Hi, friend! I hope that this summer you experienced joy and were able to rest and recharge. Also, how is summer over? I feel like I just came home from Athens and now it’s already time to go back. This summer was a good one but a busy one. I spent time with my family, had an incredible internship and job, was a leader at my church’s summer camp, read lots of books (just to keep me sane lol), made/ate some yummy food, and started an Etsy shop!
My Internship
This summer, I had the most incredible opportunity to work alongside a registered dietitian at a state-of-the-art, medically integrated wellness center that has a gym, spa, yoga studios, rock climbing, pools, cycling classes, group exercise, metabolic testing, personal and sports performance training, physical therapy, and soon an entire medical facility and cafe! This proved to be one of my greatest blessings this summer.
The dietitian I worked alongside was so insightful and passionate about the field. I could literally talk about nutrition and wellness all day and not get bored. I’m so happy about the major I’m in and what the future holds.
The area I worked in used metabolic testing, the InBody Body Composition scale, lactate testing (helps determine your personalized heart rate zones for optimal fat burning), and cutting-edge DARI motion technology (basically, you do a few movements and it determines your body’s motion age and weaknesses) to create a unique science-based fitness and nutrition prescription for each client. It was literally SO COOL.
I love the holistic approach to wellness that they had at the facility and it was so cool to see how science creates lasting results. Weight loss and reaching your wellness goals in general is essentially just a process of creating new habits/routines that ultimately build a balanced lifestyle over time.
I was able to watch several client meetings from collegiate athletes to working moms. I made several free resources for clients struggling with which supplements to take, meal prep, the basics of weight loss, a Disney nutrition guide, as well as blog posts, and social media posts. It was a lot but I’m so thankful for this hands-on experience.
I will forever be grateful to Sarah Logan for trusting me with so much and for giving me a chance. Back when I emailed her back in December I never could have imagined what her saying yes could do. This internship was academically enriching and I am so blessed to have been part of her team this summer!
If you’re interested in her nutrition and personal training services, feel free to DM me on Instagram. She has an online practice and is fantastic at what she does!
My Job
I interned in the mornings and in the afternoons, I would work as a Fitness Attendant at the facility. I basically just answered fitness and general club questions, made sure everyone was following the gym rules, and maintained the cleanliness of the fitness floor.
I learned way more here than I ever anticipated. I got to learn from personal trainers and watch some sports performance training sessions. I learned how to bench press, deadlift, and barbell squat *safely* which has really made me more passionate about my own fitness journey. It’s crazy because I never thought I’d love the gym and becoming stronger as much as I do.
The coolest part of my job was the equipment. The gym uses Technogym equipment and we were given some incredible BioStrength machines that basically use your range of motion, maximum strength, and artificial intelligence to give you the most effective workout to reach your personalized goals. It is so cool and I will definitely miss them when I’m back at school!
Overall, this job was a great learning experience for me and my coworkers were so kind and supportive throughout!
Summer Week of Fun
Since everyone in my family was super busy this summer, we decided to have a “Summer Week of Fun” staycation. Granted, I didn’t want to take off work so I still had a few shifts that week and some things to do to wrap up my internship, but regardless it was fun.
We went to Disney Springs, the beach, Domu in Dr.Phillips, Winter Park, Mangoni in Winter Garden, and Azteca D’Oro in Lake Nona.
Some highlights were Domu, the beach, the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, and the Coop at Winter Park. Domu is some of the best food I have had the honor of eating. I had the Richie Rich Ramen and the Domu Wings as an appetizer and they were INCREDIBLE. You can watch and read more from that trip on my Instagram.
My family went to the beach with my cousin and it was just a day full of relaxation and fun. The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour was also such a fun experience. The views were incredible and there is so much rich history in that area. I highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the Orlando area. After the boat tour, we went to The Coop restaurant and I had the chicken sandwich. It was the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. In my opinion, it’s the winner of the chicken sandwich war. Unfortunately, it looked so good that I inhaled it before I could even take a picture so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
I’m so thankful for the time I got to spend with my family this summer!
