My 26 Before 27

It's time! I love lists and I love setting goals. Partly, of course, to break the rules and feel rebellious while I ignore them, but also to set a purpose for the next leg of the path. Yesterday I checked in on my goals from last year and I made some pretty cool progress! I'm starting out this new phase of 26-year-old-hood, and here is what I'm going to try to do during it:

1. Run in 2 events. Something about paying 30 bucks for a t-shirt and bib number makes me actually train and prepare for an event. I'd like to bring back at least two events into my schedule, as this year didn't have any.

2. Make someone a meal for a baby/life change/just because. I've watched my mom bless so many people throughout the course of my life through cooking meals. I honestly think she's packing up a meal for another family every time I call home. I remember my Grandma Gesch's letters in college always included an anecdote about how wonderful my mom is for cooking for them. It's not a bad thing to be known for feeding other people. Time for me to get on it.

3. Consider a permanent living sitch. Not that we can predict the future, but I know we would like to get into a house one day. This will be the year where research, saving, and planning takes on a more prominent and serious place in our daily discussion. I'm already addicted to RedFin, so oops. This would potentially be a HUGE step for us, and the idea of it already overwhelms me and makes me ridiculously giddy and exhausts me all at once.

4. Make risotto. Dang. We had risotto at the wedding last weekend and it was so good that it really went beyond description. Plus, being able to say that I can make risotto sounds super fancy, and you all know how #imsofancy

5. Stay updated on international news. One of the few great things about an extra long commute last year was the time spent listening to the radio. I was ridiculously up-to-date about all the things. I want to continue on in my news-junkie-dom.

6. Read all of the Psalms. When I think of times when the rubber hits the road, my heart is usually led to the Psalms. My dad sings the Psalms to old ladies in the nursing homes, and I dare you to find me an OCS graduate who can't recite Psalm 8 complete with the actions. I think it's a good place for this fickle-Bible-reader to start her 26th year.

7. Exercise in ways besides running. I screwed up my ankle big time this past spring in a pickup game of volleyball. When I was talking to my Physical Therapist and explained that I usually only run and don't do much else in terms of cross training or variety, she responded with a big DUH ANNA speech, saying that I needed to do other things too. So there you go. Personal trainer friends, I'm open to suggestions!

8. Have a sleepover. So I miss college and wanna watch movies with my friends, okay?

9. Take a class to learn a new skill. Calligraphy? Knitting? Ventriloquism? Time will tell.

10. Floss every day. I try, you guys. I really try. The latest trip to the dentist sent me off with a new resolve to make this happen. (I asked, "Is 3 times a week impressive?" And the lady was like "Mmmmm. Sorry honey.")

11. Make a math group project for my kids. Okay, this is a stupid teacher goal that non-teachers might not appreciate, but I hear and see all of these cool things that veteran teachers do with group projects. Meanwhile, I'm differentiating my little tail off so that every kid gets his or her individual needs met. That's all fine and good, but kids just really love the chance to create stuff together. I'm going to try to do this somehow in Math this year. Teacher friends, I'm open to suggestions!

12. Girls road trip. Brian will be gone for a week in January and a week in March for trips with his high school students. Therefore, I've resolved to get in the car and head out on the open road as well. This summer's trip with Karley and Liz only reinforced my desire to do this more often.

13. Get a library card. HAVING FUN ISN'T HARD...WHEN YOU'VE GOT A LIBRARY CARD! Plus I spend way too much on books. Oops. 

14. Read a new YA fiction series. Harry Potter really made my soul so happy this year, and I want to keep that YA joy flowing. I realize that nothing will ever measure up, but there's something about a series that's so addicting in the best possible way. Nerd friends, I'm open to suggestions!

15. Stay in bed until noon. SO. For the past two years, I've made it a goal to get up early to see the sunrise. And failed. Miserably. So I decided to take it in another direction. I haven't done the noon thing since college, and goodness knows that drifting in and out of sleep on a Saturday morning can be pretty freaking fantastic. It's like a goal to be lazy! I can't wait!

16. Watch every Seinfeld episode in order of its chronological release. All 180 epodes. Giddy-up.

17. Keep a plant alive under my supervision. Meanwhile, everyone I know is pregnant.

18. Try a cleaning schedule. Okay, before you write this one off as definitely not going to happen, I think if I chunk up the cleaning jobs, I won't let it build up because it's too much at once. Here's what I'm thinking: Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is floor day, Wednesday is kitchen day, Thursday is bathroom day, and Friday is for clutter. Saturday and Sunday will no longer be spent with shame and guilt-ridden hours of looking around at the mess and being too overwhelmed to chip away at any of it.

19. Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. WHO'S WITH ME?!

20. Do something for this refugee crisis. You've all read Ann Voskamp's suggestions at how we can be a small help in this world full of brokenness, right? I want to stop reading headlines and start writing checks. Compared to most people on this planet, I am ridiculously wealthy. God is extravagantly generous with me - why can't I give a refugee kid a new backpack? There are so many little things we can do. Let's start doing them.

21. Attend a festival. Complete with a flower garland in my hairzzzz.

22. Watch the long Pride and Prejudice. Who would like to set aside a Saturday and do this with me? Oh hello, Colin Firth circa 1995. Hello there. 

23. Attend a theater or dance performance in Chicago. I am always so intrigued by the ballet ads I see downtown. And I have yet to meet a broadway show I didn't love. Time to get classy.

24. Paint a piece of furniture. True confession: I have two cans of aqua spray paint I'm not sure what to do with, so I figured I may as well make it a goal. That's just me being #Dutch and #cheap

25. Find a mission where I can volunteer or support or visit. Once again, see #20.

26. See live jazz music. This one is partly for Brian and partly for me. Before getting married, I really had no tolerance for jazz music. I get impatient and like my songs to run their full course within 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Brian, on the other hand, can throw in a little Wayne Shorter and be completely happy with a song over 7 minutes long. It's been growing on me and I'd love to experience some live jazz music together. Plus, we Chicagoans live in a cultural center of the genre! Excited to make this into a date night.

So there it is. 26 little things that help me make this life I lead my own. Got any ideas to add?

One Year Takeaways

When I joined Teach For America I learned about the word "takeaways" and used it often. My managers and supervisors were always asking me things like: "What are your takeaways from your behavior management coaching session?" "What are your takeaways from your first week of teaching?" "What are your takeaways from the webinar on differentiation?" There was so. much. reflecting. When you're on the crazy road of TFA and have to travel along a very fast learning curve, you have to constantly reflect and adjust. Well, it's a habit that I can't quite shake, and so here I am using it for marriage! (Romantic, I know!)

July 12 marked our first anniversary. I love looking at our wedding pictures over and over, reliving the amazing day we had. It really was the best day of my life. I have a vivid memory of my cheeks hurting so badly because I smiled so much. I also remember hardly getting anything from the bar (maybe one glass of wine?) because I was dancing for three hours straight and just chugged water for hydration purposes. My parents threw us a fabulous party. My dream.

