Airtravel

So many sights to see

So wake up like an early birdie
And we'll get a head start on the day
Oh, stained glass sky ways
And crowded six lane highways
If I look back when I begin to leave
Will they remember me?

- owl city

I've grown up flying back and forth over the Atlantic ocean.



My favorite part is the take off. I love how one minute we're on the ground, and the next we're above everything. I like when we're low enough that we can still see the tiny cars on the highways and count the bright blue swimming pools in backyards.

It sort of stinks to wake up early, but I still think flying during sunrise is the coolest. The other morning, when we flew from Omaha to Little Rock, the clouds looked exactly like mashed potatoes.



Sometimes I think about random things in the plane. For instance, I sometimes think about how if I had been born hundreds of years ago, the thought of flying in a big metal machine would have been completely crazy. It still is pretty crazy, when you stop and think about it.

You never really get used to flying.

xox,
Hannah

Some Thoughts

via

I'm sort of starting to miss doing things back home. You know, just normal things. Like baking cookies for church or watching Once Upon a Time with my sister. Or going to Tesco or letting the cat outside in the middle of the night because he's being loud. America is great, and I'm glad to be here. But sometimes I just find myself thinking about all the ordinary things I'm going to do as soon as I'm home.

xox,
Hannah

Are You an Elinor or a Marianne?

I wrote this post back in Ireland, but I never posted it. Today I decided to fix it up a bit and publish it at last. Hope you like it!

Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is a fascinating book. Like all of Austen's stories, Sense and Sensibility is smart, funny, and charming. What I like best about this one, though, is the relationship between sisters Elinor and Marianne. It's so interesting to read about their contrasting personalities and see how they cope with circumstances in different ways.

I love comparing the personalities of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. In so many ways, they are complete opposites.

The Sense

 

First, we have Elinor Dashwood. 

 “She had an excellent heart; her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.”

 

Elinor:

• Is logical and practical
• Is always polite
• Is reserved: she conceals her feelings from even those closest to her
• Is basically Elsa without ice powers

  Elinor is an admirable character. She's intelligent, level-headed, and kind. She puts others first, even when it's hard.

The Sensibility

 Then there's Marianne.

“She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent.”

Marianne:

• Feels deeply, and doesn't see any need to restrain her emotions
• Is a drama queen
• Speaks her mind (often to the point of impoliteness)
• Doesn't consider the consequences of her reckless behaviour
• Is passionate about her opinions
• Is basically Princess Anna

Despite her flaws, there is a lot to be admired in Marianne, too. She's passionate, strong-willed, and ambitious.

The Dashwood sisters struggle to understand each other. To Marianne, Elinor is heartless. To Elinor, Marianne is foolish.

Interestingly, at the end of the story the two sister's seem to understand each other a little better. They even show examples of each other's personalities! Elinor breaks down into a fit of overjoyed tears (showing enough emotion to satisfy even Marianne), and it's clear that Marianne has came through her trials much wiser than she was before. Both sisters develop throughout the course of the story.

It's interesting to me to compare these two different women to myself. Personally, I'm a bit of a Marianne. Not to the same extreme level, thank goodness, but I do see myself in her. I'm often unable to keep my emotions in check, I have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and I've been labeled as overly dramatic (especially when I was younger). 

I'm curious as to see if other people can relate to one of these sisters, too. Do you see yourself in Elinor's quiet, reserved nature, or Marianne's drama? Or are completely different to either of them? Maybe you're a Emma Woodhouse or a Jane Bennet? 

Love,
Hannah

P.S. I was SO excited to see that my blog now has over 200 amazing people following it on Google Friend Connect! You guys rock. Thank you so much.

Illinois

These last few weeks have been loaded.

My days have been full of road trips, sun screen, Chick-fil-A, thunderstorms, mosquito bites, swimming pools, and familiar and unfamiliar faces. I've been in five states, visited four churches (and heard my dad's ministry presentation numerous times in each), slept in six different beds, and spent too many dollars on Starbucks. There has been happy moments and unhappy moments, but it's all been good.

Last time I gave you an update, I talked about my week in Arkansas. Now it's time to talk about my month in Illinois.

I was in Illinois from June 9th to the 28th (or something). We stayed at a "Missionary Apartment" in a lovely suburb of Chicago called Winnetka. 

My dad is from Illinois, so we had lots of family and friends to visit. Also, during that time my sister, brother, and future sister-in-law came to visit us all the way from Ireland. I loved having them there. It was extremely hard saying goodbye at the end of the week, because I won't be seeing them again until October. After they left, my friend Sarah stayed with us for a week, which was lovely.

Here's a bombardment of iPhone photos. Hope you enjoy. 

[Chicago Botanic Gardens. Much pretty.]

[Sarah and I stopping by the American Girl Store. Childhood dream = fulfilled]

[*drools*]

[I love this photo more than words can say.]

[My sister and I are cooler than you are.]

[The Sibs]

[Japanese food = new true love]

[My soon-to-be sister-in-law. I wuv her.]

[I'll have you know that my model sister didn't know I took this. She's just always that model-y.]

[photo credit goes to little bro, who went up to the tippy top of the Hancock building. Like in Divergent, yes yes.]

[SIX FLAGS: GREAT AMERICA IS A FUN PLACE]

[lovely missionary apartment view]

[Pretty, but not good weather in which to walk to the park with your baby cousins. #oops]

Now we're in Iowa, but let's not talk about that yet.

I've missed blogging. I've missed you guys. I hope you've all been having a good summer (or winter, if you're one of those cool southern hemisphere people). Please update me, guys.

love,
Hannah

currently:                                                                                                                
listening to: The new Owl City album. Mobile Orchestra. It's beautiful.              
wondering: How to get videos from phone to laptop?!? Life is hard.