Camp Orlando 2022
I have no words for what I experienced at Camp Orlando and for how God truly moved in me and through the lives of 500 middle and high schoolers.
Every time I think I’ve experienced all the amazing goodness of God, He exceeds my expectations. If I had to choose one word to describe my experience, it would be Home.
I am so honored to have led a group of beautifully wise 7th grade girls this year. FOUR of them made the decision to get baptized!
Some of you know that I was recently baptized in December 2021. It was one of the best experiences of my life…until I came to camp. Let me tell you, getting to be part of someone taking their next step and boldly choosing Christ is like being transformed all over again. With each baptism, I felt closer to God and felt born again myself.
When God chooses us and calls us will we respond? You can’t go wrong with saying yes to the Lord despite how crazy and scary it may seem. I felt TOTALLY unprepared and inadequate to lead these girls. I’ve never been to camp myself and I’d never led a small group either. I had never counseled someone on salvation or baptism that’s for sure and to be honest I wasn’t even anticipating being in that situation (silly me). But when God calls, He doesn’t just leave you hanging. With a heart of surrender, His spirit moves and it moves BIG. There were so many moments (hey there, salvation and baptism counseling) where I just didn’t know what to do or say and there’s no explanation for it other than God’s divine intervention.
We didn’t just touch Heaven at camp, we felt it. We felt it so very deeply. We felt it on our skin and in our bones, it was written on our hearts, intertwined with our weary souls. Heaven was palpable and so very precious as we sung the Lord’s praise.
There was a moment where my girls and I simply held on to each other while singing “Great Are You Lord” with no accompaniment but the beating of over 500 hearts in a college gymnasium. In the last chorus, I completely broke down. I gasped. In awe of the glory of God and His immeasurable goodness. And I wept. I wept in a way that I never knew possible. Not of sadness, but of feeling at Home. I have never felt this complete, at peace, and joyous in my life before.
Jesus is Home.
Home. Annie F. Downs mentioned that Eden was Paradise (in her book That Sounds Fun)– a Heaven on Earth for God’s creation. But when we sinned, we became separated from the Lord and His Paradise. But our hearts and souls, being from the Lord, remember that. We remember Eden. And in our daily pursuits, we try to find our own Eden’s in our broken world when what we are searching for is a completeness that only comes from God.
THAT is what I felt at that moment. I felt Home.
So yes, there were bugs, a few teenagers that were being teenagers, several lightning delays, sweaty tournaments, the stresses of being in charge of 15 middle schoolers when you’re really only a few years older than them in the first place (it’s still hard coming to terms with the fact that I’m an actual adult sometimes), and never having counseled a student about salvation or baptism. But if anything, God taught me that in the midst of the pressure a diamond will arise. So despite the struggles, God is still sitting on the throne and He is so good and worthy of praise.
Camp Orlando 2022, I will never ever forget how God transformed me yet again.
Reflections
Not every college summer has to be crazy. There truly is beauty in the mundane. In my case, there was beauty in the busyness. Something I’m realizing now is that even though it was a break, my body is craving rest. I never truly rest these days, I struggle to simply be. My mind is constantly racing and I feel like I always need to be doing something productive.
It’s crazy, but I’m feeling a bit burnt-out and the semester hasn’t even begun (and let me tell you, I have quite a hectic semester ahead of me). I guess that’s just something I’ll have to work on. Making time for rest even if it’s just for a brief moment.
As I reflect on my summer, I can’t help but be reminded of my word of the year, gratitude. I am just so grateful. For my family and friends with their endless love, laughs, and support. For my internship and job that taught me so much and affirmed the career path I’m pursuing. For the time spent at camp that changed me once again. For the mundane moments and the crazy chaos. Through it all, God has been good. And He will continue to be good. I hope this serves as a reminder to simply be grateful.