It's been one year with my man. Brian has been such a fantastic husband, I could get really gushy, but I'll try to spare you a little bit. All I can say is that I couldn't ask for anyone better. Learning about married life with him has been one of the best adventures of my life.

From time to time, I annoy Brian with these reflection questions and ask for his takeaways for things in life. ("What are your takeaways from Christmas this year?" "What are your thoughts about how this year of teaching went?" "What are your takeaways from that song in church this morning?") Poor guy. He humors me and does his best to answer them. I applied this to marriage and asked him the other day: "What are your takeaways from our first year of marriage?" Like a champ, he came up with great ones to add to my own little list. Here are a few things we learned about being married for one year, from Brian and Anna. I think his are the best ones.

1. Little things matter. (B) Doing dishes, paying the bills, running to the store to get the groceries, wiping down counters, and making the bed seem to be menial things. They end up being the big things. Most of the little things cost very little or no money at all, and end up making the biggest difference to both of us. (Ladies, Brian agreed to do all the dishes whenever I cook the food. Get jealous.)

2. Go to bed angry. (A) I can't take credit for this nugget of wisdom - it was passed along to me at some juncture from someone - but I can't believe how true it is. I understand the heart of intent when someone says: "Don't let the sun go down on your anger." I even believe the biblical reasons for it. I'm going to interpret that to mean "Don't hold a grudge - don't drag out feelings of discontent and bitterness." I am NOT, however, going to interpret that to mean "Work through disagreements at 11:30 pm while drowsy, emotional, and cranky. Delve into the depths of your differing points of view on politics, religion, and relationships when most of the world is entering its second REM cycle." It's just not helpful. But oh my goodness you guys, I feel so much kinder and thoughtful and more forgiving after a full night's sleep. Problems are so much easier after you sleep on them. Our solutions are reached 100 times faster this way.

3. Don't be defensive. (B) Listen to what the other is saying without needing to build up your own case. See the heart of what's going on. Defending something implies that an attack is happening, which means a fight. No need for fights. If I can put it into caveman terms for you: Fights bad. Conversations good.

4. Thou shalt not watch agreed upon TV series without the other. (A) Now, both of us have been guilty of a little Netflix infidelity as of late. Brian totally went ahead on House of Cards, and I recently broke this rule with Orange is the New Black. Honesty is key, though, and we're working through our issues here. Admitting there's a problem is the first step, right?

5. It's really important to eat together. (B) This has been a big one for us. I love being married to a teacher, because he totally gets it. He understands the pace of life, the stressful breakdowns, and the Sunday night blues like only a fellow teacher could. A teacher's life means stretches of chaos and stretches of catch-up and rest. In all the ebbs and flows of busy life, having even 20 minutes of eating and talking together with no screens and no other distractions has become one of the best parts of my day.

6. Always keep dessert in the house. (A) I never knew how important this one was. I think it's a Whartnaby family thing, of which I am now a member, so I guess it's now my thing too! I've never seen the effects of cookies, brownies, and treats work such wonders. It's magical and so simple. Want the recipe for a happy Brian? Just add ice cream.

7. Cuddle a lot. (B) Ha! His tough guy public persona is a goner. Sorry, Brian.

All practicalities aside, I turn to a puddle when I think about how God worked out our story, about how I got this guy placed in my life at just the right time! Life's not perfect, but so far we've been granted a pretty fantastic path. Providence has never seemed so real to me as it does now.

It's been a great year :)

More dessert. 

Teacher Drama

I type these words to you from my couch. It is 10:05 in the morning. On a regular Friday, my kids would have already had 100 minutes of class time, read with partners, learned in a guided reading group, taken a spelling test, completed an end-of-week reading assessment, and would be currently getting their snow pants and jackets on for morning recess. As much as I wish every Friday could be as productive as that, this Friday I'm awfully glad to be typing on my couch.

Let me tell you about the psyche of a teacher during weeks with treacherous weather. You have a back-and-forth series of emotions strong enough to give you whiplash. This is kind of how it went for me this week:

1. On Sunday night the Husband casually mentions that it's going to be below zero on Wednesday this week. You get sudden flashbacks of two blissful cancelled school days from last year, which you spent making silly trips to Target for frivolous things with your roommates, watched 9.5 straight hours of television, read an entire book, followed a 30-minute youtube yoga video to feel like you'd actually done something productive, and never changed out of your pajamas. Sweet nostalgia fills your mind and you start to hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to indulge your indulgent side again to start out this new year.

2. You proverbially slap yourself and snap out of it, remembering the plans you've made, the ready-and-waiting classroom that's full of learning materials, and the end of year goals your kids have to reach. HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GET BACK INTO THEIR ROUTINE WITHOUT A NORMAL SCHEDULE?! You start to actually want school to go as scheduled, no, you start to NEED school to go as scheduled. You have too much to do.

3. Monday and Tuesday go by, cold but not too cold, and you are into the swing of regular routines and procedures, you realize how much you missed your kids, and feel ultra productive after having two weeks off for Christmas break. You get observed. It goes well. You feel like Super Teacher and accomplish a million things, including a health screening for life insurance, making dinner, and running on the treadmill before going to bed at a responsible hour. You are very nice to the Husband.

4. At said responsible bedtime hour, the Husband reveals that his school is, in fact, cancelled for Wednesday due to cold temperatures. Your school, in fact, is not cancelled for Wednesday. You turn into a whiny child who feels entitled to days off of work for no reason. You may or may not cry a little. He is nice about not rubbing it in your face that he doesn't have to go in to work when you do.

5. You self-righteously say goodbye to the Husband the next morning and carry on with your school day, surrounded by vacant area schools, Calvin Christian School the lone reed in a sea of quitters. You call yourself and your students "tough" for coming to school against all odds, valuing education above all else, braving cold and winds and treacherous roads (side note: the roads aren't really that bad) for the sake of your children's minds. You scroll through Facebook and mercilessly judge everyone who stayed home from school today, knowing that you've accomplished so much more than most of America alongside of the smartest kids ever. You rub this in to the Husband just a little. You even go to a dentist's appointment to prove your valor.

6. You repeat this process for Thursday, the coldest day yet this week. Nothing can stop you. You are SO GLAD that we didn't cancel school and tell this to your coworkers.

7. While making copies during your prep period, you hear murmurs from the office of a potentially cancelled Friday due to bus issues. The prideful feelings of #5 and #6 melt and give way to a desperate desire to stay in your pajamas all day tomorrow. No official word of a closing comes before you leave for the day. The roads actually are that bad on the commute home and it takes over an hour to get there. You start to bitterly make dinner. You are not very nice at all to the Husband, who innocently asks how the day went. You are grumpy for the next few hours, inexplicably. You may or may not cry a little.

