the million other things that need to be done.

I wanted to take a moment to commemorate the last three month gap that has not been codified into blogger.com.

oh and,

Happy Birthday Alina!

this is us at sky high. the jumping arena. you win a matching knee injury. oops.

{Ryan, Ian, Elizabeth, Alina, Giles, Sara, Alden, Nick, Nathan}

It’s just nights like tonight when you hear someone say “I used to pop and lock then God did a work in me.”

That you know you are having fun.

Keep it Real

Sara Nicole

Break outs are terrible on your face and from jail.

Hi there,

Sometimes it makes me sad that I don’t write for real like I used to.

Admitting it is the first step.

I was folding my socks one morning when I heard some screaming from next door.

I arose from my room to see what was a matter with the clatter.

Emily’s boyfriend flew in from Fairbanks to surprise her. That’s in Alaska.

Micah. He’s such a tool caddy.

A few of us went out do Frank’s Diner because it reminded us of Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls. Then, when they had a Star’s Hollow gazebo it was just too much for words, so we took a picture instead.

{Emily, Micah, Sara, Cara}

Then we took Micah to Target because tights were on sale. But we came home with headbands instead. No harm no foul.

Back at the ranch, we’ve been doing a whole lot of bro’in.

There is perpetual studying to be done. Homework to compute. Applications to apply.

After dance today, I went on an adventure with Micah and Emily into town.

They decided to take the typwagpic. (typical wagon picture)

It was only moments later that a small child creeped out of the wagon wheel and asked Emily where her where daughter was.

She told her she didn’t have one. because she didn’t have one.

At this point, we thought we had avoided anything serious.

I mean, things are pretty caj (casual?)

It wouldn’t have been so funny if moments later a man lurked up behind Emily, while she was singing no less and whispered:

“Are you trying to follow me?”

You know when you watch a scary movie,

or you avoid a near death experience,

and for the next little while you feel a little bit shaken?

a little bit sick inside

some might go as far to say a little bit violated.

That’s kind of what it’s like.

In short, that’s one more reason why we love downtown Spokane.

I am excited for:

- ecuador this spring

- warm weather

- my knee to be healed

- outdoor rec leadership

- jubilation performance troop

-dorm davenport date

- summer staff

- meeting my world relief refugees

-opportunities

-groundhog’s day

hot dang.

Happy Valentines Day!

Buy Fair Trade

Sara Nicole