Amy Upshaw

The Simple Life

2011-12-29T22:59:00.000-08:00

I was able to talk via the wonders of modern technology to my dear friend Bea the Catholic from Honduras the other day. I must admit, Honduras is rarely far from my mind. She asked me point blank why I had not been keeping up with the blog. My response was simply that my life wasn't as adventurous these days.

I am living the simple life. I am on vacation from school eager to start back in January. I am getting trained to work as a tax preparer with Liberty Tax Service (no, I will not be dressed up like the statue of liberty). I am currently attempting to try to dress more professionally in my day to day life. I have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world, Grant. I have the loveliest roommates. I still get to speak Spanish and enjoy the Latina side of me with my dear friend, Lina. Life is slow and rhythmic and pleasurable. Instead of hanging out of trucks driving through the Himalayan mountains; I have found myself driving a PT cruiser through the Smoky Mountains. And thought not wild nor crazy, this is my life. And I love it.

Confession

2011-11-25T07:50:00.001-08:00

For 19 years of my life, I Amy R. Upshaw, was a nail biter. I am not really sure why the phenomenon began to occur. Perhaps due to my older brother's rough and tumble influence, most probably due to the fact that I was too lazy to find nail clippers. Either way my fingernails have looked (as my roommate Molly has mentioned) quite manly.

About a year ago my resolve to quit biting my nails hit an all-time high.

I am a woman! I thought to myself.

And thus the battle began.

There is a saying about habits: "Old habits die hard." I found out it's true. I tried wearing gloves, putting band aids on my finger nails, wearing finger nail polish--yet the process has been long and hard.

However, today at breakfast the family was seated around the table. My sister looks at me and says "Amy, I have never seen you with long fingernails before!"

Goodbye, old habit, consider yourself dead.

The Travel Bug

2011-10-22T15:33:00.001-07:00

The Travel Bug has bitten me again.

Any ideas as to where my next adventure should be? I have my eye on one country, but that could very well change.

Sometimes living on the 19th floor has its benefits

2011-10-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Future

2011-10-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

For some reason in the last three or four weeks it seems I can do little else but think about the future.

I've always been a planner and it's never been rare for me to look ahead and want to pursue my options early. In high school I think I dragged my parents to visit some thirteen colleges by junior year.

But the stakes now are high. Looking a year or two ahead isn't just picking out a school or summer project, it's beginning to set the pace for the rest of my life.

Internships. Jobs. Grad schools. GRE and LSAT and GMAT. Research.

It's been hard for me to think straight with so much whirling around in my head.

But today I decided to enjoy the adventure that I have right before me. Yes, the future is important. And yes, I do want to be moving in a solid direction. But I don't want to miss where I am right now. I live with the most wonderful women in the world. I am being pursued by an incredible man who is living in India right now. I have a great family that I really enjoy talking to and learning from. I have a church family that loves me and encourages me. I get to hang out with people from all over the globe in little Columbia, SC.

Not even to mention the fact that Autumn weather has arrived.

Life is beautiful. I am grateful.

Rain

2011-09-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

It hasn't stopped raining for weeks, it seems.

It makes getting out of bed in the morning awfully hard. Staying under the covers sounds so nice.

At least it's Friday.

The Wedding

2011-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

In India, public physical contact between members of the opposite sex is typically a no-no. Even holding hands is somewhat scandalous and really only couples on their honeymoon dare to do it.

This, however, is quite the foreign concept for Americans. And as we went to India, Michael and Lauren (an engaged couple) had to learn to abide by these cultural standards.

They did great, honestly. While in public they resorted to loving stares instead of holding hands or hugs. But after three or four days we went to an American family's apartment. Upon entering, Michael and Lauren looked at each other and fell into an embrace.

I'm pretty sure I was giggling and crying in the background. Love and romance radiates off of them and I felt privileged to see even this small display of their affection for one another.

Fast forward a couple months and I'm crying once again.

