Right now I am busy. There is a huge list of things to do at any given time and it's only the second week of school. It's also only the first real month of the job hunt and the second week back at work, so obviously things are not going to get any less busy. But Saturday i had the opportunity to be reminded of what is missing from my to-do list, something that really fulfills me.

Community Service

It used to be in my job description, something that I took for granted because I did it so often and had such great relationships with community organizations. Not only was I constantly volunteering, I was sending my students and friends to constantly volunteer with organizations that really resonated with them. That was amazing.

This Saturday our neighbor invited us to tag along at a Habitat for Humanity build and we spent a few hours helping to build a low cost house for a veteran. He was there, helping to build that day, and was really excited about the opportunity. I was able to speak to one of the women employed by Habitat about exactly what they do and was really impressed with the way they operate. They hold the mortgage for the homeowner so that if something comes up with their fixed income there is more leeway than if a bank held the mortgage. Additionally, they build the home at such low cost that the mortgage is affordable. This particular house's mortgage was going to run about $300 including taxes and insurance for a 30 year mortgage. Pretty amazing.

I am incredibly privileged, and even I understand the difference that having ROOTS can give you. Owning our home gives me a sense of security and peace that I have never felt before. (And we don't even really own it yet, the bank does!) We don't have landlords bugging us, walking into our home at any given time. We can fill our home with the people and animals that we love. We have property to host a get together or garden or let the dogs run around on. It's amazing. I am so glad that Habitat is providing this same sense of well being to other people, people on limited incomes who have spent a while feeling financially insecure.

And now I'm hooked again. I never stopped donating and organizing for community organizations but there is something so different about waking up early on a Saturday and putting yourself to work. Maybe I just miss my APhiO days (we volunteered almost every Saturday morning in undergrad) but either way, I'll be searching out opportunities to do this again. And if you are in Gainesville and would like to volunteer with me on MLK Day... sign up here and use "Team Awesome" as your group affiliation. We'll be placed on the same project if you do.

What ways do you serve your community and get involved? Does it fulfill you?

♥ Jessa

Remember how I said I was going to do Wordless Wednesday. I lied. That happens sometimes and I apologize. This is a way cooler way to chronicle all of those silly and awesome moments, plus it is already making me take the time to appreciate the little things that are just so amazing about my life. Instead of doing Wordless Wednesday I will now be posting a collage a day to my Facebook and once a week I will be featuring the whole week as a blog post. I think that's way more fun.

So here is Week 1!

Following Danielle's lead... A collage a day for 2013. January 1: Happy New Year party and kisses, wearing my awesome new sweater as my Noles win the Orange Bowl, and a new game at game night!

January 2: We used our Groupon to have the most ridiculously decadent burgers ever. Turkey between two grilled cheese for me and a footlong burger for Wayne. Completed my first job application.

January 3: First run of 2013 went alright, fried tofu to go with my palek paneer, Thunder ventured out to the living room for the first time since "the incident".

January 4: My books for my last semester (for now) of grad school came! Spent the morning making Wayne delicious breakfast sandwiches for the freezer, I love trader Joe's. seriously. Oh, and leftover fireworks!

January 5: Baked a freezer quiche for myself; broccoli, cheddar, and fried onion. Also, check out the snuggly girl!!

January 6: Wayne is so excited for a Seahawks win! Yes, I was reading student affairs stuff in a sports bar, and puppies reunited!! So happy!

January 7: My fastest mile yet!!! The Great Mouse Detective!! Dolce got Chomsky's collar off the real way. how did she do that?!

Isn't that fun? You should do it with me! Or maybe one collage a week? I'd love to see them.

♥ Jessa

I have spent this entire week on cover letters and job applications, a tedious but incredibly interesting endeavor. After tons of research, 4 completed applications, and 4 more cover letters I have noticed some trends.

Lately everything seems to be screaming WEST COAST at me. Some of the most exciting (but not all!) Residence Life positions I'm seeing are on the West Coast, people keep asking me about it, I'm reading books about people in Oregon, following new twitter friends that are there, and so on and so forth. So I decided to put together a quick list of reasons why I obviously will end up on the West Coast again at some point in my life. This post is heavy on the awesome and light on the depth, I hope you'll forgive me.

First off... THIS ridiculously adorable love story . Who doesn't love little old men in love?

Second... THIS

and THIS

and THIS

Plus there's the beer... and the wine... and more wine... and the blueberry picking and farmer's markets .

There's also a ton of amazing student affairs professionals working on the west coast who daily inform my choices, my positivity, and my research interests. I hope I get to meet some of them in real life at NASPA this year!

And finally, there is Macklemore. Seattle born and bred and an incredible lyricist. If you have a few minutes I highly suggest you watch the videos I've embedded and explore some of his other work. They are really well done. The first is pretty much my theme song.

♥ Jessa

After much consideration of the many wonderful things that 2013 will probably bring, and the inevitable accompanying challenges, I have come upon a word that I think will help me continue to grow.

I know that I have been going though this great transformation - I am incredibly proud of the ways in which I have come to know myself. As I embark on a new professional journey and find my first full time job as a student affairs professional it will be a challenge to continue to be the new me. Instead of losing myself in my work, as the old Jessa might have done, I want to ensure that I am continuing to be completely present. I want to consciously appraise the way my values affect my work and the way my work affects my values, I want to continue to learn more about myself and my wants and my needs. I need to continue with periodic reflections so that I can continue to grow. And perhaps most challenging for a vocal extravert I need to be able to stay quiet so that I can learn from the people around me.

Selah is a word found in the Hebrew bible. Its meaning has not been pinpointed exactly but the general consensus is that it means to pause, to reflect, and to consider the meaning of what has come directly before it. It can also mean the connection between two things, understanding a cause and effect relationship, and understanding the past as you move forward into the future. For the purposes of my #oneword2013 it will mean all of those things. I will use this word to help me stay rooted in everything I have learned as I move forward. It will help me to stop, to pause, before i speak or leap (hopefully). I am so incredibly excited to see what 2013 will bring.

Selah ♥ Jessa