FROM 4 LOKO TO 4 JESUS: February 2015

Hi guys. So I used to be living in South America and I used to write blog posts about it. But now I'm not living in South America so I stopped writing blog posts. BUT I MISSED FOSTERING MY CREATIVITY THROUGH BLOG WRITING. So I'm back. To write about living in San Luis Obispo, CA. Lol.

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I'M NOT WRITING THIS FOR ANYONE BUT MYSELF AND LIKE MAYBE THE 3 PEOPLE WHO ALSO CARE. I'm not in it for the fame or the book deal. I just really want to remember this time of my life forever and ever. And because Ginger Hendrix told me to. So here's an unreasonably long post about nothing other than just my day 2 day life. ALSO I FIGURED OUT HOW TO PUT PICTURES ON THIS. Movin' on up.

THIS IS THE QUARTER OF BEING A COMPETENT WOMAN. Idk if I just like matured or something but suddenly I just feel very competent. I manage my time well, go salsa dancing on Friday nights, meet with wise women friends at 7am on weekday mornings, blog (lol), have a resumé, go on dates, develop projects with really smart professors, read about cross-cultural management and business strategy in bed with a glass of wine and candles lit before taking a bubble bath, AND EVEN MAINTAIN A CLEAN ROOM. I really hope the days of being unshowered and undinnered and always procrastinating are behind me for good. I had a couple days with lapses in competency and it was just stressful and unpleasant and I'm so not into the incompetent Jansen. Goals to increase competency this next month include regularly working out, finding a source of income, buying a competent woman watch once I have income, and refining my music taste. To be continued...

I've never been more obsessed with a home. Just a house full of gals living on Balboa Street so obviously our house is referred to as Galboa (copyright: @claireshannon). I think I'd actually be ok if I never left my home. We're just so self-sufficient at entertaining each other. Most popular Galboa activities include: being naked, homework bed, hammock spooning, wine nights, neighborhood jaunts to the lake, babysitting Maggie, having surprise visitors always, roof beers, and farting on each other.

Sometimes you and are your roommates and Julia Core are all just hanging out in your room and then you start teaching them salsa dancing and then it turns into Julia and I trying to twerk and then it turns into us finding sweaters and wigs in 'Jansen's Slutty Cat Costume Corner To Be Used For Bringing Highschoolers In SLO County To The Feet Of Jesus' in the garage and doing a full walk-on dance performance for my roommates for no purpose other than for our own enjoyment (the performers and the audience). Because what else would you do on a Sunday night. THESE ARE THE KINDS OF FRIENDS I WANNA HAVE FOREVER.

Chuy and Vicky. They're my everything. They are a married couple in their late fifties that came here from Mexico 10 years ago and they're my actual angels. I met them last year when Chuy and his ex-nun-friend came into Tahoe Joe's and I served them steaks. And the rest is history. Last spring Chuy, Vicky and I would meet for coffee every week to practice their English and my Spanish. They started inviting me over to their house for real Mexican food and hang time and it quickly became my most favorite activity. We reunited last week for the first time since I've been back from Chile and it was the most special morning ever. Not only do they love, support, and encourage me in every way possible--but they also teach me so much. I put an incredible amount of value in the fact that I can hear about real life in Mexico and the difficulties of being an immigrant from the perspective of someone who experiences it firsthand. It has changed my perspective entirely. Being in relationship with humans in an often marginalized people group is something I will strive for for the rest of my life.

Claire Shannon, Allie Davis, and I make up what we like to call the Wise Women Council (Level 1). We meet every Thursday morning at 7am to talk about important topics like the book of Job and feminism. But mostly we just end up sitting and talking about how ignorant we are and how much we have left to learn but also how real Jesus is in the middle of our messy lives. It is the most life-giving part of my week. Claire and Allie are just a couple of v intelligent women that I admire more than anyone. Sometimes it makes me cry tears of joy.

Irrelevant information about this month that is relevant to me:

One weekend I went Lady Camping with 25 ladies. We talked about ovulating and battled raccoons and roasted weenies and spooned.

Realizing that the YoungLife community here is one of a kind. Feeling incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to be apart of it for 4 years. Thank goodness I accidentally became a Christian and a YoungLife leader 3 years ago lol.

Another weekend I went to Disneyland with 13 other idiots in matching t-shirts with Johnny May's face on them.

Developing a deep deep reverence for San Luis Obispo. Like there is just too much easy access to incredible beauty here. Really tryna take advantage of that for these next 5 months.

3 out of 3 of my roommates work at coffee shops. So many benefits. So many.

I'm trying to touch my ukulele more this year. Currently learning Riptide by Vance Joy. Honestly it's not going that well.

We like to babysit our golden retriever dog friend Maggie. She sleeps in my bed with me and holds me all night long. I woke up in the morning and her face was inches from mine. Nothing makes me feel more complete.

100% more confused about my future than I was 2 months ago. I just get more confused everyday. I think God is lol'ing at me. I'm learning that letting go of plans is really good. I think that's the theme of what God's been showing me this month. Learning to let go of my plans and grab onto Jesus. Ok God whatever you want, I'm in.

Here's a small photo stream: