Survey question

Ok, so I've been reading this blog: http://www.onefunnunslife.blogspot.com/ and it is awesome. It's the adventures of a 20-something nun from Wisconsin, who makes religious life look freakin cool! If nothing else, check out the first minute of the video on the latest post. All I have to say is, JEDI NUN is precisely what I would love to be (maybe!).

I wonder if, maybe if I start blogging more like Sr. Katy, some of the coolness will rub off. :) So from now on, I hope, you're going to be reading less "ooh, THAT's a different and kind of weird thing about Peru!" and more, "this is what it's like to be Kathleen." Or Kata, as everyone around here calls me (short for Catalina).

1). Survey question: Should Kathleen consider somewhat seriously the possibility of becoming (gasp!) an SND?
...what I really mean by that, I think, is, How crazy would the majority of my world in the US consider me, if i did such a thing?
There is basically one thing I find supremely unattractive about the idea: the no-boys factor. (Surprise.) Second-most unattractive thing: Most of the sisters are one or two generations older than me, and being 24 and a fan of discotecas, the life I want is in many cases very different from what they have. But even being here in a somewhat difficult living situation, seeing the nitty-gritty daily life of the sisters firsthand... I still find myself wondering. I'll try to explain why.

Today I watched some of the men's Wimbledon final with the totally awesome visiting priest from England, Father Kevin, and at some point I started talking my crazy maybe-I'll-be-a-nun talk. Something he said in response resonated with me: There's this "radical tug God-ward" inside you, and you have to decide what to do with it, i.e. how it's going to translate into the life you choose to live. For some people, it's best translated into the life of a layperson, single or married. For others, the best outlet for following that radical pull is religious life. Father Kevin shared with me that he's essentially a priest because he wants the opportunity to tell people about God full-time and up-front, without having to make apologies or excuses or neglect other types of work or relationships. And he's very deeply happy doing it.

(Now THERE's a question... would I be a PRIEST if I could? Only one way to find out, hehe... revolutionize some church structures and then see where we're at. Will put that on my list of things to do. ...no really...you think I'm kidding...)

I'm not at all sure that nunhood is actually really truly what I want. But there IS that radical tug God-ward that needs responding to... more than that... it needs structuring one's life and awareness around.--Now, for me, just to get to the point of affirming this truth is huge, and I'm still working on accepting it as genuine reality. I've been so thoroughly formed and trained in the public-secular-intellectual American mindset, that the voice in my head saying, Um, HELLO, what are you, CRAZY? when I start talking about building my life around this God stuff is still very strong. Nonetheless, the happiness that I feel being here among the SNDs, working daily prayer into my life, and doing all my fun involvement-ministry things in the parish make me wonder if this could be for me.

So there you have it, folks: Kathleen is officially crazy. Feel free to use all the tools at your disposal to dissuade her from her insanity. Especially, but not limited to, introducing her to hot single guys when she gets back to the US.

2). Today for almost the first time this year, I missed home, and 6 months to go seemed like a long time. I think it's a lack of trees.--seriously, I'm missing my green. I miss walking in the woods, reading Tolkien, going to the Renaissance Fair in the fall, writing that fantasy novel that someday before I die I must finish and publish... all the things that sort of suffused my subconscious as rest and relaxation, when I was growing up. Where does this "new" reality of God leave all of those things?
Also, I'm sad now that Sister Miriam, Sister Juana Jaqueline, and Sister Iris are in California for their chapter meeting... three Peruvians who bring so much life to the community here, and two of them are among my best counsellor-confidantes here in Peru.

3) The good news... my friend Rebecca from high school is coming to visit me at the end of this month! and we're going to the AMAZON RAINFOREST, the city of Iquitos, largest city in the world unreachable by road. And then to the beach up north in Mancora! Must call for hotel reservations and bus tickets. The time isn't dragging anything like it was last year at this time, when I was crossing off days of July on my calendar until Mom and Marissa came at mid-year vacation; but the time off will still be VERY welcome. I really feel like I need a vacation.