Christmas Day

I'm glad my first entry in a blog devoted to this new journey the Lord is taking me on falls on the day we celebrate our Savior's birth. What better way to start my adventure than to be grounded in what it's all about? ;) Thanks be to Him!

Looking back, there are no words to describe how different I am from the way I was before college, especially before I met Him and there's no going back--just like this trip. I'm convinced that this adventure will change me, and I hope with all my might that it will for the better. After all, one of the main reasons I'm going abroad is to find an independence from people and of actual, unconditional dependence on Him.

I must admit that being back home has definitely jumpstarted my journey towards a better understanding of myself. Today, for example, really opened my eyes to the value of being with family on Christmas day. I haven't seen my cousins since more than a year ago and I missed being able to just BE with them and not having to worry about anything else. I love my surrogate families in Indiana and I would do anything for them, but there's just something about having that connection with my own family that I can't name but I feel very blessed to be in the presence of.

I'm glad to be back home with my parents. That's a really bold statement for me to say, given that just a few days ago I was really nervous about coming back home given the way my parents challenge my faith sometimes. Things just aren't always fun back home, and yesterday night wasn't the most fun per se, but I've realized more and more that my parents really do need me. Yes, they will bicker and push me especially with my career goals and etc., but I can tell by how they go out of their way to make me feel at home that they missed me and as much as we disagree, I really missed them too. After all, they're my parents and no matter what, I'll do anything I can to take care of them to the best of my ability.

As for my trip, I'm concentrating on buying necessary items in the States right now and getting things done so that I won't have to worry so much abroad, such as getting Skype names :) aka, if you haven't already, please give me your Skype name so I can talk to you for free when I'm abroad via the internet phone program rather than by actual phone. Well, I'm off. As the Britons say, "cheerio," and Merry Christmas!