New (old?) beginnings

So, yet again, I live in Seattle.  Yet again, I am starting mostly over. Yet again, I have to set up my bedroom.  Yet again, I have to make new friends.  Yet again, I have to find a job.  Yet again, I feel alone in crowded rooms.  But still... always... I am not alone.  And as Chris August says, the upside of down is that I'm lost and I'm found.  I will always be found in Jesus.

Back in Seattle... For now...

So after deciding on the road that I really wanted to just be back in Seattle, Karen, Hannah, and I booked it pretty hardcore to the lake house.

Day 1 Haines - Tok (added Karen) - Chicken 501 Miles
Day 2 Chicken - Dawson City - Whitehorse 427 Miles
Day 3 Whitehorse - Watson Lake - Kitwanga 715 Miles
Day 4 Kitwanga - Prince George - Marble Canyon 568 Miles
Day 5 Marble Canyon - Whistler (COWS!!) - Parents' Lake House 285 Miles
Total = 2496 Miles with Hannah Roberts and (most of them) Karen Henspeter

We played tourist in the city on Friday, going to the original Starbucks, Seattle Public Library, and REI. Yesterday Hannah left for Denver on the morning train, Karen and I went to the Seattle Sounders game, then I dropped her off at the airport.

Now it's the waiting game all over again. I'll catch up with my people here in the Seattle area, then hit the road again next Saturday after I take (force) Karen to her first real football game (GO HUSKIES!!). Then it's off to Portland and beyond!

Grateful for Haines... and Seattle...

It has been brought to my attention that my last blog post was a little on the downer side of things. So I am going to reinstate Grateful Heart Fridays starting today so I can be reminded of all the things that I am thankful for...

This week I am particularly grateful for my friends in Haines... the fact that a couple new people showed up in town that I think are ridiculously awesome. And the awesome people that have been there for the past couple years who I can hang out with like I never left.

I am also mega grateful for my time in Seattle. What I looked at with trepidation in the moments before leaving Haines, has become a blessing. Not that it's always easy, but I do believe that there is a good purpose for my time here. So I'm trusting God in that. And I do love the time that I get to spend with the little Maxwells.

Seattle

I find myself laying in bed in my parents' house once again tonight. It's an odd feeling, this living in two places. I mean, I spend most of my time in Haines. My heart is in Haines. I feel like God is calling me to live in Haines right now. But for the next month and a half or so, I'm down south. I have to trust that God will use this time for His glory somehow. I feel like I've been clinging to Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Haines and more

I realized that I've been slacking on my blogging lately. I mean, since I last wrote, I have been in Haines for ten days and back to Seattle. Alaska was awesome. Which, come on, we all knew would be the case. I decorated, hiked, watched football, ate... it was grand. And I realized that as much as I love that place, it's ok that I'm not there right now. Sure, I'd love life if I was living in Haines, but that doesn't mean that I can't love it since I'm living in the greater Seattle area. So I hereby declare that I am going to work on loving life more in Seattle rather than wishing I was somewhere else. You heard it here first.

TMI?

I get to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy on the 26th of August. So I'm gluten free for another 2-3 weeks, then going on a gluten tour of Western Washington for 2-3 weeks, then don't eat for a day... should be good times... hopefully they find something that can lead to something other than the bullshit diagnosis of IBS*. But I get to wait at least another month to find out. I guess this is why I moved back, because if I hadn't it would be yet another trip back and forth... But I wouldn't mind being in Haines for the summer... if only...

*After talking with friends, we have agreed that IBS is what doctors say you have when they know something is wrong with your digestive system, but can't tell you what it is. "Oh, you have stomach issues but don't have Celiac, Crohns, food allergies, or a parasite of some sort? Huh. It must be IBS."

a week in

I've been back in the lower 48 for just over a week. Granted, I spent half of that time in Oregon with my family, so I haven't exactly had the chance to settle in, but I think things will be ok. In all honesty, I think the hardest part about being in the big city will be loneliness... being that I am living between 35 and 1000 miles from most of my friends. I wonder if this is how people who live out the road feel...