8. The call and group text goes out from your principal that Friday, is indeed, cancelled due to bus issues. You are a little embarrassed at how excited you are about bus issues. You are ashamed of being happy. You sheepishly tell the Husband that you have school cancelled Friday, knowing that he has a full day ahead of him. You stop being totally mean to the Husband, who is not in fact responsible for the weather or for school being closed or for school staying open.

9. You wake up on Friday at 8:30, after an additional three hours of glorious sleep. You come to your senses and realize you have not been so nice to the Husband this week. You send an apology text, offering to start his laundry today and buy him some beer as a peace offering. He responds with an "I love you" and you remember to stop blaming him for things like the weather. He doesn't rub it in that you were crabby. Not even a little. You promise him that you will be more mature in the future, then go to the couch and turn on Netflix.

In conclusion: Teachers like routine, but they love missing school. Also, Brian is the nicest husband.

The fruits of my laundry labor.  

 

On Lists and Saying "Yes"

I think I can safely say that Brian and I had a great time for New Year's Eve. We went out to a place in Wicker Park with Brian's college friends and my life friends (isn't it cool how you can adopt other people's college friends?) for dinner, drinks, conversations, and scrabble. A few of us even started the dance floor, which I'm not sure was really meant to be a dance floor, but a floor was present and we danced on it nonetheless. 

I was thinking about New Year's and how much I love the beginning of new things, fresh starts, and how much I always love to make New Year's Resolutions. A chance to make a list, you say? Sign me up! I make them every year. I even beat New Year's to the punch by making Birthday Resolutions each year. Yet, sometimes, I feel like these resolutions resound with the tone of Self Deprivation. Running, diets, yoga classes, bedtimes, water consumed, handwritten notes sent, and achievements reached are all forged out of some sort of intense gritting-of-the-teeth. Discipline. (Oh how I wish I was more disciplined!) When I inevitably fail to complete something on the list, then, this cycles me downward pretty quickly into feeling guilty, shaming myself, and needless stress. 

Instead of adding to that already-25-items-long-list that I made on my birthday, I decided to back off the resolutions a bit this year and give the to-do-lists a break. Lists are my weakness (do you notice that on the right hand side of this very blog the most common topic for my blog posts are lists?) and while they are helpful for organizing this scattered mind of mine, sometimes they need to just be set aside. A little less gritting of the teeth. Maybe I'll return to the list of resolutions another year, but I think 2015 will be a good year for taking a break.

2014 was a year of lists. Planning our wedding. Finishing grad school. Finishing Teach for America but continuing with my career in teaching. Finding a new job. Setting up a new classroom. Finding a new apartment. Changing my name. There were lots of things to complete on lots of to-do lists. They were all wonderful things. I want to do healthy, good, and loving things not because they've appeared on my list of obligations, but because I know they are healthy, good, and loving in and of themselves. I just want to take a break from approaching life in a theme of forcing myself away from bad things, always in self deprivation, and more toward consistently embracing what is truly good. Of course I want to run more, sleep well, choose kindness, pray daily, and live fully. For this year, though, maybe there doesn't have to be a list present in order for those things to happen. Change and improvement doesn't have to be forced, and it surely doesn't need to involve guilt when a mark is missed.

Maybe growth doesn't have to come from a place of deprivation, of saying "no" to all the wrong things, but from a place of saying "yes" to the right things: to peace, renewal, and the good. I know God can speak into my life without all of my lists, and this year I'm going to give Him a chance to do it. 

Things Lately

Life lately is, well, like a usual teacher's life in the last ten days before Christmas break: all over the place. We've been incredibly busy, yet not all that busy at the same time. Busy with school, with work, with obligations, but not yet busy out and about and living the Christmas-y December life. We are running around with end-of-semester student projects, Christmas programs, finals, and grading. Here's a few things going on in my life lately:

1. Serial. FE:OIWJFE:OWIEJFW:OEIJ:A:LKJWELRKF. That's all I have to say. It's so good. Sarah Koenig has me hanging on to her every word. She brilliantly, fairly, and ever-so-cleanly investigates a murder that occurred in Baltimore in 1999 through a series of podcasts. That year, a high school boy named Adnan Syed was put in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend based on very little physical evidence, one friend's testimony, and phone records that seemed to indicate his guilt. With a little prodding, Sarah is finding more and more holes, questions, and coincidences than she's finding answers. We all get the privilege to ride along and see where it goes, the fate of this man, now in his thirties, hanging in the balance. People. Go take a listen.

2. Brian Regan. Mel's family has famously followed Brian Regan's comedy for as long as I've known them. Her dad is always good for a little quote sesh on the spot. Well, this weekend her friends were invited along with the Lawrence crew for a live show of his at The Chicago Theater. I had lost my voice at that point (see #3 on this list) and was squeaking out these raspy laughs all night. 

3. Dayquil. It's that time of the teaching year. Second graders tend to spread their slime without consideration of the state of community health, and I've finally succumbed to the barrage of germs that come in my direction daily. Unfortunately for Brian, he is realizing that having an elementary school teacher as his roommate means that he also gets the benefit of strengthening his immune system through exposure. We've been going to sleep at 8:45 at night lately. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the extra sleep/reading/cuddle time, even if we are kind of miserable. We're miserable together! #marriageperks  

4. Harry Potter. Oh yes, for the first time. Today I told my friend Sam that I was reading the series for the first time ever. She gave me a puzzled look, saying that she always thought of me as a book-y person and could not believe that I hadn't read them before. Well, sadly, it is true. Not sadly, when everyone else was reading Harry Potter in middle school, I was working my way through the Chronicles of Narnia, so not all was lost in those early years. I got to know Digory and Polly and Tumnus and Lucy, and all was well. Now I get the joy of cheering on Griffyndor, loathing Malfoy, and living vicariously through the most curious and brave three best friends  I could imagine. I finished the first book yesterday and am absolutely hooked. 

5. Birchwood Kitchen. I've been trying to get to this place for forever! Brian and I tried going last year and ended up with the prospect of waiting for a table for over an hour. We ditched that and went to, of course, Smoke Daddy instead. Thankfully, Michal and Reese were free this morning and also wanted to try it out. It was delish and had an adorable little atmosphere. The company was the best part of the meal. 

Soon I will add Christmas Programs, End-of-Year Christmas Parties, and Flights to Phiadelphia on this list of things lately in my life. But that's next week. We'll take it one at a time over here. 

