Hello and welcome to my blog! Whether you’re here for some late-night blog reading, interested in the 3-month trip I’ll be taking in the Spring, or just want to get to know me a little, here are just a few (actually, quite a lot) things about me:
I was born in Istanbul, Turkey (I have been called a “chick” on many occasions). My parents were missionaries for CRU for ten years, and I appeared right in the middle of it. Because I was born overseas, my family has always been a little different. We have hard conversations over pizza and talk about the meaning of life in car rides to church. Sometimes we spend hours around the dinner table discussing difficult topics (often while eating some form of chocolate).
I have an older brother and a younger sister, and we all have a fervor for travel and exploration. We’ve traveled a bunch, and we can all agree that we hate super touristy areas. Our favorite travel locations have been in the unwalked paths in the Scottish highlands, the small inland towns in France, and the Christian caves in Cappadocia, Turkey. We definitely wouldn’t consider ourselves typical tourists.
So now that I’ve given an overview of my family, here is some more stuff about me personally.
If I had to describe myself in a Tweet of 150 characters, I’d say this: A little crazy. Passionate, big-dream do-er. Chocolate enthusiast. Cries over sappy things. Wants to make the world rumble in an echo of her voice.
I think my biggest character trait is passion. I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life (Career? College? Major?) but I know that I want to do something big and meaningful. I feel God calling me to live a purposeful life, and wherever that takes me, I’ll stand behind it.
Another big character trait: curious. This will impact a lot of the decisions I’ll be making in the near future. Because I lived in Turkey for four years, I saw what it was like to live somewhere where no one was like me. Now, I’ve lived in Fort Collins, Colorado (a white-dominated mostly middle-class suburban city) for a decade, and I feel my hunger for diversity brewing inside of me. I want to experience things I’d never experience at home, meet people who are remarkably different from me, learn things that make absolutely no sense. Only when we dive into the unknown can we really learn. Which is so exciting!
Something else? I love to write! In March 2020, I finished writing a novel that I sent to a dozen agents. It’s YA science fiction and is way too complicated to explain in just a few sentences, but I’m hoping an agent will pick it up before the end of the year!
I’ve also spoken in a TEDx… yeah, I can’t even believe it myself. I spoke about the value of creativity in education and how classrooms need to prioritize creative lessons for students to be ready to face the workplace.
I have been Christian my entire life. I wouldn’t say I was never a “true” Christian, but I think my relationship with God has grown as I’ve matured. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to depend on Him and have been able to find Him in the smallest things throughout my day (someone yielded for me while I was changing lanes?! God, you are GOOD!). I just love Jesus. We’re homies. I belt worshipful praise on my car rides to school (loud, often out of key).
My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.'” I love this verse because it speaks to my biggest fears. Where will I go to college? Will I win any scholarships? What major will I choose? Will I make it in my chosen career? I have so many concerns about my future, but God promises he has plans, and GOOD plans. God is for me, not against me. So whenever I’m spiraling into a nervous wreck, I remember that verse; God’s got it covered.
That’s why I’m so incredibly excited for Adventures in Missions. On this trip, I know God will speak to me in ways I’m not expecting. He will teach me things I need to learn before college, things I could never learn without Him. And… travel! And… service!
So that’s just a little (like I said: a lot) about me!