Home Sweet Home?

Home is where your heart is right? Then more than being homeless, I am homefull. Or something like that. Saying goodbye to my people in Haines was crazy hard. I for sure left a part of my heart there, but am back in Seattle for a year or so or longer... who knows. I put my car on the ferry yesterday and then flew down to Seattle today. On Friday I'll head up to Bellingham with the amazing Ethel and pick it up and hopefully get a few pictures (because it is comically loaded down). Then I'll start unpacking my old stuff (life) and make it feel like home in Seattle (Arlington). Here's to living in my parents' basement for most of my 25th year!

drumroll, please...

For all three of you who follow my blog, this is me publicly, internet-ly announcing that I am moving back to Seattle. Most of Haines hasn't heard for sure yet, but I'm sure it'll start trickling around, and the people that I wanted to make sure that I told personally, I have told, so here it is in blog-land. Kate Maxwell will be living in (or near) the emerald city once more. In case you haven't figured out the reason why, refer back to any post about Pedro. That pesky bugger seems to still be wreaking some havoc on my guts, so it's time to go to a place where I can get more regular help and not have to travel anywhere between 5 and 18 hours to get to a doctor. So Seattle, here I come. Look out, or you might not know what hit you.

seattle

So, I'm back in Seattle yet again. Someday I might finally kick Pedro out of my guts. But until then, it looks like I'll just hand out with people who have letters following their names. Oh well.

intestines

So when I was in Seattle over Christmas I went to yet another new doctor who insisted on testing me for parasites. And yet again, he found nothing. So then he decided to test for Celiac disease (Gluten intolerance). So I hauled by bum back to Seattle to get some blood drawn so he could test this theory out. In the mean time I was told to have no gluten. Great. Awesome. But it actually helped a little. Amazed at how much gluten infests every food I took for granted, I avoided it (with one little setback that I paid for later) and felt amazing. So I was pretty sure I had this gluten intolerance thing. But wait. I finally talk to the doctor yesterday and the says that I don't have the gene that is present in all people with celiac, but I do have some genetic variations that resemble the disease and could make me more prone to intolerance or an allergy. What the heck does that mean? So don't eat gluten (bread, pasta, beer...) for the rest of my life on a hunch? REALLY? So I'm kinda back where I was before... Still feel ok... Have no idea what sets off that magical combination of ingredients that sets my intestines loose like a psycho doing the luge. So it looks like I might be heading to Seattle again in the not too distant future for, you guessed it, more tests. Someday I might actually get rid of all the remnants of the stomach funk formerly known as Pedro.

procrastinating

So, it's been a long time since I've posted. Since the blog world last heard from me I have been to Seattle twice and Las Vegas once.
The first Seattle one was planned... that being Christmas. I had such a good time with my family. It is so much fun having three little kiddos around. Owen (nephew) wanted to help everyone open their presents.
Las Vegas was awesome. I went there to meet up with some friends from the Dominican Republic in '08. We just chilled and caught up. Good times. And since what happens in Vegas obviously doesn't stay in Vegas, if you want to see pictures, check facebook.
The second Seattle trip was medical-related. I finally found a doctor who was willing to keep looking (beyond just lingering parasites) for something wrong with my stomach. So I went down to have some blood drawn. I get the test results back in about a week, so I'll reveal the diagnosis at that point.
Other than those three jaunts, life has been pretty standard. I have been subbing a bunch at the school, which is cool. I'm getting a little bit better of an idea what age I want to teach and stuff like that. School is good. Working on my masters is a little harder than undergrad, but I guess it should be.

