Midnight Cakes and the Unexpected

I've been called a hobbit more than once. It isn't just because I am short and... comfy in a land of tall, thin Dutch-descended students. Originally, it was an ambiguous nickname bestowed upon my honored personage by drunken strangers in York, England. Understandably, that bizarre occurrence left me almost as befuddled as my alcohol-soaked christeners. As they stumbled off to Spar, the nearest convenience store , I wrinkled my nose, thanked the good Lord in heaven that I survived this encounter, and then tried to decide whether or not I had just been insulted.

While I still haven't decided the answer, I have to admit that the moniker is accurate. Not only do I fit the physical description (including the slightly pointed ears, but not the hairy feet), but I also long for the expected. It's not that I'm unadventurous- I just like my adventures to go as they should, as they're planned. No lost luggage, or cancelled flights, or natural disasters-- and after having all of those three things happen to me within months, I've come to worry for the worst. The unexpected has come to bring the connotations of anxiety, of restless nights and a nauseous stomach.

But why? Frightening as the unknown can be, some of the most unexpected things are also the most meaningful. Just last night, just as I was dragging myself towards the general direction of bed (read: I was watching Inuyasha and writing my novel), my across-the-hall neighbors poked their heads in. Five minutes later, I was baking a cake with them, complete with homemade buttercream frosting I whipped up in the same amount of time it took them to figure out the cake mix. And even though I'm paying for my midnight baking, it was random, strange, and--the horror--fun! Today, my professor mentioned a proofreading job (on campus!). Tomorrow, I have a job interview. And even though I don't really need the calories from the cake, and I might not get the job, these unexpected occurrences showed me how God has been listening. I needed a pick-me-up-- and what's better than a big piece of cake? I've been worrying about getting a summer job-- how about the chance to get one in the spring instead? And if I'm being really honest and introspective, I am forced to realize that some of the best things that have ever happened to me have been unexpected- like my quick decision to study in York, my internship in Hikone, my parents' decision to move to Germany just as I left for college, my current job as a tutor and academic coach, my foray into high school theater...I could go on.

And if I continue the introspection, I am forced to realize that my bizarre wish to be static is never going to come true. Life is too dynamic, too beautiful in the insanity, and a part of me knows well enough to enjoy it, to bake a midnight cake instead of going to bed.