2016. You Were Joyful.

I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Istanbul on this cold day, just a few days before Christmas and under 48 hours from when I get to hug my family tight.

I've been sipping on my Earl Grey tea in a quintessential Red Cup (I actually had to look quintessential up in a dictionary to make sure I was using it right. Score!). I've been reading An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, and trying to stay quiet while I laughed and tears streamed down my face. I've never read a tale about hog hunting that made me tickled quite that much before.

It's nice to have a relaxing day to read and think. And I've been thinking about 2016.

At the start of the year, I made a little 'brochure'-style leaflet for myself. I wrote in it many of the hopes and dreams that I had for this year, and things that I felt that I wanted to accomplish. I made places to record my favorite memories. And I chose my word for this year.

Joy. 

Although I hadn't experienced personally many hardships leading up to January 2016, I had a lot of friends who had. I had met a lot of people who had been forced to flee their homes in Syria, and I knew that life was more about surviving and healing for them than it was about being "happy." Because, sometimes "happy" just isn't possible.

And sometimes, that is okay,

I've found myself in the past always searching for ways to be happy, and trying to plan my life accordingly. Because, let's be honest, my life has been very privileged. I haven't lived among a world crisis, I haven't faced starvation and poverty, and the only thing that has really kept me up at night before has been studying for exams at a university that many people would love to be able to attend.

In all of this privilege, I put "happy" up on a pedestal in my life, something to strive for. "Do what makes you happy," so many people say.

But then I realized that many people in the world don't and will never have that option. They may have tiny moments of happiness, but most of life is going to be filled with grief and fighting to exist. Is that truly life? I can't say to them, "Do what makes you happy." That isn't possible. That isn't a choice for them. Then why is it something I am told to strive for in our privileged society? Why is that the epicenter of existence?

So, at the beginning of 2016, I chose instead to focus on having joy. Because in my reading of the Bible, I found that God didn't tell me that HE was going to give me happiness. Instead, God tells me that HE will give me joy. And that is much greater.

Joy is having a heart full of love, no matter what is going on around you. It isn't circumstantial. It is a state of existing in the Truth. In trusting that the God Who holds the world in HIS hands is also holding you in HIS hands, and HE's not about to let go. That the One Who matters the most loves you with a love that can never be quantified.

Joy is something that anyone can have. It doesn't matter if you don't have access to wealth, education, and extra things like Starbucks and going to Disneyland or traveling the world. Happiness can be bought. Joy can't.

"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while."  1 Peter 1:6

I wrote this verse in my little leaflet, and stuck this reminder of my dreams for 2016 into my planner. I've been looking over it the past few days, checking off the boxes that I did accomplish, and writing down memories for how I did them.

2016 did contain a lot of happy moments. Like walking across the Tower Bridge in London with my family on a chilly June morning. And singing Robert Burns poems together with friends at a late-night party. And playing board games with my roommates after dinner.

But it also contained a lot of sad moments. Like when one of my very close friends, a woman who has been like a grandmother to my family, died this past August. Like when I stood by her hospital bed on the same day that I was flying back to Istanbul, watching her experience pain and knowing that I wasn't going to see her again in this world. And the moments when I experienced conflict with friends, and had to live in that sorrow until we experienced reconciliation through Jesus' grace. Or when I grieved with both my home nation and my resident nation as tragedy and horrors occurred to innocents in our land.

I was reminded that I won't always be happy. And in these moments of experiencing death and strife and tragedy, it wouldn't be right to be happy. Instead, I was reminded that in all of these moments, I do have joy. Joy in Christ. Joy that HE is working in all and through all. Joy that HE loves me more than I will ever know. Joy that HE walks with me through the happy moments and through the dark valleys.

May 2017 be filled with true joy for you. Here's to living in truth and love together.

- Your Faithful Nomad

Vegan Drinks {Starbucks}

Oh no, can I go to Starbucks anymore?!

Soy milk latte in Turkey. @faithful_nomad

This was one of my first reactions after deciding that I was going to eat a vegan diet. Starbucks is one of those places that is always the same wherever I go - a comfort blanket, if you will. When I need a place to chill or meet friends, I usually pick Starbucks. I know the menu like the back of my hand, I have the rewards card for both the US and Turkey, and I can always rely on some decent internet if I need to do work there. The hum of pleasant music and conversations and that beepy sound the espresso machine makes gives me a sense of normal.

Plus, after visiting Starbucks, I smell like coffee for the rest of the day.
And that is quite perfect with me.

I <3 using my Starbucks mugs at home. This one brightens my morning! @faithful_nomad 

I quickly found with great joy that I can indeed still drink some of my favorites at Starbucks! Here's some of the scoop from my research:

~ One of my favorite coffee drinks is a Caffe Latte. This is a very easy drink to switch to vegan in both the US and Turkey. In the US, just ask your barista to use almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk instead of cow's milk. In Turkey, there is soy milk available. The soy milk is actually a bit vanilla-tasting, and I really like that in my latte.

Surviving Analytical Chemistry with a mocha in hand. @faithful_nomad

~ Now Caffe Mochas are another one of my favorites for days when I need that chocolate kick. To make these vegan, simply ask for a plant-based milk as with the caffe latte, and ask for no whipped cream (sorry honey, can't fix that one unless Starbucks starts offering vegan whipped cream  - see below. Just remember, you are doing it for the planet).


~If you want the Chile Mocha, unfortunately the Chili Mocha Powder contains natural flavors that have milk derivatives. If you ask for a normal caffe mocha with the spiced mocha topping, that's technically the Chile Mocha just without the Chili Mocha Powder.

~ As far as I can tell, subbing the soy milk for cow milk in the Gingerbread Latte will make it vegan. Yeeees!

~ All the teas at Starbucks are great. I especially love the mint, which is one of my go-tos after landing from a long flight in the morning.

~ Hot Chocolate & Peppermint Hot Chocolate can both be vegan if you ask for plant-milk and no whipped cream.

~ Starbucks Refreshers do not contain any obvious animal products, so those are vegan-friendly in my books! Can't wait to enjoy a Berry Hibiscus Refresher this summer. Yum!

Summer days with L.M. Montgomery and Berry Hibiscus Refresher. @faithful_nomad

~ Make sure to ask for no whipped cream. If you want Starbucks to start offering a vegan-friendly whipped cream, write them an email by clicking here or favorite/thumbs-up/comment on my request here. I sent an email to Starbucks about this, and also asked for them to add an indicator to the menu for vegan-friendly products. A wonderful customer service rep named Shannon B. emailed me back within 24 hours and said that her daughter is also vegan! She pointed me to the My Starbucks Idea site, where I posted my request for vegan whipped cream. Evidently, others agree. If Starbucks realizes that there are a lot of customers who would benefit from vegan whipped cream, they should add it to the menu.

What is your favorite vegan Starbucks drink? 

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Week 1 of Savannah!

This week starts off my newest adventure - living and working in Savannah! I moved into a cozy room in a quaint neighborhood on Sunday, and my amazing family was so sweet and drove down with me to move me in :) 

As soon as we finished packing, it was time to find the nearest Starbucks...which is only 2 minutes away! Cafe Espresso Frap for the win! Love spending time with my family over some coffee :)

It was nice to spend Mother's Day with Mom in Savannah. She also rode in the car with me on the way down...we talked so much that we did actually miss one of our turns (and there are only like 4 turns the entire way there...). That night, we found a great, local seafood place on the water! Pearls Saltwater Grille was delicious.

Emma is lovin' some she crab soup at Pearls Saltwater Grille.

Monday, I started my internship at Arizona Chemical. I am working in technical service in the area of adhesives (I've always loved stickers, lol). No, but really, I get to make tape! It's a lot harder and time-consuming than it sounds, but we get to develop and test different mixes to make better tape for our clients. Pretty neat. Monday night I found the mall (pretty essential task for week 1) and thank God it has a Barnes & Noble! I love me some good books!

Tuesday was the first day that I got to do hands-on work in the lab! I was able to pH adjust a polymer sample and run particle size and % solid analysis. Our amazing HR and S&T manager took us out to Tequila Town for an entry luncheon and the Mexican food was sooo yummy. I also went to Latechurch's CollegeAge group that evening! 

At The Corner (where Latechurch has their evening group meetings and hang-outs), they even have a huge Connect 4!

Wednesday, got to work more in the lab. My mentor is super awesome and has done a great job of showing me how to use the equipment. I am able to run some of the tests now with minimal supervision, and I learned how to test the viscosity and how to find the acid value, softening number, and color of the resins. Some of the resin samples look like honey...I really love honey...but I keep telling myself, they won't taste like honey! LOL :)

Friday night was the BOMB! Tybee Island has an annual Beach Bum Parade, which is a mega water gun fight!

These guys and many others lined their trucks so that they would have a steady source of water for the fight! You see those long poles? Hand-made super soakers! And yes, they do super soak (personal experience).

Madeline and I were prepared for battle! We still got completely drenched every time we attempted to cross the street...

On Saturday, I woke up at 6:15am to my alarm clock. What would entice me to wake up this early on a weekend? The Girls on the Run Celebration 5K, of course! Before the race, we danced to the Cupid Shuffle and the Wobble with all the middle school girls, and then we ran :) 

Love going on adventures with my fellow interns! Maeve and Madeline are the best :) :)

We even got massages after the race (yep, now you're getting jealous!). It was a blast.

Stay tuned for the adventures of Week 2! Thanks for reading, and make sure you comment below if you have suggestions for more fun things to do in Savannah!

A NOMAD's survival pack:
So, from all this traveling, I've found that there are some items that come in handy, no matter where I live. Here's a few...

1. Yogi Bedtime tea. This tea puts me sound to sleep. The cute little tea tags have nice sayings and quotes on them...just like fortune cookies! Or Dove chocolates! I have fond memories of drinking Bedtime tea while hanging out with my DC roomies in our comfy kitchen, as well as drinking it while looking at the Istanbul skyline from my balcony, even when the air was freezing cold and I would stand shivering as I looked out at the Bosphorus Bridge. When I'm at home with my family, a cup is always in my hands as I sit in the evenings with my Mom. And, my habits have continued in Savannah, where I end my nights curled up with a good book and my favorite tea.
2. Fingernail clippers. These are so handy! I always forget scissors, and fingernail clippers are amazing for cutting annoying packaging and even tags off of new t-shirts.  
3. Thumbtacks. So perfect for hanging banners and posters to brighten any room. Plus, they are multipurpose! I've used a thumbtack to poke new holes in a belt, and you even can use them when boiling eggs in order to poke the hole in the end of the egg.  

The Many Names of...

Ok, most of you know that I really do <3 Starbucks. I may talk coffee trash and say that I don't like their coffee and think it tastes too acidic (yada, yada, yada), but in the end, I really do love the atmosphere, the fact that their menu is always the same no matter what state (or country) you are in, and the fact that I can always count on them to be a safe haven for a quiet time on my laptop or in a good book. BUT, there is one thing that I can't count on them for....spelling my name right.

Here are the many names of Kaelin, according to Starbucks. 

Keilan. Pretty close, I must say. Just a few vowel mix-ups.

Kateland. Glad to know that in the future, there may be a distant country named after me.

Kaylee. Evidently I did not pronounce my name very clearly...

Caitlyn. Someone stole my "t", people, can't you get it right?

Katelynn. Wow, 2 n's. That's creative.

Kaylynn. Who wants to bet this was the same person who checked me out above? At least there isn't a 't''.

Wow, she got it right!! Actually, the nice lady asked me how to spell my name. Great customer service :)

Eventually, seeing what form my name would take ended up making it more fun to go to Starbucks, but I still greatly appreciate those employees who go, "Kaelin? How do you spell that?"

Why Starbucks is My Security Blanket

Tonight, I put on my flip-flops and headed out to one of my favorite places on Capitol Hill: Starbucks. And, I've realized why I like Starbucks so much. Yeah, it has really great drinks. But it's really a security issue. No matter what city I'm in, far or near my family, Starbucks is always there, same as always. They will always have the same drinks. They will always have the same service. They will always have the relatively same set-up. And I can always count on it as a place where I can chill, hang out, and get my bearings. Starbucks was pretty smart with their business plan. They have developed a place people feel at home, no matter how far from home they actually are.
And of course, I had to take my ridiculously funny but educational book with me, "Wonderful Life with the Elements." It finally clicked for me that the periodic table is called PERIODIC because if you line up the elements in order by atomic weight, the different characteristics occur PERIODICALLY down the line. Cool, huh? I'm pretty sure my chem professors are out there shaking their heads, because they probably told me this so many times in Gen Chem, but it finally stuck. I guess it takes some pretty funny cartoons of the elements to finally make sense.