Thanks

Hi friends! I am a day late on my yearly moment to reflect on what I am thankful for, but I am in my quiet apartment at midnight and it seems to be the perfect time to do it. My Thanksgiving looked a little different this year, not in a bumbling house of rambunctious cousins, aunts, and uncles, but shared around a table with family and friends that feel like family. I was at the Whartnaby house with Brian's family, Brian and Michal, and Brian's parents (yes there are two Brians, in case you were wondering). We spent the day popping in and out of the kitchen for appetizers, food prep, wine refills, and conversation, back and forth to the couch in various seating arrangements, only to rearrange after the next wine refill. It was a good day. My father-in-law started the table going with a round of sharing what we are grateful for this year, and I went last. Of course by the time they got to me I was such an emotional mess from hearing everyone else's touching things that I could hardly utter understandable words. I'll repeat a few things that I said at dinner and add a few here, but I'm glad to continue the tradition. Here are a few things I'm thankful for this year. The first one is super cheesy, sorry but I'm definitely not sorry :)

1. Brian. He made my list last year, but in the sense of I-have-an-adorable-boyfriend kind of way. This year, he has to be number one on the list because he has been my life's biggest blessing. He still is adorable, of course, but in him I have found my secret-keeper, my nightly dinner date, my TV buddy, my source of advice, my ego-booster, my sounding board, and my best friend. Not only that, but my chronically cold feet now have a ready-made heater to warm them up every night! (#marriageperks). The love, acceptance, and joy he has given me already in four short months of marriage is changing me into a better, more kind, more understanding, more beautiful version of me, and I could not be more thankful for that.

2. Badass wedding photos. Can I say that? Well I did. Hannah White and her husband Greg have amazing talents that have given me a gift beyond what money can buy. I've been looking at our wedding photos again lately and am so thankful to have stunning visuals on hand to remind me of that awesome day. It really is priceless.

3. My brothers. Rudi and Alex for sending me memes and funny texts to make the hundreds of miles that separate us feel a little smaller. Michael for being man enough to be my pedicure buddy. Luke for being cool about discussing world travels and also for lending me Harry Potter.

4. Hulu Plus. Hello Project Runway, Mindy Project, and America's Next Top Model. It's always there when you need a mind vacation. Thinking is hard sometimes. Reality TV to the rescue!

5. My amazing new school. Have you heard about Calvin Christian School?  Go look it up. It is a beautiful place of all kinds of kids and teachers, coming together to learn how to best serve God in this world. It's not perfect, sometimes it's messy, and mostly it's chaotic, but I absolutely am honored to be working where I am right now. It makes me thankful for the first two years of my teaching career and the struggles I faced there, because working at Calvin is so much sweeter after such a hard fight at work. I'm definitely still crying a lot at school, but not for the same reasons that I used to. These days I'm tearing up from amazing second grade thoughts, prayers, songs, and acts of kindness that move me to have complete faith and hope in this growing generation.

6. A membership to CostCo. Who knew you needed 6 bags of brownie mix in one purchase? Well now I know.

7. Family reunions coming on the horizon. For Brian's family and mine. We're headed to Philadelphia before Christmas to reconnect with the Whartnaby crew and my official first time to Brian's old stomping grounds. Also, for reunions with my two brothers and sisters-in-law (and niece and nephew!) currently located on the East Coast through their plans to visit the Midwest for Christmas. I have a big excitement building over seeing my people again in just a few short weeks.

8. My friends. Tonight I got to hang out, laugh, and eat with just a few of the exceptional people whom I somehow am lucky enough to call friends. There are some that have known me since birth, a few just since college, and some still more recently, but I have some hilarious, sweet, and quality people in my circle.

9. All the new people in my life. Yesterday, I sat around a table with 11 other people to share Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't know any of them as recently as a year and a half ago. They didn't know me either until Brian and I started dating. And yet there we sat, sharing so much friendship and faith and love amongst all of us, and I was overwhelmed with the goodness God brings to me through other people. When the world tempts me to believe the lie that I am all alone in this thing, God proves it wrong again and again with the incredible people he drops in my path. Isn't togetherness a gift? I am so thankful for it.

On Being a Gesch: An Ode to my Last Name

Yesterday I sat in the Social Security Administration office waiting in line for 3 hours. This was the first step in changing my name over to Brian's, a step important to both of us when it comes to getting married. At first, I went with the idea of Anna Kathryn Whartnaby as my full name, dropping the old last name and replacing it with the new. The moment in our wedding when my hand was transferred from my dad's to Brian's to go up to the altar was the bittersweet picture of this. As I thought about changing my name, though, I couldn't let it go completely. I had to keep Gesch in there somehow, not as a hyphenated thing, but as my new middle name. So Anna Gesch Whartnaby it is. I had to keep it, because being a Gesch is a special thing. I'll try to explain.

Dancing with the guy who gave me the name in the first place. 

This is not everyone's experience in my family, it is solely my own, as I have the particular brand of Gesch-ness influenced by my parents, grandparents, siblings, and geography. There are so many things that go along with this title at the end of your name, and when I think of being a Gesch, I am so proud to be one. Here is a little bit of what it means to me.

1. When you are a Gesch, you have to know that you are pretty quirky and high strung. It's just one of those things that go along with the territory. You and your people are weirdly talented, but kind of like purebred animals, also a tad temperamental and nuanced. I have family members who are brilliant jazz pianists, historians, pigeon-raisers, writers, singers, trumpet players, artists, bow hunters, bicycle fixers, self-taught craftsmen and carpenters, hunting outfit guides, and a lot of preachers who never went to a day of class in a seminary, yet are delivering theologically layered sermons with the best of them. Walk into a room of Gesches and the subject of conversation can be anything from Shakespeare to shotguns, and you can believe there is a lot of incessant foot tapping, finger fidgeting, and coffee sipping as the debates or rants ensue. We're all just a tad uptight. 

2. When you are a Gesch, you have strict parents. It's just how it is. You hate it at 16, but are pretty grateful for it later on.

3. When you are a Gesch, you are painfully early to everything. You are overly punctual. Of course my wedding started 5 minutes early. My dad, meeting my mom and I at a restaurant for dinner a few weeks ago, showed up 45 minutes before the meeting time we agreed on and hung out in a booth, greeting other patrons and making conversation with our server. A Gesch tends to make friends with the custodial staff at various places of worship and business, because those are the only other humans present in these locations at such ridiculous hours. Gesches spend large potions of their lives waiting around awkwardly for things to begin. But it's okay, these kinds of lessons in delayed gratification build a lot of character, a virtue also incredibly important to the Gesches.

4. When you are a Gesch, you have learned from your family to be faithful and loyal. They stick with their local roots, spouse, family, and church. Of course we are not always perfect just like anybody, but this little area is very important to the clan. 

5. When you are a Gesch, you are a communicator. My grandma was famous in far off countries throughout the world for writing letters to missionaries on a consistent basis. We all tend to write in one way or another, and we definitely have the problem of talking too much. This means large vocabularies, stimulating discussions, and opinionated children articulately lobbying for later bedtimes (guilty as charged; I think the Brian Gesch clan's offspring was particularly strong in this area). It also means a necessity to do the whole foot-in-mouth thing every once in awhile due to the lack of filter between your brain and your mouth. Please forgive us, for we Gesches mean well. 

