Here. We. Gooooooo!!!

Life is often times referred to as a book. With chapters and pages and paragraphs. I like this metaphor because a book is always changing. You don't just stay on the same page. You move through the book. New characters are introduced, some of them leave the story, some of them stay for awhile. There is adventure and mystery, happy times and sad ones. And unless you have read the book you have no idea what comes next. 

And thus brings me to my point. I feel as though I have just had a major turning of a page and a new chapter is beginning. I left Asheville on Monday morning for a year. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Leslie Sloan and her adorable children, Asher and Lucy, took me to the airport. I cried my face off leaving them all. The last three years in Asheville have been defined by many, many things and one of these has been the Sloan family. They have loved me so well. They have walked with me through some of my darkest days. And I don't know if I will ever thank them enough. They took me in as part of their family and never thought twice about it. My heart is so sad to leave them. I think I left a piece of myself behind and I left it in their spare bedroom. But that is how you know relationships are worth having. That you miss people when you leave them and know that they feel the same way. But you know that even though you are sad, life still moves on. And those relationships are never lost and that they influence the rest of your life. 

I left Asheville on Monday. I flew to Memphis where my aunt Lisa, uncle Mitchell and my four cousins live. I will be here with them until Friday when I fly to Texas to go to Boerne and visit my family for a week. During that week I plan to stuff my face with Tex-Mex, get a sunburn, maybe suffer from heat exhaustion, hang out with family, and do lots and lots of Texas-y things. Then, I pack my bags, fly to Atlanta and then wake up on August 27th to begin my journey to Granada, Spain.

Spain. For a year. Not coming home for Christmas. Now that is what I call an adventure. I think the best part will be the getting there. 8 hour lay over in Miami (bleh), overnight flight to Madrid. 1hr Subway ride to the Bus Station then a 5 hour bus ride to Granada. I will arrive at approximately 20:00 or 8pm. THEN I will wake up the next morning and GO TO CLASS!!! yay me! But seriously, I can't wait to do this. I have already accepted the fact that I won't remember the first two days of my experience due to lack of sleep and jet lag will probably be my best friend. I also feel like I need on of those little purses Hermione Granger has in Harry Potter that has infinite storage space inside. Like a mini Mary Poppins bag. That would be wonderful. 

My feelings about leaving for a year. I am nervous. I am excited. I am sad. But most importantly, I am super fired up. As the day gets nearer, I feel the excitement building right alongside a healthy travel nervousness. It will be a real test of my travel skills and my ability to keep my cool. And I am ready. I plan to try and laugh at myself as much as possible and be ok when things don't happen the way I think they should. But prayers for safe travel would greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thanks.

I am willing to publicly admit I have cried waaaay to much in the last week. All for different reasons. But looking back on it I think it is because I don't really have the words to express what I am feeling and so I just cry. I cry because I look back on the last 3 years and smile and know that the Lord has provided for my EVERY need whether I asked him to or not. I have never gone without. He has been faithful in so many ways whether I wanted  him to be or not. He has loudly proclaimed His love for me everyday of my life, especially in the last 3 years. And I know he will continue to do so and it probably won't look anything like what I think it should but it will be exactly what I need.  And it is that love combined with the love of others that goes with me to Spain. I am not alone. The Spirit of the Lord is not something that lives in America. He has a home inside of me and that puts a peace in my soul that can not be moved.

So here's to adventure!! I plan on updating this blog regularly. So stay tuned.

WARNING! this could get pretty incredible.