Downpouring the blessings

Dearest Blog:
I've missed you. Hope you didn't miss me too terribly.  I sure did miss you. I've been out and about, bouncing from place to place inside this great country called the United States of America.  It's a favorite thing of mine, this whole moving around thing. Lemme tell ya, I've been taking it all in.  It's a dream come true, and I can't believe I just did all I did!

In 12 days, I traveled at least 2,249 miles through 10 different states.  I lived out of a suitcase everyday with the exception of one day.  I'm so excited, and so ready for more.

After the FOCUSequip adventure, I rested a day at home and then headed for New York with my internship.  Since I forgot my camera, I only have one picture to prove it ...

 The next day, I headed back to DC for packing and more sleep.  I was to head to Virginia Beach the next day after work in the morning.

After work, I drove with Audrey Assad, L'Angelus, Brooke Fraser, and 2 of my good ole' playlists.

The hotel we stayed at was awesome. The beach wasn't too crowded, which was SO nice.  I got REALLY burned this afternoon...which wasn't so nice.

Tomorrow, I have my first day at the office for my internship.  So, I probably should be going to bed soon.  Nonetheless, there is my long-story-short update on my happenings!

So many blessings really.

~Esa Cita

FOCUSequip

June 11-21, 2011 The FOCUSequip Training Adventure

June 15, 2011-Ohio


June 16, 2011-DAY 1






June 17, 2011-DAY 2











June 19, 2011-Day 4




June 20, 2011-Day 5

Rush

It's time to take a breather.

I find it pretty crazy that now, at 2:31AM, is the moment that I finally have to myself and my emails, rushing through and taking care of the minimal business that I must.  All the while, I am reminding myself to stay in the moment; this moment is the moment that I am currently called for to live in love.  So, that is what I must strive for.

A few significant points about Thursday:

• We had a lovely morning at the Smith residence in Ohio, We had a lovely lunch with Jennifer's cousin in Indiana, We crossed the border into ILLINOIS (My first time back since high school graduation), we went dancing with a bunch of fabulous people,
• I saw highway signs for St. Louis ...it was a good day.
• The sky is bluer when you cross state lines into Illinois. Did you know that?
• I went to Mass and received Jesus in the Eucharist .... it was a perfect day.
• I had a holy 30-40 minutes in the gorgeous chapel......it was a beautiful day.

It is now  time to get as much sleep as possible. It's the second night in a row where I fall asleep with red eyes exhausted from a day full of activities, so I pray that I have another restful sleep time.
  Gotta get up at 7AM!  Good night world.

~Esa Cita

Adventure time!

Good day folks, this is your captain speaking.  We will be departing at approximately 0630AM, destination Catholic Disneyland in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois with an overnight stop at Columbus, Ohio, land of the Jonathan Smiths.  I would like to please remind you to fasten your seat-belts and turn on the Audrey Assad, Backstreet Boys, and Beethoven, as it is going to be a bumpy and long car ride.  For a special fee of $00,000.00, we will be providing a video blog and eventually notes documenting the trip and any pearls of wisdom obtained from the stay at Catholic Disneyland, also at times known as the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.  The goal is to spread the tools given to us onto the George Mason University Catholic Campus Ministry Community.

All are encouraged to please take from the nuggets and to encourage each other to do so as well.  There are no emergency exits, and this is not a drill. May produce side effects of joy, peace, excitement, and the opposite of death.  Suitable for all ages. Standard rates apply.  Please see humans for details. Thank you for choosing George Mason University and we hope that you have a lovely week, life, and eternal salvation.

~Esa Cita

24 hours

The drive to work this morning was so much more appealing to me as I drove with the knowledge that my skin was significantly tanner due to my runaway day trip to the beach.

There's something special about taking a 24-hour break to a warmer location and returning to work with that coat of warmth that surrounds the beach-goer's skin.  It comes with the knowledge that you beat the system; you had fun during the work week.  You ran away for 24 hours and came back tan, showing it off with your dark skin the next day as you came into work.

Yeah, that's right. How about them apples?  I took a sweet spontaneous vacation with sweet people to visit sweet people, and ended up visiting more sweet people that I didn't know I'd be able to visit beforehand.  I had my first Maggie Moos, I jumped around and did gymnastics, I fell on my back twice being ridiculous, I jammed to 90's music and Hellogoodbye, I ate a ton of fruit snacks with melted chocolate chip cookies; I had the time of my life.  Best of all, in case I should ever forget that I had the time of my life, and in case I forget just where my swim suit lay on me on that lovely Tuesday, all I have to do is look at my back to see the line of contrast between Spaniard skin and darker/redder Spaniard skin.  That coat of warmth that traveled with me to work this morning will serve as the physical proof, the physical reminder of my fabulous 24-hour break to the beach.

Just in case I would ever forget within the next hour or two. Or Twenty-four.

~Esa Cita

Turn around, you just passed by beautiful

When I "grow up" I'm going to look back upon my last summer as an undergrad student and I will smile upon it with joy.

---I will remember jumping in a pool with my clothes on and throwing myself in with a cartwheel 30 minutes later.
---I will remember making the least amount of money that I had ever made in a college summer and desperately searching for concrete answers to everything.
---I will remember Lil' Wayne shocking the world with a slow thought-provoking song on the sad concept of not knowing how to love.  [This may be the only legitimate proof that the world is much closer to ending.....;) ]
---I will remember having the chance for the first time in a college summer to have a social life instead of working every single minute until bedtime.
---I will remember the beauty of prayer, the rosary, advertising Mulieris Dignitatem on my campus to my disapproving non-Catholic brethren, and the Holy Spirit being my love
---I will remember watching my brother's dream come true by getting into Prep.  Holy Spirit provides.
---I will remember Mass and Panera dates with lovely ladies, my morning coffee with G.K. Chesterton, and spontaneous trips to the Shrine...or trying to get to the Shrine through "shortcuts" that add 45 minutes to the ride
---I will remember sassing one of my bosses with a charming smile.  (Only in college)
---I will remember meeting wonderful young people in my parish and talking about letting our hearts come alive.
---I will remember wanting terribly to go back to Spain for my Tia's funeral
---I will remember driving on random nights to iHop with the windows rolled down, music playing ever so loudly, and singing as loudly as I pleased.
---I will remember the reminder that all things come with a plan.  A plan way greater than mine.


I will remember the good; I will remember the challenges; I will remember my silly little heart, wanting everything to be figured out but forgetting joy that surrounds me every day.

It's June 2nd, and I can't imagine a more fabulous start to the summer.

Turn around Cita, you just passed by something beautiful.

May I never forget, may I always remember this marvelous summer.

~Esa Cita