I got to see Lauren looking lovely and walking down the aisle to her now husband, Michael. I heard them exchange their vows and saw them exchange their rings. I whooped and hollered (I am from Tennessee) as they kissed for the first time as man and wife.

This was definitely one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been able to witness and be a part of.

Congratulations, Michael and Lauren McFadden.

Bike Ride [Words]

2011-09-12T05:09:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have heard so many friends and tv show characters alike talk about the need to simply "go for a run" to work out any emotional stress or frustration they have. The act of exercise is apparently pretty addicting to many as they enjoy the endorphins and accomplished feeling it brings about.

Running for me, on the other hand, is fraught with pain and disgust. Never in my life have I thought "going for a run will end all my problems." Usually running was my problem.

But for some reason yesterday, I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to go on a bike ride. Simply hang around downtown, stop and take some pictures, get on a roof, go.

Don't fear, it was no hardcore biking expedition. I usually try to take full advantage of the wonderful machine a bike is and pedal as little as possible. But even still the activity of it, the monotonous turn of the bike pedals, the wind, the street--something brought about respite. And for perhaps the first time, I think I really worshipped God through exercise.

Bike Ride through the "City"

2011-09-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Roommates

2011-09-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Two of my three great roommates.

They couldn't figure out how to put the roller coaster background on in photobooth.

Kibber

2011-09-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

Pride Goeth Before the Fall

2011-09-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

But sometimes falls come by themselves.

My toes were in the ocean and my heart was racing: it was good to be at the beach. We had made it right at sunset and the colors of the sky danced with the pounding waves. Rest.

There were two adorable young blonde children who were screaming and jumping over the waves. Jumping over waves used to be one of my favorite things to do, so I couldn't help but join in. The children and I quickly became friends as we reveled in beach time fun.

Soon the girl, age 7, began bragging about how fast she was. Of course, I had to race her to make sure she was telling the truth. I tried to get her to go up to the beach where there was no water so we could see the ground. But she was pretty nervous about running on top of "crab poop", so we ended up plodding through about half a foot of water in our run.

It was fun. I kept my speed down to where she was beating me and then at the end sped up the run so I could just barely beat her. Unfortunately, running through the water means you can't see when unexpected holes might pop up. I felt my upper body get ahead of legs as my balance became severely off. Thinking if I ran just a little faster I could stop myself from falling, I managed to simply push myself with further gusto straight into the water.

So much for a peaceful walk by the beach.

Riding a Bike

2011-09-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a while ago that I had started fixing my dad's old bike.

Now the time has come to where I get to use that bike on a daily basis. Considering my apartment is smack dab in the middle of downton Columbia, it's a pretty easy ride to get to anywhere.

But here's the thing about riding a bike: it automatically sets you up for public humiliation.

Having not ridden a bike for, well, over a decade, I was a little nervous to start riding around downtown. But gas prices are high, and bike-riding is good for you and apparently riding bikes is the cool thing to do. Unfortunately my skills are not that great.

Being on a bike puts you at about a head higher than everyone else who is walking. Which means when you face plant (or when I face planted) EVERYONE sees.

It's probably time to take bike-riding lessons.

International Business

2011-09-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here at the great University of South Carolina we house the number one undergrad program in International Business in the country. (Go Cocks!)

I in my freshman year of life, however, was convinced that business was for boring people who wanted to work with numbers and live in a cubicle their whole life. I wasn't going to settle for that kind of lifestyle, but instead would work in the glamorous life of jet-setting governmental relations.

Then I got older.

I could write a whole post (or essay) on the importance of Private International Relations, but I will spare you. As I've grown, though, I really have appreciated the great role that the globalization of businesses has brought to the world.

And last night instead of studying economics terms and the ways that John Maynard Keyne's theory is affecting current governmental decisions about the economy, I got to participate first hand in a real international business transaction.