6. When you are a Gesch, you tend to get emotional in old age. We are a sentimental bunch. In my case, "old age" is the ripe, ancient year of 24, because I get teary-eyed every time I talk about my grandma, say goodbye to my parents, or hear Edie Ritsman sing anything in church.

7. When you are a Gesch, you are part of a friendly, handshaking crew. You meet new people all the time (probably other people who are early to events) and are well versed in the art of Meeting New People. Gesches bombard New People with talking too loud, enthusiastic yet random inquiries into cultural heritage, and invitations to Thanksgiving dinner celebrations so that other Gesches may Meet the New People.

8. When you are a Gesch, you sing. This is not optional. There is no question of whether or not you participate in church singing groups and choirs, it's just sort of assumed with your name that you will. You can always count on a Gesch to belt out the favorite hymns.

9. When you are a Gesch, you are sarcastic and witty. You laugh a lot as a Gesch, but it's a hard-achieved humor, one you have to work for. No easy laughs. Not much is easy-going in the life of a Gesch, but it is worth it to be present for a brilliant joke cracked by Uncle Jeff. 

10. When you are a Gesch, you're probably a teacher, married to a teacher, a sibling of a teacher, or born of a teacher in one way or another. All of those categories happen to apply to me. Being a Gesch means loving to learn and loving to help people learn. It means an odd talent for trivia games, episodes of Jeopardy, and any other form of quickly generating information. It also means having so many random and useless facts up in your brain that you have a hard time remembering other things, like where you put your keys. Or whether you turned off the oven. Things like that.

So that's why I couldn't let go of my wonderful last name, not altogether at least. I will always love the book hoarding, coffee stirring, muskrat trapping, small town loving, churchgoing people who raised me and the values they instilled in my life, no matter how quirky that might make me. I look forward to seeing what it means to be a Whartnaby, and even helping define what that means in our own family unit with Brian and I. When I look at my name, my whole name, I will still get to see Gesch right there in the middle. And I am very proud of that. 

My 24 Before 25

Last weekend, Brian took me home to Wisconsin for my birthday weekend. My work life is in a crazy phase, so it was awesome for us to sit around a fire with my parents and stare at the stars in the crystal clear sky. We shot guns (more on that later), sat and talked with my grandpa and great aunt, and ate more calories than I would like to think about with my aunt and uncle.

But, as it was my birthday, I am now 24 years old. Whaaa? Why is it that I feel like I'm perpetually 16 in this adult world? Yet the number goes up each year. I do think I'm more mature now than I was a year ago, but somehow it still feels weird. I suppose that if I felt more accomplished I might feel more mature each year at my birthday. So I've decided to do just that. I've decided to accomplish things.  Here is a list of things, large and small, that I want to accomplish before I turn 25. Next year around my birthday I'll check in to see if I actually did any of this stuff!

My 24 Before 25

1. Have a regular fitness routine. I'm on and off this year, from intense running for a half marathon to slacking for the whole entire beginning of the school year. At a time where running is necessary to relieve stress and clear up my mind, I don't make time for it. I want to get better at this for next year.

2. Write a book.

3. Read 5 books, just for the sake of reading them. 

4. Get rid of clothes that I don't wear. Jen, my roommate, is really great at being a minimalist. She's constantly throwing stuff out. I feel like she lives lighter because of that. Pack-rat-dom brings me down. I think my rule will be that if I haven't worn it in a year, it's got to go.

5. Learn a new song in sign language.

6. Learn about wine. I don't understand wine. But I like it. So I want to learn about it.

7. Wake up really early and go to the beach to see the sun rise.

8. Take pictures of some of the murals in Pilsen with my nice camera. This neighborhood is a special place

9. Paint a piece of furniture in a fun color. 

10. Host people over at my apartment for a fun event. 

11. Find a mentor. Whether that age difference is one year or fifty, getting advice from someone older is important.

12. Bake a cake or cupcakes from scratch. 

13. Learn to use a grill. 

14. Create something crafty to hang up on the wall or put in my apartment. 

15. Eat sushi. I've only tried one piece of sushi once in my life. I've never "gone out for sushi" like most hip girls my age have done. I feel like this needs to happen.

16. Pay off grad school and be debt free. 

17. Spend less per week on groceries. 

18. Get a no-chip manicure. 

19. Give more money away to church and charities. (This goes hand in hand with 16 and 17.)

20. Go to a yoga class. Namaste.

21. Start to figure out where I will live/work/be for age 25 and beyond. And when I say "start to figure out" I mean just that. In no way do I intend to know my life path/calling/future a year from today. Something tells me that life is more about changing lanes along the way than reaching a destination.

22. Write more Thank-You notes. 

23. Read the Bible more. Right now, this is embarrassing to admit, but I'm averaging about 3, maybe 4 times a week. I need to do it every day to feel like my life is good and happy and right and on-track.

24. Go on a road trip to a place I've never driven before. 

13.1

On Sunday, July 21st, I ran in the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon. 13.1 miles. Yes! I did it! I'm throwing myself a small party with this blog post. I mainly do this so that one day in December when my life is a mess I can look back and see that, indeed, I was successful in accomplishing something this year. Last fall I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k so I figured I could step it up and try a longer distance. Somehow, I finished at about an 11-minute-mile rate. (All you real-life-runner-people-with-7-minute-miles, I don't want to hear your scoffs.) My next goal will be to do one with 10-minute-miles, but in the meantime I'm just giddy with excitement that I did cross the finish line and that I still have legs. It went oddly well. It made me oddly positive and happy and excited and proud all at the same time. Running will do that to you.

A gross, sweaty, yet triumphant picture of me, compliments of Brian. 

Once again, my favorite part of the race was the people watching I got to do along the way. Let me tell you about a few:

1. There was the guy in a Pikachu costume, a plush, heavy, and smelly outfit to wear on a race in the middle of July.

2. There was the engaged couple who apparently were mandated to run this race by whomever was facilitating their premarital counseling, because I spent about 1.2 miles with them as they bickered back and forth: "You go run! You hate slowing down for me anyway!"..."No we're DOING THIS TOGETHER, remember? I'll be the jerk if I leave you here!"..."Well if you wanna walk the rest of the way with me in silence then BE MY GUEST!" Whew. AWKWARD. Best of luck to you two.

3. There was this little old white-haired lady wrapped up in a turtleneck and blankets as she sat in her wheelchair and silently holding a tiny sign on the sidewalk that said "Go Sara Ann" and it may or may not have broken my heart of sweetness.

4. There was the Pentecostal church who volunteered to hand out water to the runners who said "You are BLESSED! KEEP GOING!"..."Today is YOUR DAY!"... and "GIRL I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!" as I went past their tables. This event was good for my ego.

5. There were the frat boys in the bro tanks and very short American flag running shorts. They wore neon green Ray-Bans and high fived a lot.

