American Love

I love my family. I do believe I've written something like 2 blog posts about them already. I love my friends. I don't know if I've ever written a blog about them. It's high time for that to be fixed.

After being away from those whom I love, I’ve come to a point in my life that could (most likely) only have been reached by leaving them. When I set out for this 5 month long excursion, I had no idea what was in store for me. I just assumed I'd live in Germany, doing... well honestly, I hadn’t much of an idea what I would be doing. I just knew that I would be in one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, a place where I've always felt drawn.

After having many of my expectations tossed to the wind (we were warned about this in orientation), I’ve had to do a little adjusting. And by a little, I mean a lot. Sometimes adjusting to things is hard. And you know whom I’ve always had around me when I have hard times? My family. My friends. Going through this experience without them has shown me several things. Here are a few of them:

1. I need to rely on God much more than people. God never lets you down. In HIM I need to find my strength and hope first and foremost.
2. I have one of the best families in the universe. They always know when to talk and when to listen. They know what to say and how to encourage me. They make me laugh, and they love me.
3. My friends are truly a gift from God. He has placed some of the most compassionate, caring people in my path for me to lean on when I need support. Distance tests friendships, and mine have aced the trial. (My family is also included in the friend category).

So here’s to those of you to whom I am referring. I’m not going to sit and write a list of names, but I think most people will know if I am talking about them or not ☺. I cannot express how much I have taken for granted, but never again! I am eager to see your faces when I return to America in just a little over a month. Expect a big bear hug!

As no post is complete without pictures, I’ve decided to make a collage of several friends, and all family members included. I only had the ones on my computer to choose from, so I hope no one is offended if not pictured.