Another Adventure...

(Image from Pinterest)

I love to get away.  I am busybody.  I am a doer.  I am an OCD housekeeper, a bible study leader, a writer, a reader, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an assistant, and a great many other things.  I love each of my roles (most days).  But for me, getting away is when I do my best thinking, planning, and recouping.  I have a hard time relaxing when I’m home because there is always much to be done!  So when I run away for a weekend here and there it gets me the chance to recharge.  To eliminate the distractions long enough to assess where I’m at and where I want to be headed and if necessary, recalculate (that’s for all you Garmin users out there).

I sat down with my calendar this past week and noted all that I have going on this summer and promptly texted my best friend ‘Oh my gosh, Christmas is going to be here before I can blink’.  Since I wear contacts I couldn’t wait very long to blink…

So today I’m headed off on my next adventure.  I’m running away for four and a half days to spend time with one of my longest surviving friends, Sean.  When I think about it now it’s so sweet to me that we met when I was literally in the 5^th grade.  For those of you who have had the luxury of growing up somewhere (as in one place) then this may not seem special but for the girl of many cities – this is a treasure.  And to have found a guy who still wanted to be my friend after meeting me in my days of loving Judo of all things – can we say winner?

I’m working this morning and then experiencing a professional first – I’m taking a half-day for myself.  I have literally never just taken a half-day to spend alone.  I bought a groupon and I’m going to get a mani/pedi, read a book, and leisurely pack for my weekend away.

Then I’m going to take a few good books, my journal, my DSLR, and I’m sure an excessive amount of clothes and board a plane for Denver then Salt Lake City.  I am so looking forward to time with my friend, his family, and even a Friday where he will be working and I will be relaxing in a home that isn’t mine so therefore I can actually relax.  Ah….travels.

I’m even looking forward to the plane rides since I’ve stocked up on new books and I have a fresh notebook to fill with ideas (my accountability partner, Kayla, is probably cringing just thinking about this).  So I’m out of here – for 5 days of adventures with one of my favorite gents.  See you next week Tampa!

Love,

B

A Good Place.

Anyone else feel like 2013 is flying by?  It’s almost JUNE!  I head out Thursday evening for Memorial Day weekend with one of my favorite people in Salt Lake City and as I began making a packing list I thought – good grief, it’s already Memorial Day!  For me this has been a big year already – new job, Africa trip, new cities, new states, lots of travels, lots of changes both big and small.  But even with all that has already happened this year I’m surprised to say this year still feels like it has flown by.

I’ve shared in a few previous posts that I spent much of this past fall deciding what I wanted this year to look like.  I had been listening to what the Lord was telling me and I knew this would be a year of change.  I wanted to make sure I didn’t let this year slip away without accomplishing my goals.  I knew this year would require that I be intentional.  So, I wrote them out as always but this time I made a plan to meet with my accountability partner over a cup of coffee and report in on my progress. 

I have 11 goals on my list for this year and I have completed 5 now.  I’m not ready to tell you all of my goals yet but I will tell you about four that are checked off…

Travel to one new place.  Well, I’ve accomplished this once already (oh Austin, Texas how I loved you) but I’m headed this weekend to check another city/state off the list in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Choose/begin new job.  I don’t know how much I shared about this previously but going into the Christmas break I had a few job offers and I felt the Lord was leading me into something new but I just couldn’t quite put my finger on what that might be.  I turned them all down in early January when I returned, feeling as though the Lord was telling my to be still and wait for his leading.  Three months later I would start my job here at the church and I have felt the Lord confirm over and over that this is what He had for me all along.

Missions trip.  I completed this one early on with a trip to Togo in West Africa.  It was amazing. I could have done without the whole food poisoning thing but honestly, I’m anxious to plan my next one already.

Lead a bible study.  I just finished a semester and I’ve decided to go ahead and lead one for the summer as well.  This has been such a sweet, sweet time with girls I have grown to love.  Definitely a worthwhile goal for the list.

I should probably say that many of the remaining goals are in progress.  I’m reading through the bible in a year with several of my friends and I’m on track with that but of course I won’t be finishing that til the end of the year.  One of my goals involves weight loss and I’m on my way but I haven’t completed it just yet.  Two of my goals are financial and I’ve made big strides towards those but they will likely take til late in the year to be checked off.  I’m 28 books into my 80 book reading goal for this year as well for those of you not keeping up with my on Goodreads.

But most of all as I think about how this year has gone and where I am in my goals – I’m just thankful to be in a good place.  I am humbled by the Lord’s guidance, provision, and overflowing blessings.  He has been so good and so faithful.  I continued to be wow’d and truthfully – I’m having a blast!

Love,

B