6. There was a 12-year-old who ran by me at the speed of lightning right before Mile 1 and by Mile 2 was sitting down on the curb catching his breath. Nobody gave him the pacing talk. Poor kid.

7. There were a lot of chicks in tutus. Weird.

8. Finally, my favorite people were those cheering everyone along; bystanders were indiscriminately handing out encouragement for free to just about every single runner. I saw hilarious signs that read TAKE A TAXI IT'S WAY FASTER, JUST KEEP SWIMMING, and, my favorite, at mile 12, IF YOU HAVEN'T POOPED YOUR PANTS YET THEN YOU'RE ALL CHAMPIONS.  Profound.

Other than the fact that my hamstrings still feel as tight as skinny jeans fresh out of the dryer, I'd say the whole experience was a success.

It's Over.

Last Wednesday, June 19, was the last day of my first year of teaching. The first year is done. It's over. My first year with Teach For America. My first year in this crazy city. It was a big deal to me. I'm going to be thinking about that last day and what it means to me for a long time after this. I don't know how many installments I'll write about the end of my school year, but I know that I'll be processing it for awhile. For right now, I'm going to be thankful for some things. It's always good to start with that. Who needs the turkey? Today can be Thanksgiving too.

The future third-graders, looking so grown up.

At the end of my first year of teaching, I am thankful for...

1. Survival. If I'm going to be real, I was often uncertain that I would make it to this day. Physically making it to summer break is something for which I am endlessly grateful.

2. Humility. If you want a knock to your ego, go sign up for Teach For America. I guess I'm sentimental for things like sad movies and sappy commercials, but I never thought of myself as a weak person who breaks down and cries over things. Then life said to me: "Welcome to this year, Anna," and the waterworks began. On lunch breaks. On the drive home. Random other times. It's ridiculous to admit, but it's also an overwhelming feeling to be a teacher at my school and for my kids. To modify a Seinfeld-ism: "First, you cry, and then your data comes in after the standardized tests are scored and... you cry again." It was a good thing for me to realize that I am not good at everything right away, even when I put in an enormous amount of effort (it knocked this grade-chasing-overachiever down a few pegs). This has been such an important lesson.

3. Hilarity. I have so, so, so many funny memories with my kids. So many quotes. So many weird interactions. So many moments of chaos. I'm giggling to myself right now even thinking of them all.

4. Revelation. This year has also been one of some tough realizations about the harsh reality of this world. My eyes have definitely been opened. I will never be the same.

5. People. I have met so many new people in this first year in Chicago through this experience with Teach For America. I am so thankful for them all. I am amazed at the variety of humanity that God has made and put into my life. They are the real live people, with skin and hair and personalities. They are so much more real than statistics, numbers, or data points. They are teachers, students, coworkers, friends, and other acquaintances and they are all amazing.

6. Discontentment. Yes, I am even thankful for the uneasiness I still feel about this whole thing, right now as I type. I feel dissatisfied about my abilities as a teacher, I feel worried about the safety and progress of my kids over the summer, and I feel anxious about the system as a whole and the injustices that happen here on a daily basis. I'm thankful that I don't feel at peace with all of those things because I know it will just be motivation to become better, to try harder, to accomplish more. I don't want to feel complacent and I don't ever want to be desensitized to the realities that we all so desperately need to change.

7. Faithfulness. I've seen it out of my friends and family, so much. But most of all, I've seen it from God. I have never been so blown away as I have this year at the unbelievable ways that God takes care of me. He always does. Even when I'm crying in the bathroom, schools around the city are closing down, and there's a shooting a block from where we go outside for recess, God is faithful to us. That's the thing I'm most thankful for.

Now if you'll excuse me, good night to you all. I'll be over here in Pilsen. Going to sleep. Without setting an alarm. (!!!!!!!)

Ten Things That Make Me Really Happy

I found another post on the list of this blogger's challenge that I wanted to do. At this point in the school year after getting home from a 3-hour night class after a long day of teaching after a long two weeks of standardized tests, I'd say it's high time to stop and be thankful for some stuff. Many things make me happy (I'm easily amused), but here are ten of those many things.

1. My Kids' Big Brown Eyes. This sounds so tacky. It sounds like Karen Kingsbury or some other terribly smarmy author should have written that, but I must say that it is true. (For those of you who don't know me, I mean my students and not my actual children. Not that my students are not actual children. What I'm trying to say here is that I do not have biological kids.) They have wonderful brown eyes that give the most hilarious expressions. Granted, many of them are disrespectful expressions (my room is the eye rolling capital of the world), but my particular second graders have a way of making you forget those offenses from time to time and melting your heart for a moment. And then they cuss you out and that moment of bliss goes away, but it was there for a moment nonetheless. 

2. Snapchat. The quasi-inappropriate, funny, and friendly snaps alike all bring joy to my otherwise routine-driven day.

3. Church. Have I showed you pictures of my church before? Well now I have. The place is beautiful. And I know that it's not all about the place looking beautiful or whatever, that technically those elements of church are superficial, but I don't care. There is something about walking into my church that puts my whole self at ease. For that hour and fifteen minutes a week I would want to be nowhere else on earth than in that beautiful place.

4. Pilsen. I've talked about my corner of Chicago before and I'm sure you're bored of the infomercial for Pilsen that I often pitch to people who ask about it. But on sunny days like today, it looks heavenly to me. The uneven roads and sidewalks, the big huge shade trees, the families bustling around town, the brightly-colored buildings, it all was magic.

More pictures of bachelorette goodness are soon to follow! 

5. Weddings. Lord knows I've had my fair share of weddings this past year or so. Lord knows I've been caught complaining from time to time about the money, routines, runaround, and all that goes with them. But I'm going to let you in on a secret and tell you that no matter what, I love 'em. So much love and joy and happiness all together at once in one day and place. Karley's is next weekend and it seems to me that it's absolutely impossible for me to be more happy that a wedding is happening than I am for this one. Well maybe I'd be as excited for my own wedding someday. But maybe not even then. That's how happy I am for her. Oh my goodness I'm smiling as I'm typing.

6. Trader Joe's. Because it makes me feel like a healthy yuppy young adult and I like to feel that way sometimes.

7. Bonfires. I would be perfectly happy to have a bonfire every single night of my summer. Preferably under a clear sky in Wisconsin, but I am happy to be staring at a fire for hours in any old place.

8. Seinfeld. It has never failed to bring me joy for lo these 23 years and I'm still confused on how this one slipped past the radar of my otherwise-strict parents. They allowed me to watch new episodes each week, every one riddled with innuendo and inappropriate viewing all through the 1990's, but I'm glad they had several moments of parental mishap and let me watch the comedic genius unfold.

This might be my favorite place in the world. 

9. Spain. I miss it. I love talking about it. I love looking at pictures. I love laughing at how fat I got when I was there. I love remembering it. Anything that has to do with it makes me really, really happy.

