The Third Phase of Life is About to Begin...

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One week from now...GRADUATION!

Two weeks from now...I fly out from the Minneapolis airport on my way to EUROPE!!

For the last year or so I have been planning a two-month trip to tour Europe with two of my closest girl friends--each representing a different period of my life. Megan, a friend I met in 8th grade, at Centennial Middle School, has been with me through the good and the bad in my high school years, and now my college years (though that second part has taken place long distance). We've travelled through Spain together, we've been camp counselors together, we've experienced our first loves together but also our first heartbreaks, we've had our first drinks together but also our first true spiritual journeys...we've been through a lot together and even when we were distant (both literally and figuratively) we were there for each other if we needed each other... Then there's Christine, a friend I met in my freshman year at the crazy Territorial Hall dorms which we called home for that first year. We, too, have been through a lot--everything from crazy fraternity parties & sorority formals to late nights of girl talk and "God talk." Christine is there for me whenever I need her and so am I, too, for her. Anyway, I couldn't think of two better people that I would want to take this trip with--two of my great friends from two very exciting, significant phases of my life. And the next life-changing phase is just about to begin...

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm ready, I'm scared...but mostly excited! I'm going to miss people--my friends, my family, my boyfriend (Brandon), my co-workers. But I think this is the perfect timing in my life, to get away from it all before it all consumes me and I start to lose sight of the things that are important--like my friendships, my peace, my ambition, my dreams, my God who created it all...I'm hoping that this trip provides all of those things for me and helps give me the drive I fear has been waning as of recent. I want this trip so badly at this point in my life and I hope that it's all that I think it might be! I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Europe, here I come! 😊

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