Small Joys volume 5 (from the Midwest)

Hello beautiful friends!  I'm writing my small joys a couple of days late this week (though, maybe that's better than me not writing them at all for the past few months?) and from the great midwestern city of Indianapolis.  I'm supposed to be sleeping right now, but my body doesn't always know how to do what my brain tells it to.  There's a body nearby on the air mattress on the floor that appears motionless; I'm going to assume that means he's still sleeping.  Sometimes when I'm feeling really annoying I'll tumble off of my bed onto Scott's air mattress to startle him and wake him up, but today I'm taking the high road and writing a blog post instead.  There's something in the corner of the room right now (it's very dark in here) that looks like a dementor waiting to take my soul, so if this post is published posthumously, I hope it will be known that I was taken by the dementor in the corner of Scott's room.  And since dementors (this is a Harry Potter reference for those who think I'm making up words.  My SpellCheck thinks I am) remove every joyful thought you've ever had, let's not dwell on them any longer.  Onto the joys:

1. Indianapolis. That's my first joy right now. It's where I am currently and where the man I love is currently, and for a brief time, we're both in the same place at the same time.  Our engagement has been challenging so far, and I've struggled with finding joy in the midst of the chaos considering that my fiancé has been so far away. I can't even explain to you how peaceful and joyful this experience is, of being in the same city as him and talking about our future together as if it's really happening now.  And it is.  In less than a year I'll have to move up here and live life with him as my husband.  I'm terrified to leave everything familiar but excited for a new adventure and what is to come for us.  It means letting go of my control-freak nature and trusting God with everything, from where we will live to my job, finding friends, finding a church home, and setting the foundations for a marriage that brings glory to our Maker.  So much anticipation, so much joy over the city of Indianapolis and the person I love who lives in it right now :)

Indy at night, the Capitol building. 

2. Running.  So, Scott and I ran the Indy 5K yesterday.  Or that's what we've decided to share with people.  After training separately for our half marathon, we were anxious but excited to run the Indy Mini Marathon yesterday.  Scott started having knee pain during the race, so somewhere between miles 3 and 4 we ended up stopping and walking back to his apartment.  We had already discussed that this half marathon was about being healthy and not about winning or how fast we could run it, and sometimes being healthy means listening to your body and stopping when it tells you to.  There will be other half marathons and opportunities to run, but I'm just happy we were able to at least run a 5K together.  It's been a while since we were running buddies, and it felt nice to run with him again.  We did both make it to 10 miles in our training so I know that we are capable of running the half, we'll just have to pick another time to do it!

Carb loading at Boca di Beppo

A little blurry, thanks to an unknown stranger. But pre-run

Our view waiting. We were in a late corral 

thanks to me (aiming for a 12 min mile.. haha)

3. Louisville.  Yes, another city that I don't live in listed as a small joy this week.  I was blessed to be able to ride from North Carolina to Louisville with my sweet friend Lindsay this week on my way to Indy.  She was taking a final for a class in NC and then was coming back to Louisville, so I got to taste a little bit of her life in Louisville during Derby week up there.  I enjoyed spending time with Lindsay and her fiancé, seeing how cool Louisville is as a city, and taking part in some local culture.  I tried delicious BBQ while there, tasted the yummiest frozen drink I believe I have ever had (it was a swirl of frozen sangria and a frozen margarita. Oh yum), tried bourbon for the first time (apparently all bourbon comes from Kentucky... so when in Rome, right? It was actually pretty delicious), saw all of the Derby hats on their way to Churchills Downs (we did not make it there since it was Derby weekend but maybe when I live up this way next year I'll get a Derby hat of my own and visit Lindsay in Louisville), and shopped in some local stores (one of which provided me with my wedding jewelry!).  I really like Louisville and am anxious to return there for a visit again soon.  I'm so thankful that when I get married and move up here, one of my best friends will be only a 1.5 hour drive away.

(I just heard the body on the air mattress shift, and there were a couple of deep breaths before returning to his motionless state.  I think this at least confirms that he is alive. The dementor hasn't taken him yet).

4. Public Libraries.  Scott and I studied in the Indianapolis Public Library yesterday before heading to church, and it was just so fun.  We studied in a "cove" in the children's section of the library, which was actually quite cozy. I tested out all of the nifty chairs in the library and insisted that Scott document with photographs.  Seriously, coolest library ever.  It has an old part that reminds me of Wilson Library at Carolina, and the newer part is very high-tech and modern looking.  Here's some pics from the library outing.

Cove 3

Love some Ramona Quimby. These books

were my jam. 

Sleepy boy in the library. He has no idea I took this.

My egg chair. So cool.

The body on the air mattress is now moving quite a bit.  I should probably go be annoying and wake it up.  I've held out on being a mature adult and letting him sleep for long enough now.  With time only to document 4 small joys this week, you can be sure I'll be back with more post-travelling.  Love to you all and I hope you are finding joy in your week.

Grace & peace,

C.