My Heart's New Home

For me, summer has always been a time of "Goodbye's" and "I'll see you later's." Sometimes we moved states during the summer. Usually, I say goodbye to the new college students during the summer. Sometimes others move, just because summer is the easiest time to make a new transition. This summer has been no exception... its actually exceeded any summer from before. All summer, I met new people and made new friends, even though I knew that it would be my first and last time to spend with them. All summer, I grew closer to people that I would soon be leaving. And all summer, I refused to think about the fact that this was the last time my life would ever be "like this."
Today, I left the home that I've known for the past seven years. Being a military child, I became used to packing up my life and moving every three years or so. But when we settled in Colorado, the friendships that we made grew stronger than we had ever had elsewhere; I think we knew in our hearts that God intended us to live there longer than any other place.

Today, I said goodbye to my wonderful family, who has supported me through everything, and has stuck by my side through my worst moments. Right now, it's just my mom and I, as we drive from Colorado Springs to Phoenix. All four of my siblings are at home with my dad; for most of them, this is already their second day of school. My biggest fear going into this has been that my youngest sister (age 6) will never feel as close to me as to the other three children. Camille, Daniel, Catherine, and Claire: you are all so talented and beautiful, I am so blessed to be your older sister, so blessed to be watching the man and ladies that God grows you to be, and so amazed at the hearts for Him that you already have. Mom and Dad: good gracious, I'm so thankful for your constant love and support; I'm so happy that I'm your daughter, and I'm so blessed that God gave me you as the people who trained me up in the way I should go.

I said goodbye to 6 astounding girls that have been my safety net, sounding board, and have kept me from doing some ridiculous things. Seriously, I don't know how long it's going to take me to build up friendships like these with someone new. Hannah, Janette, Amber, Kirstin, Taylor, and Lauren: I know we'll always be able to pick up where we left off, but until then, I will miss you. Here's to all the tea parties, late-night heart-spills, adventures, and amazing memories we've shared.

I said goodbye to the incredible people that I spent all of Junior and Senior year with. Y'all, I can't wait to see how much everyone's grown up by Christmas time; I can't wait for another two-hour-long game of "Murder in the Dark"; I can't wait for all the jokes that are cracked; I just can't wait to be with you again.

I said goodbye to my breathtaking church family. All of my mentors, my friends, my "mentees" that I wait with anticipation to watch grow up: I love you all! More than anything else I've found in Colorado, you are the reason I am who I am today.
And before that, I said goodbye to countless other people and things.

I'm so ready to start saying hello. Hello to my roommate and my two suitemates. Hello to my professors and future friends and mentors. Hello to my new church family. Hello to the place I will spend the majority of the next few years. Hello to my ridiculous nursing classes. Hello to days cooped up in the library. Hello to sleepless nights before test days. Hello to being forced to make my own decisions.

Hello to finding new fears to conquer

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7, New Living Translation)