10. Barefoot Moscato That Costs $6.00. 'Nuf said.

Links I Love

There's a blogger out there who is posing a challenge to other bloggers to post something every day in May along with a daily prompt to answer in each post. I'm definitely not going to post every day but I do find some of her prompts intriguing. The one for today is about sharing a blog that you love to read.

I'm going to go ahead and share more than one because I, if I'm being honest, read far more than just one regularly. So I'm going to go ahead and share five. (These don't include my daily dose of Kendi because hers is basically just a documentation of her daily outfit, which is wonderful, but I'm posting these links to appreciate those that actually write things from time to time instead of just posting beautiful pictures.) I love these blogs because they inspire me to be real, to be raw, and to be truthful when I write. To really dig deeper and get to the heart of things. I think becoming a better writer is also tied up in growing to become a better person. A more honest, aware, open, and reflective person. These girls do this on the regular and inspire me to do the same. You now know how nerdy I am with this internet machine on which I'm typing. Click around, read a few posts, and enjoy!

I feel this way exactly. 

1. The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell. Okay. Although I wouldn't consider myself a "bombshell" per say, I am a brunette and feel that I share so so so many similarities to this blogger. Meg Fee is a girl in her twenties who moved to New York City about 8 years ago and writes about her struggles, friends, loves, and daily adventures. She is brutally honest. Sometimes so honest and raw about things that she goes through that I don't exhale the whole time I'm reading a post because my eyes are so glued to her emotions on the screen. I love that she is living an interesting life that she loves amidst really hard things and still comes out hopeful. She resonates so much with the reality I'm living out here in Chicago. I discovered her blog about a month ago and have visited it daily since then. The link will bring you to a page where she chose her favorite posts, so it will give you a good idea of her writing style and the aforementioned brutal honesty that makes her posts pop.

2. Fairytales Are True. This is written by Sarah Tucker, a new mom and really cool wedding planner lady. Her site is great for a quick bright outlook on life in the morning as you eat breakfast. I hope I'm something like her in about ten years.

3. Delightfully Tacky. I love this quirky style blog (plus other topics from time to time). She writes from the Pacific Northwest and makes me immediately want to move to Seattle or Portland and ride my bike through the woods. She's got this awesome head of big curly hair and thinks of the most interesting ways to put an outfit together, definitely embracing the kitschy vintage aesthetic. Beyond the outfits, her writing is really good too. She's a great source for style and life inspiration.

4. Casey Leigh. A beautiful mom with a beautiful family with beautiful style who writes beautiful words and posts beautiful pictures. It's the best way I can describe it. Go check it out.

5. Tales of Me and the Husband. I know it seems weird that I follow these married people's blogs. It's really more that I connect to their personalities and willingness to be open and the difference in our life stages doesn't really matter much to me. This girl's name is Bridget, and she has an interesting story with her family. She married into a family who had lost their mother and wife about 3 years prior, and she became a stepmom and a new wife at a really young age to a guy who was probably about 20 years older than her. It sounds crazy, and it is, but she has some really interesting points of view and really cool perspectives. She is honest about growing up quickly and honest about everything else. It's refreshing. It's cool that she is unapologetic about choosing her life path, yet is also the first to admit that there are complications and bumps in the road along the way.

Am I the only one who reads blogs all the time? Which ones do you like to read?

Four Things

Life is swirling these days. I like the verb swirling. It reminds me of vanilla/chocolate twist cones at Dairy Queen. Yum. (Can you tell I want summer to get here, like yesterday?) But, in the tradition of this blog making me slow down and reflect for a few seconds, I'm going to put down my grading and take twenty minutes to share four things with you.

These are the cookies I made for my newspaper club last week. I've been teaching an elective every Friday for some fourth and fifth grade girls as a little something extra for our school. We practiced brainstorming article ideas, interviewing key players in the stories, and put all of our hard work into a news article on our respective topics. I figured nothing fits hard-hitting-journalism like sugar cookies with funfetti frosting as a celebration for our publishing day. We did a "paper route" around the school and delivered our finished copy of The Titan News to each classroom. Then we ate cookies and drank cherry limeade. I think I'm seriously misleading some of America's youths as to what that job must really be like. I'll bet The Tribune has significantly fewer sugar cookies. Maybe I'll write in and ask because I think it'd seriously improve employee morale. 

This is the list that somehow began to form while I absentmindedly doodled during last week's grad class. I actually really enjoy my current professor (as for some of the others...I have never missed Trinity's English department so badly...) but am just a doodler/lister at heart and this started to happen. I'm still thinking of things I'd like to add. A few of these options require more schooling, a few don't. Anyone out there have ideas that you think might work for me? ...Anyone? ...Bueller? I figure my best bet might be to score a TV show starring me as a counselor who blogs about her patients. This would result in me getting sued for violation of patient-doctor privilege, losing all of my money and possessions in the ruling, and ending up as a homeless bum. That would knock four off the list right there.  

I'm a girl who likes to brush her teeth. My friend Osvaldo works for a toothbrush company. Fancy that. Meet my new, wonderful, orange toothbrush. It looked a little too furry for my liking but it turns out to be a great tooth-cleaning experience. This was a happy day. Also, I cleaned the bathroom that Kristin and I use yesterday with so much bleach that I was starting to consider things like getting into Keeping Up With the Kardashians and other nonsense. My hands are still shriveled from the chemical burn. It makes me feel like a hard worker. And a really good Dutch person. (For you non-Dutch-people...apparently my heritage was supposed to make me enjoy doing housework and chores and being clean...I think there was a gene mutation somewhere along the way when I was born.) 

Aaannnnndddddd. Last but not least. My student K came up to me last Friday and asked if she could give me something. I said, "Of course! How sweet!" She gave this box to me. Thankfully, nothing was inside of this box. The box itself was the gift. I said, "Wow! What a nice box!" and she said, "It's my mom's, but she was going to throw it away. So I thought I'd give it to you." There's a whole lot I could infer from this situation, namely that my student thinks garbage is something that I will enjoy as a present, but I'm going to go with that whole it's the thought that counts thing and call it a night. Adios, muchachos. There are my four things. Tell me some of your things sometime. I'm sure I'll have one or two (or seven) more tomorrow. 

101 Books. From Me (and friends) To You.

Well, people, my listing side has finally gotten the best of me. This is probably going to be the longest blog post on this thing to date, but I am so excited to put it up here!

I've been finding myself these days in constant need of a good, trustworthy book recommendation. A lot of my friends seem to be finding themselves in the same situation. Thus, this list was born. I reached out to some friends who I know are great readers and asked for some book titles that they would definitely recommend. I got an overwhelmingly positive response with lots and lots of wonderful books. 101 to be exact. Here is a list of 101 book recommendations. A few things you should know: the list is organized as Title - Author (Name of Recommender). This is important because if you buy the book and hate it, you now have the name of the person you need to find and slap in the face for recommending a crappy book. This is also important because if you buy the book and love it, you now have the name of the person you need to find and hug for recommending a fabulous book. It is also good to know that these are in no particular order. I'm just the messenger of quality information. Look up any titles you find interesting and give them a try!

