Life on a roller coaster!

Life is full of many ups and downs. Sometimes you don’t really know how high a peak in your life is until you hit a valley. But even with peaks and pits in life there is always great scenery, friends, family and things to be thankful for. Life in these past three months has been full of many ups, downs, laughs, memories and the need for trust. I have realized that as soon as I think life is going smoothly, God always reminds me that He is in charge and I am always learning something new. These past three months have been full of changes and adventures including graduating from JMU, exploration through Europe and the unknown of what’s ahead in life. 

Graduation… It was a bitter sweet last month of school combined with many lasts and a bright look at the future. One of the hardest parts of leaving JMU was leaving my ORL family. I grew to love my job over the last two years and I knew it was going to be hard to leave my staff, my building and the lifelong friends I had made doing what I loved. Despite the countless hours I spent talking with residents or not sleeping due to ping pong balls hitting my wall or my cell phone going off, I tried to use every conversation as a way to make a small difference in the other person’s life and also learn something new from those closest. I will forever be grateful for all that I was privileged to meet and some that I will be lifelong friends with from my time in ORL. I am so thankful for every opportunity I was given at JMU and for all the people that I got to meet over my four years.

Europe was a life changing, month long adventure. First I want to thank my parents for supporting my love for traveling and learning about new cultures by giving me a plane ticket of a lifetime for graduation. I was thrown completely out of my comfort zone within 1 hour of landing in London by showing up at the creepiest hostel ever. All I have to say is that I was thankful that I didn’t have to know a foreign language to communicate and by the end of the day it was my job to prove that not all Americans were rude and snobby. After surviving London and getting to meet one of my cousins and meet new friends I was finally headed to Paris to meet up with Marc (brother) and Christy (sister-in-law). Each new city and country was an opportunity to learn something new about others perceptions on life! The food was salivating wherever I went and unlike anything that can be found here in the U.S. I cannot wait to go back and eat crepes. Until next time I will have to just have to make my own crepes. Traveling unknown lands allowed me to have time to walk and think about what I am most thankful for in life and what I want to do in life. Mostly during my long walks through the streets of Paris I learned to trust that God has great plans for me and has been with me every step of the way. Europe was a trip of a life time with many firsts as well as countless new ideas about life.

Home… Nothing is like home, whether it is California or Virginia both of which I call home. Upon arriving back in the United States I was looking forward to being able to relax by the beach and just hang out with all those that I love. God definitely had another plan for my summer and for the next chapter in my life. Less than a week after arriving back I received an email saying that the firm I signed to work with back in November had rescinded their offer due to over forecasting revenues. At first this was a huge shock and disappointment but that soon passed as this became the opportunity to rethink what I wanted to do. I don’t know where my next step is in life, but I do know that God is paving the perfect path for me. Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Now I learn patience and trust as I start the job search again and prepare to go back to Virginia without a definite plan.

So far I am still learning a lot about life but overall I know that God is faithful and has the perfect plan for my life. These last couple months have been a whirlwind of memories that will never be forgotten but will instead inspire the rest of my life. The inspiration to seek new cultures and tested outside of my comfort zone. So until next time family, friends, readers be inspired by the opportunities that we are given each day to learn more about ourselves and God’s love for us.