Honestly, I’ve been trying to write a blog (in my head) for a couple months now. It just seems like every time I sit down at the computer to put what’s in my mind on to paper (or screen, technically), I lose whatever it was I was thinking or get sidetracked by the myriad of internet sites and television channels vying for my attention. Whatever the excuse is, I know it’s never good enough, so alas, I have forced myself to sit down and write whatever comes to mind. Just so you’re warned…
Okay, somehow it’s been a year since I got home. A year since my whole squad was together. A year since my feet have left American soil. A year. A full year. Where has the time gone? My goodness…I’m stuck trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it’s really been a year. And it’s been 5 months since I moved from Michigan to Colorado, 3 1/2 months since the last time I saw most of my squad together (at Danny and Colleen’s wedding), and 3 months since I’ve written a blog. How time flies! Since it’s been a while, I guess to get this blog re-started again I’ll just give a little list of what’s been going on for me the past while.
- I applied for, was offered, and have started a nursing job at one of the newer hospitals here in Colorado Springs. I’ve been working for about 8 weeks now and have had some good training, and I feel like things are going pretty well. I’m getting some good critical thinking experience and learning a lot of things that will be helpful if/when I get to go back overseas.
- My family came to visit (or at least part of it anyway). My parents and the four adopted kids went on vacation for a few weeks and wound up here at the end, so we went horseback riding in the mountains, driving up Pike’s Peak, and whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River. In all, a great couple days and lots of fun just getting to relax and spend time with them.
- I moved. What with Jackie leaving Colorado and the lease on our apartment being up, I thought it’d be a great time to find some new roommates and try out life somewhere else. So I moved across town and into a house with five other girls. Yeah, you heard me right – six girls in one house…sounds somewhat reminiscent of a certain world race team. So far it’s going well. I’m feeling settled in and am starting to get to know the other girls, but it’s crazy around here because we all have different schedules and are running all over the place at all hours of the day and night.
- The G42 church/group/community/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is taking a hiatus from our weekly meetings. This is the group of racers and other random people who have jumped in and joined us under the leadership and authority of the Blacks and Paschalls…and is also a big part of why I moved out here, knowing there were these people around who would understand what I was going through and that I had some sort of connection with. It’s been a tough transition, going from weekly gatherings to not really seeing people, but part of it for me is learning to be intentional about who I choose to spend my time with…I’m learning that I need to take the initiative and work hard to keep friendships. Relationships take work, people…you can’t just sit on the sidelines and hope people will ask you to do things or whatever – it’s work on everybody’s part!
- I’m looking for a new church. The first few weeks after I moved here were rough as I searched around the city for something that felt right and taught what I believe and came around me and supported me, so I ended up settling in the first place where I felt glimpses of those ideals. Now, I’m not out to blast that church, but it was rough because it’s a very small group of people, and I was one of the only single people there…and that’s probably what made it the hardest for me. So now I’m out looking again, and this time I’m going to be a lot more intentional and not just settle on the first place that looks promising. God knows I need to be surrounded by people my age and I am confident that He will provide the right place for me.
At some point here I’ll try to get a real blog with some real thoughts/lessons I’m learning…but for now I hope this will suffice.
