the wild, wonderful SAICFF: through the eyes of. . .me. {part 1}

and all i learned. i'm beginning to believe the infamous "ziggy cloud" (you know, as in the comic strip?) that forever follows my mom must be hereditary. in other words, tragedy and embarrassing moments and calamity and. . .well, it's a part of being michaela. or my mothers daughter. haha--love ya, mom!

 

{via} our group walking the convention hall on Thursday

• it's possible to accomplish multiple over-nighters without dying. 
• one can go for hours--even days--on zero coffee. also without dying. 
• passionate, die-hard fans of 'the high kings' can tolerate 'celtic thunder'. it's blasphemy, but true. this was after much controversy and denial. pouting while secretly wishing 'bird without wings' would play just one more time. *ahem* block out the grating voices of paul and ryan, and. . .i  might be a semi-"thunderhead". 
• 'san antonio' is usually pronounced "s-An An-tonio." must be the italian in me, because it's "Ahn-tonio." thank you. 
• joshua phillips listens to (speaking of,) THK. 
• ball bearings are tiny pieces of metal. they should be smooth. otherwise near-death experiences occur.
• i was born in the wrong state. 'seven days in utopia' confirmed that. i'd pack my bags in a heartbeat for the land of drawls, country charm, ranch life--and never look back on OH. if  i could take my puppy, parents, and a sister or four. OR marry my handsome cowboy. 
• the river walk is gorgeous--a twist of Mexican/Spanish/European. . .floating with romantic music, the aroma of food, flocked with tourists. . .and filled with crime. laptops left in open view WILL be stolen. huh, so that's what all that glass was about. i was wondering why the guys left the van window open. . .
• blogger ppls are even more awesome in real life. 
• even borrowed, [PINK] over sized, Walmart-inspired sweatshirts can make one feel like a princess.
• giving up a blueberry bagel sandwich to a homeless man is very fulfilling.
• packing for a trip to texas is hard. layers are important. remembering to wear warm clothes when the weather shifts from 70's to 50's is imperative. sundresses don't count. (guess what i did?) 
• i cannot sleep in people-loaded vans. or on overnight road trips. period. fist-fulls of m&m's don't help. especially when the entire van-load is ingesting them. sugar-high, anyone? 
• movies are fun. fellowship, new experiences, and special friends are better.
• ray comfort has a great sense of humor. "wow, you make me feel tall." 
• camera's should be attached at the hip--always. otherwise they might be left five hours away in a strangers home. . .
• 'courageous' is one of my favorite movies--the third time through and i still cried. nothing--no other movie could possibly beat it, right? until i saw 'seasons of gray.' review coming asap.
• Walmart can be a lifesaver. no, i didn't just say that.
• sitting at the phillips house in the phillps living room on the phillips couch is breathtaking.
• "pumpkin head" is dutch for "slap-happy".
• vacations are great weight-loss programs.
• truly gentlemanly, chivalrous young men are hard to find. i traveled with several. it makes a girl feel good to know her brothers in Christ go above and beyond to honor and protect. 
• messy hair, bad breath, and wrinkled clothes = serious bonding. getting used to the humiliation is another matter. 
• pumpkin-headed people, 5:00 AM, and intense conversation = priceless memories.
• y'all is a cute word.
• i plan on attending the festival next year.
• most importantly, we saw the work of our Lord's hand through everything that happened--the perfectly orchestrated events that without Him, left us powerless. to God be the Glory!!

and that's just a brief overview. . .some of the less-important points i just had to share. the little tidbits that often mean the most. i haven't even touched on our epic van breakdown. WHY we visited the phillips house. charlie zahm's concert on the river walk. celebrating a friends birthday at an outdoor Mexican restaurant. the rescue of stranded travelers at 2:30 AM. the horrible feeling after realizing that wait, i left my newly ordered eShakti dress in the hotel room--and here i am, sitting in the theater on the awards night. . .in casual clothes. the glories of stopping at gas stations for breaks and snacks. hey, a 25 hour drive dulls the mind.

 

thanks to all my wonderful guest posters! weren't they fantastic? keep the comments coming, and don't forget to check out/follow their blogs. hmm. . .already scheming up a new guest-series. 

a few things i've learned since getting home: 

• there is something inside just begging for purpose--a ministry. a vision. i'm waiting on Him to show me exactly what that means.
• singleness isn't a bad thing. the Lord has opened up so many doors in this season of life. i'm enjoying every minute, thanking Him for past and future adventures. it's rather exciting. 
• movie-making is interesting. luckily i know several people in the independent film industry. . . 
• it hurts to return to the snow-lands. spring, hear my call!
• the spring clothing at 'old navy' is loverly this year. peach, mustard, lavender, turquoise, mud, mandarin, cream . .mmm. my mom is having 80's flash-backs. . .i'm loving the feminine look. and the peasant tops. and the maxi skirts. it's possible to shop and actually find girly-clothing!