I know that you are important to the earth and all that, but could you shine a little less on Tallahassee, please? That would be stellar for many reasons: fewer sweat stains on my shirts, a more pleasant smell when I enter the room, less need for excessive sunscreen, etc.
Thanks for your consideration,
Mary
Hello, friends from various states! (And I do include the states of confusion and chaos.) Welcome to my first blog post of my Lutheran Campus Initiative missionary year. I hope this finds you well; it finds me soaked in sweat from my excursion to Publix, the local grocery store. I made the brilliant decision to walk there in 98 degree heat. Hence, my letter to the sun.
Putting the heat aside, I have been really enjoying my first few days in Tallahassee. After three days of driving, my dad and I arrived on Friday. We met up with Pastor Jay Winters and his wife Liz at University Lutheran Church and moved all of my stuff into the basement apartment. It's a nice place with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a small kitchen -- I'll include some pictures at the end. The church is general is nice also, especially the people I met Sunday morning. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and kind. I'm excited to work with them this year!
After moving in, my dad and I were able to explore Tallahassee. On Saturday we wandered around the Florida State campus, intending to follow a self-guided walking tour. However, we quickly got ourselves turned around, so we decided to mosey around the different buildings in no particular order. We found several dorms and classroom buildings, the impressive football stadium, and a few sporting fields and courts. Our favorite part of our "tour" was the statues, which are really neat. I was pleasantly surprised to find one called "Sportsmanship" right in front of the stadium entrance. After walking around FSU, we decided to drive over to see the Florida A&M and Tallahassee Community College campuses, too.
On Sunday, we were able to go see one of the canopy roads. These are roads with "huge moss-draped live oaks, sweet gums, hickory trees and stately pines" that "join together in casting protective shadows" over the roads, according to the "Visit Tallahassee" magazine we picked up. I couldn't say it any better. It's truly beautiful.
My dad flew out Sunday night, and so today I've been doing a little exploring on my own. Pastor Jay and I walked over to Brooklyn Water Bagels this morning, where I had an absolutely delicious chocolate chip muffin. After our outing, I decided to walk to Publix. I can disregard the heat (mostly) because of the nice conversations I was able to have along the way. I talked with an FSU senior for quite awhile, and she gave me some good advice about the neighborhood. The cashier and bagger at Publix were nice as well, and I talked to a man sitting by the Publix drive with a sign. We talked about our mutual love of Jesus, and he encouraged me to follow my dreams. (My only regret is that I forgot to invite him to church; I thought of it when I was a mile away. I hope I see him there again.)
That brings us to the here and now. I'm eagerly waiting for my fellow missionary Katie's arrival tomorrow afternoon. She was in North Carolina when she last texted me. I'm looking forward to meeting her, doing a "spiritual retreat" that Pastor Jay provided, seeing my mom when she arrives on Thursday, enjoying the Fourth of July, and getting installed on Sunday! I'll give you all an update next week!
Until then, here's the Iowa Girl Meets World, signing off. Observe the apartment pictures I have provided below.
