How it Came to Be
Back in 2015 when I was on the World Race I had a startling thought. What If I wrote more than just blog posts to share about my experience? It seemed like a bit of a dream and one that I really didn't think would ever become a reality.
When I came home in November of 2015 I wanted to write about, I really did but my heart wasn't in the right place. My heart was stuck somewhere over the Atlantic, longing to be back on the ground where I could feel as though I was making a difference. What difference was I making going back to school? I really didn't know.
A few months later I was back in school, working, and dreaming of where I was heading to next. The next year was a bit of a blur. Homework, working, endless coffee, early mornings and late nights. Hundreds of Google searches for jobs and internships. Hundreds of Google searches trying to find the perfect Quizlet link to study for exams.
Then graduation came December of 2016. A day that two years prior I truly didn't think was going to happen. A day that eight years prior I longed for but no one ever imagined would be possible.
That spring I embarked on an amazing internship with Thirst Project and when I came home I knew it was time. Yes, my heart wasn't exactly in the perfect place but it was way better.
It was a Saturday morning. I'd come downstairs, made coffee and sat at the kitchen table. I heard it, a still small voice. The one that was with me when I was in a new city and knew no one. The one that guided my steps and made me feel safe when I was in a country that seemed so foreign. The one that had helped me during my time traveling across the states. The one that was always there even when I didn't acknowledge it.
Now is the time.
I sat down and started writing. It poured out so easily. The words, the ideas, the stories, the feelings of it all. I felt like I was back on the Race, surrounded by a team who loved me and wanted what's best for me. It felt like I was back in the jungle having life chats and chats about society, music, and movies all while weeding the fields. It felt like I was back in DC, running my favorite path from my apartment into Eastern Market down to the Navy building back again. I was transported back into my favorite coffee shop, reliving conversations. I was back in my first dorm room trying to understand what being in college meant.
I didn't really know what would come of it. It seemed so silly to sharing so much of heart on paper. Was anyone actually going to want to read this?Why should I share my story when others have done way more impressive things? Perhaps this is just for me, just to put on my bookshelf to remember these last five years; the excitement, the joy, the adventure, the love.
That's what I thought at first, it was just for me. But as Papa would have it, this isn't just a story to keep on paper and have no one know about. This is a story to share. A story to remember. A story that hopefully, I pray, leads you to live a life of love, vulnerability, and dreaming. I truly cannot wait to share this with you. It's a piece of my soul and it's still hard to believe it's coming to life.
