Got mace?

Got mace? I do. haha. It's my first time owning some and I'm pretty proud of myself. And thats the face I will use when I'm walking down the street with it. No need to mess with this gal. I got mace and I'm not afraid to use it!

I figured moving to Chicago warrented getting some, especially since my apartment is four blocks from the ghetto bus stop. It has been only three days here in the Windy City and I am having a rough go of it. It has been emotional for me to start over yet again with a new church, new friends, new job, new life, etc. And to top it all off, I lost my credit cards, liscence and brand new public transit card (cost 75 dollars I can't get refunded) on the bus today. I was on my way to an interview and had to call my mom crying my little eye balls out. It was pathetic.

I just don't know how I feel about all this starting over business. I crave deep relationships in my life but love the freedom that comes with being mobile. I am constantly a torn person. But I believe, even with losing all my cards today, that God is stripping me down of everything that is comfortable to me. It has been a while since I have been so dependent on him. And even though it hurts and sucks sometimes, I know I need to embrace being out of my element. It is had for me to brave the "newcomers" group at church again and to go to all these interviews for jobs I don't really want to work at.

But as the great theologian, Beyonce, points out..."I'm a survivor, I ain't gonna give up. No, I ain't gonna stop. I'm gonna work harder." Preach it girl.

Thanks for your prayers for me during this time. Transistions are never easy, but they are necessary. And I'm just waiting to see what the Lord has to teach me as I walk this crazy thing called life.

I left my heart in Chicago

What up folks! Well, I had a bitterly cold and snowy week in Chicago. It was awesome to see everyone again. Here is what I did (in no particular order ;-))

*Chilled with my Trinity folk
*Visited with the family I used to babysit for...kids grow, it's so crazy!
*Went to chapel at Moody
*Looked at college students at Moody wondering when I turned into an adult
*Ate pad thai at panang..mmmm!
*Giggled till 2am with Hannah putting our faces on celebrities bodies online
*Sleepovers gallore!
*Hung with Lewis the Great, Stacia and Dan the mighty, Ruthina "Wang" and Tracy the mostest
*Went to a wedding of a gal in my old small group!!!
*Walked around chi-town
*Saw my Abby friend and her darling children
*GOT AN APARTMENT!

and on that note..I'm moving back to Chicago..yipeee!! I got a place on the west side. UH HUH. And I move on Saturday. I know, kind of quick, right? Still on the job market but I think I'm ready for the move.

So, holla at yo girl if you are around the downtown area. I got a piece of floor you could pull up for a while and hang if you needed.

Sorry I didn't take many pics. Maybe I'm taking a sabbatical from all the pics I took last year. But here was my supa fun night with Dan and Stace in the cid:











































Peace out! See you in Chicago!!

Ya, it's that cold

So my dad walked into the kitchen yesterday holding this...

That is a frozen bunny.

He looks like he was mid-run.

Ya, it's cold here.

There's no place like home...

First of all, greetings to my new page. This is the home of my new ramblings so thanks for giving it a try. Who knows what will come out here. To be honest, it will probably be a little more candid and "stacy" like than my world race blog. So watch out people! haha.

I returned from my year (plus) of travel last week. http://stacyutecht.theworldrace.org/

Since the World Race, I realized I have been on:
18 flights
11 bus rides
2 trains
2 ferries
and a partridge in a pear tree

I feel addicted to travel and have no where to get help. "Hi, I'm Stacy. I've been traveling now for, a little over a year and there is no recovery in sight. **HI STACY**" But I made it safely home and got to see these sweet people along the way:

Since being home, my general feeling is that it is nice to be home. It is comfortable in a way I despise yet I embrace it at the same time. I have so many memories in this town and this house and it is familiar. It has its charms. But overall I still can't shake a desire to be free to explore new places and new things.

I miss the world in so many ways and it feels funny to say that, but I do. Tonight I wish I was Dorothy in the book "The Wizard of Oz" when the Good Witch tells her, "The Silver shoes have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. All you have to do is knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go."

Although while I wish I was Dorothy, I would not have answered in the way she did..."If that is so, I will ask them to carry me back to Kansas at once." One would figure that with only three clicks transporting you anywhere you want, any average joe would go half way around the world. So either Dorothy is crazy or smart. Either she wasn't a very adventurous little gal or she embodied the kind of mentality that we all should; that home is truly the best place to be.

Regardless, I am in that sweet place called home. I'm not sure what the next step is. But I invite you on this crazy journey with me. Ciao for now.