My small apartment facilitated a business transaction between Ecuador and China and eventually talks with the Chinese police and lawyer and bank. (What?!)

It was exhilarating!

So here is the nerd in me saying that business is fun and exciting.

Anyone know where I can get an overseas internship this summer?

The Himalayas

2011-08-31T21:34:00.001-07:00

India

2011-08-31T21:18:00.001-07:00

I'm Back!

2011-08-12T05:27:00.001-07:00

I know that many of you rightfully have lost faith in me and in this blog. The entire time I was in India I posted only twice on the team's blog and never posted here. I'm so sorry!

I didn't have my computer with me and internet access in the Himalayas is rather rare.

But please be aware that though the blogging ceased for a time, the stories did not. I kept up with them the old fashioned way--with pen and paper. I hope to be posting a few of them over the next week or two. So stay tuned!

Stampede

2011-06-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was able to go to my Uncle's ranch. It was relaxing to be on such a big open space of land with my extended family. The time was filled with old stories and great food. It was good for my soul.

I love taking pictures and always have, but often get rather intimidated by my professional friends who are better at photography than I could ever dream to be. But in a place like that ranch, there wasn't much competition so I decided to try to get some photos of the place as the sun was going down.

Unfortunately dinner lasted longer than I expected and the sun was setting when I burst out of the house with my camera. Unable to take the gentle stroll down the path that I was intending to do, I hopped into my grandpa's four seater golf cart to whirl away down the gravel road.

Unfortunately the golf cart's speed tops out at maybe ten miles per hour--slow enough for the dog to incessantly run back and forth IN FRONT of the moving cart. I stopped several times to take pictures, but afterward always hurriedly headed back to the end of the property.

I passed through a few gates without problem, but in the upcoming one their appeared a threat: cows.

I am in no way a city girl, I'll have you know. Yes, perhaps urban areas to catch my eye more than rural nothingness. But I was born and bred in the hills of Appalachia. Cows don't scare me.

And yet as I entered into the field in my golf cart, this one cow stared me down. I would stop in the cart, look back to see the sun peeking it's way over the flat land, be determined, the cow would take a step toward me, I would stop. But that one cow wasn't the only problem. The dog that had chased (well if it's in front of me is it chasing me?) me all the way to the field was now having the time of its life nipping at the heels of the cows and making them run off in all directions.

For some reason all my memories of playing Oregon Trail came to me. The sign of failure, death by Buffalo Stampede, was forefront on my mind. With going to India in just a few weeks, I couldn't risk possible death by cow stampede, could I? That would be simply unreasonable.

Feeling rather defeated and dejected I slowly did a u-turn and got the heck out of there. The sun had practically set anyway.

Cow-1, Amy-0.

In a Week's Time

2011-06-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

In a week's time I will be headed off to India and will probably have rather limited access to internet since I am not taking my computer. And it's very probable that when I do get the chance to post it will be at a different blog called www.midtownhp.tumblr.com

It would be so great if you would care to check it out. Through it you will also get to meet four of my dearest friends and get to read some of their writing!

I am so excited to see what lies ahead in my first adventure to the continent of Asia!

Sunsets at the Ranch

2011-06-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Heaven and Earh

2011-06-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

I love my friends

2011-06-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

Eating a little picnic with three different types of steak. For free. Yummmmmmm.

A Little Preview of What I Will be Doing

2011-05-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

India Trip Promo June 2011 from Midtown Fellowship on Vimeo.

Memories

2011-05-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

For the most part I have been excited to be back in the US.

I LOVED Honduras. I still do. On my iGoogle the news stories that I first look at are about Honduras. But I know that I am supposed to be back now. I know this is where I am supposed to be.

But recently memories have started rushing back.

I really hope to return someday soon.

Even when times are rough...

2011-05-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

...you've got to stop and smell the flowers.Chubby cheeks. I thought they wouldn't ever get old. Now that day three of post-wisdom-teeth-surgery is officially over, they are starting to.