What is that noise? Why is there beeping? What time is it? I groggily roll over, look at the clock, and see that it is 7:30. The next question that pops in my head—AM or PM? Is it early morning or late evening? I have no idea. Scenes like this were a pretty common occurrence in my life one year ago. But now, one year later, my life looks completely different. In the last six months I have seen and experienced a wide range of things. I have trekked through the jungle in Ecuador, surfed down a volcano in Nicaragua, and snorkeled in the beautiful tropical waters of Thailand. All of these experiences were absolutely amazing, and I remember thinking, “This is incredible! Who gets to do this?� But what has struck me more over the last six months are not the crazy adventures that I have gone on, but rather the simple things in life. Now when I wake up in the morning, I know it’s the morning, and there are at least 10 or 15 other people around me, sound asleep on their bamboo bunk beds. But it’s not just any 10 or 15 people, they are friends that know me well and genuinely care about what is happening in my life. And it is with these friends and because of these friends that I have grown to recognize and appreciate the simple joys in life.
I love adventure, I always have. At home I go on adventures fairly often. I take the train to Chicago and walk around the city for the day. Or I fly to California and explore a city for the week. I love seeing new places and experiencing what each city has to offer. These adventures are pretty great, and they provide all the alone time an introvert could ask for. But they are often out of a sense of restlessness; a desire to go somewhere else and do something different. If I am unhappy in one location, surely I will find happiness in another. The adventures become a destination-less search for contentment.
But appreciating the simple joys in life has shifted my mindset. Last weekend my friend Lacey and I went on a walk to a nearby lake. We sat on some rocks under a palm tree and talked. We shared about common life experiences and about hopes and desires for the future. I talked about struggles and discontentment. And as we talked, I could feel my buried and sealed emotions begin to loosen. And this was progress: dealing with inadequacies rather than avoiding them. I dumped out my life story and in return I received wisdom and encouragement, and it was so refreshing. We continued our day of simple joy by going to the mall and getting pedicures. It was so peaceful and relaxing, and now when I look down at my toes and see that they are magnificent melon in color, I am reminded of progress and of simple joys in life.
So, what to make of all of this? I don’t know that there is a true conclusion just yet, but this is what I know. I know that I am blessed to be on the adventure that I am. I know that I am daily reminded of God’s love. I know that I have changed over the last six months and that I will change even more over the course of the next six. And I know that I will find contentment from the One who provides it. So for now, I recognize that there has been progress made, but I refuse to settle for only this. I know that there is so much more to express and to learn, and I welcome the challenges that lie ahead. I love the simple joys in life and the limitless potential that is before me.