Long time no post

For once, it's because I've been busy, not because there's nothing to say...
here's the quick rundown, with details to be filled in later...
-spent 4 days in Seattle
-helped run a fundraising concert of youth group kids
-had a friend visit Haines
-worked on school a ton
-worked a ton

But here's something that is just too random to not share... you know how sometimes you say things that have double meanings without necessarily realizing the second meaning while you say it? This morning I was eating cereal that I hadn't had in forever, and I thought to myself, "I forgot how much I love Life." And then I realized it wasn't just the cereal that made that statement true.

long time no post (ish)

Since the last post, I spent a week in Seattle, watched one of my best friends get married, and made a haul at Costco. You might not think that last part is exciting, but if you don't, then you haven't lived in a super small town. The first two on that list were way cooler. I LOVED being able to be a part of Jamie and Sean's wedding. It was so fun. And they were so cute.
In other news, my brother and sister-in-law found out that the baby they are having in November is a boy, so now Owen is going to have a little brother. They're gonna terrorize each other and tackle each other and fight each other, and I'm going to encourage it. It's gonna be GREAT!! And they'll probably love each other too.
Life is good. Still just kinda hanging out, working. It's odd. I'd never been one of those people with a whole lot of down time before I lived in Haines. Now I work three days a week and just kinda hang out for four. It's a refreshing season of my life. But I don't think I should get too used to it...
Oh, and right now I'm listening to a Backstreet Boys song... what the heck?

Killing time

It seems that's what I've been doing a lot of lately. I sit here, at what I guess has become my computer for the time being at Federal Mortgage waiting for the Salvation Army truck to come.
Check that. They came. And rejected my donation because they don't have enough space. What??? Don't have enough space for a sweet looking table that is heavier than hell? Oh well.
I've also been killing time until I can go back to Alaska. But even up there I was killing time until I could find a job.
At least I kill time well.

Haines, where art thou?

I know it's good that I'm in seattle, but I'd rather be in Haines. I'd rather be looking for a job that could be somewhat longish term. I'd rather be sitting on my couch playing video games or watching movies with friends avoiding the cold weather. But I'm still in Seattle. I'm glad I was here for my family and stuff. And it'll be good to go to the funeral on Monday, but I wish that the ferries ran a little more often...

For those who keep updated on my life through my blog

I am in Seattle for two reasons:
1) my grandfather died this past weekend
2) I couldn't find a job in Haines and my uncle said he had some work for me at his office down here

I technically live in Haines, but I have spent a significant amount of time in Seattle since I moved there in November (see points 1 and 2 above).

I don't know what I'm going to do with my future. Possibilities include:
1) going to University of Alaska Southeast to get my masters in teaching
2) moving to Vancouver and becoming Canadian to enjoy the Olympics next winter
3) finding a real job in Haines and staying there for a whlie
4) moving far, far away to go see something new

I live in a house with a friend and her three dogs. Love the friend. Hate the dogs. And our house is cold because it's really expensive to keep it warm.

I will do whatever I can to live in Alaska over the summer because I'm tired of spending cold months there and leaving when it gets bareable in just one layer of clothing. And if I can be in Alaska for at least 9 months, then they'll pay me next year :)

back in the saddle, back in seattle

wait, what? back in seattle again?
i "moved" to alaska in november, and since then I have been there for a total of 7 weeks and not there for a total of 4 and counting. which begs the question, "do you really live in alaska?" I went into work today (the same job I've had on and off for about 4 years) and the people asked me if i hide in a cave for small chunks of time just to emerge a few weeks later. i didn't think i'd be saying this anytime soon, but I want to be in one place for a while.

dreaming of a white christmas??

it's more like a nightmare. sure, snow is fun, but I was pretty sure that I left alaska. seattle can't handle this. and my parents won't let me take their cars out. so i'm stuck in shoreline. and playing a lot of wii. and i still feel a little sick.

At least people in Seattle are happy

So far, as a result of my decision to stay, I have been out to dinner at Daniel's Broiler and I have been able to partake in a bottle of Dom Perignon Champage. Can anyone say James Bond's favorite? It's nice to know that people around these parts are glad that I'm sticking around...
Now if only things would just find some stability in these parts...