Before I give you all of their favorites, I want to give you some must-reads from my life. Maybe I'll do a post that delves into why all of these particular books have so touched my heart, but for now I'll just give you the names of some books that every human being should read: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. And clearly, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (but I firmly believe that this book transcends any list). Also, although I'm not a Harry Potter expert, J.K. Rowling's series was recommended a million times. Clara's comment on getting into the series: "Don't give up after the first one. Harry's eleven. It was J.K.'s first book. Cut them both some slack. It's about to get way better." Okay. You have my picks. Ready for the list? Drumroll please....

1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Clara Connis, me, everyone else in the world)

2. Intensity – Dean Koontz (Karley VanDyke)

3.The Princess Bride - William Goldman (Sasha Blasen)

4. Brave New World - Aldus Huxley (Colin Shevlin)

5.  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller (Zak Hood)

6.  Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut (Colin Shevlin)

7.  In the Garden of Beasts - Eric Larson (Nicole Ongna)

8.  The Hours - Michael Cunningham (Liz Brice)

9.  Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien (Jennie Hill)

10.  Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (Ryan Jensema)

11.  The River Wife - Jonis Agee (Jacquelyn Iwema)

12.  Atonement - Ian McEwan (Mike Merlino)

13.  Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut (Mike Merlino)

14.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith (Katie Chappell)

15.  The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach (Andrew Knot)

16.  High Fidelity - Nick Hornby (Zach Blair)

17.  1984 - George Orwell (Andy Van Soelen)

18.  Divergent - Veronica Roth (Nicole Ongna)

19.  The Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell (Rudi Gesch)

20.  The Red Tent - Anita Diamant (Sasha Blasen)

21.  Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison (Courtney Randle)

22.  Love Walked In - Marisa De Los Santos (Clara Connis)

23.  Green Eggs & Ham - Dr. Seuss (Andy Van Soelen)

24.  Three and Out - John U. Bacon (Andrew Knot)

25.  Along Came a Spider - James Patterson (Jenna VanMaanen)

26.  Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely (Sam Handel)

27.  On the Road - Jack Kerouac (Colin Shevlin)

28.  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling (Gina Ciametti)

29.  Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - Annie Dillard (Jennie Hill)

30.  Haunted Ground - Erin Hart (Clara Connis

31.  Einstein's Dreams - Alan Lightman (Zach Blair)

32.  Blink - Malcom Gladwell (Sam Handel)

33.  The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat - Oliver Sacks (Sam Handel)

34.  Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis (Ashley Wisz)

35.  The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis (Andy Van Soelen)

36.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safron Foer (Andrew Knot)

37.  The Host - Stephanie Meyer (Ashley Wisz)

38.  Lamb – Christopher Moore (Steve Ragatzki)

39.  Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (Ryan Jensema)

40.  Malcom at Midnight - W.H. Beck (Liz VanDrunen)

41.  His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (Ryan Jensema)

42.  The Giver - Lowis Lowry (Alyssa Nekic)

43.  A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan (Colin Shevlin)

44.  The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (Nicole Ongna)

45.  The Song of the Dodo - David Quammen (Jennie Hill)

46.  Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (Katie Chappell)

47.  Scribbler of Dreams - Mary E. Pearson (Jenna Reidenga)

48.  Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand (Nicole Ongna)

49.  The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (Zach Blair)

50.  The Mistborn Trilogy – Brandon Sanderson (Steve Ragatzki)

51.  Number the Stars - Lowis Lowry (Liz VanDrunen)

52.  The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver (Sasha Blasen)

53.  Traveling Mercies - Anne Lamott (Sasha Blasen)

54.  Good to Great - Jim Collins (Rudi Gesch)

55.  Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers (Karley VanDyke)

56.  The Marriage Plot - Jeffrey Euginedes (Andrew Knot)

57.  The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath (Sasha Blasen)

58.  Straight Man - Richard Russo (Katie Chappell)

59.  Where The Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls (Alyssa Nekic)

60.  The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown (Rudi Gesch, with an anecdote to read the series)

61.  Counterfeit Gods - Tim Keller (Andy Van Soelen)

62.  The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (Mike Merlino)

63.  Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton (Ryan Jensema)

64.  Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (Jennie Hill)

65.  Outliers - Malcom Gladwell (Rudi Gesch)

66.  How to Cook Everything – Mark Brittman (Steve Ragatzki)

67.  Soul Pancake - Rainn Wilson (Gina Ciametti)

68.  Pale King - David Foster Wallace (Colin Shevlin)

69.  Map of Lost Memories - Kim Fey (Jacquelyn Iwema)

70.  Last Light - Terri Blackstock (Jenna VanMaanen)

71.  East of Eden – John Steinbeck(Courtney Randle, Jennie Hill)

72.  Palo Alto – James Franco (Courtney Randle)

73.  Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller (Zak Hood)

74.  The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne (Lauren Haney)

75.  The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (Katie Chappell)

76.  BossyPants - Tina Fey (Gina Ciametti)

77.  The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton (Clara Connis)

78.  A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (Liz Brice)

79.  Columbine - Dave Cullen (Sam Handel)

80.  Other People's Rejection Letters – Bill Shapiro (Gina Ciametti)

81.  The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (Liz Brice)

82.  Heaven is For Real - Todd Burpo (Ashley Wisz)

83.  Freakonomics - Steven Levitt (Rudi Gesch)

84.  Wonder - R.J. Palacio (Liz VanDrunen)

85.  Through Painted Deserts - Donald Miller (Andy Van Soelen)

86.  The Fault in our Starts - John Green (Sasha Blasen)

87.  On the Road - Jerk Kerouac (Mike Merlino)

88.  Prodigal God – Tim Keller (Lauren Haney)

89.  The Reason for God – Tim Keller (Lauren Haney)

90.  The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory (Clara Connis)

91.  City of Bones - Cassandra Clare (Ashley Wisz)

92.  Frequently Avoided Questions – Smith and Whitlock (Lauren Haney)

93.  The Meaning of Marriage – Tim Keller (Lauren Haney)

94.  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis (Liz Brice)

95.  Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (April Saxma)

96.  One For The Money - Janet Evanovich (Jenna Reidenga)

97.  Freedom - Jonathan Franzen (Katie Chappell)

98.  MAUS I and II - Art Spiegelman (Zach Blair)

99.  Molloy - Samuel Beckett (Zach Blair)

100.  Because of Mr. Terupt - Rob Buyea (Liz VanDrunen)

101. Every Love Story is a Ghost Story - D.T. Max (Andrew Knot)