Mayhem I It's been a year???

This is mayhem all by itself....

November 4 marked the one year anniversary of my new, Florida life. I remember the tears the morning I packed my little red hatchback. It was filled to the brim with my ‘treasures.’ My mom made the sixteen hour trek down to the south sitting shot gun. Before we even stepped out of the house, I burst into tears. I couldn’t keep my food down and I started questioning everything I had ever done and the step I was about to take. Once I finally got into the car, I cried for the next half hour of the trip and then tried to ‘man up.’

Since that moment, there have been many tears. (‘Many’ is probably an understatement, but we will leave it at that.) The job search, trying to make friends and find where I belonged, working on my patience with God’s timing and His plan, and adjusting to the thousand mile distance from my family have created a mountain of trials. I am confident that God has called me here, to this place, for a reason. I am not here to shuffle my feet. I am here to love and serve. I couldn’t tell you why Tampa, Florida, but I know this is where I need to be for now. I may never know the reason, but I am here and doing my best.

The adjustment has been undoubtedly hard, but as I have been told a hundred times, the best things in life don’t come easily.  So, I am here fighting, loving, and learning. My heart aches for my family on the regular. Despite the joy that is in my heart here, I have many moments where I long for my Indiana Home (yes, just as the song says). There are moments when Indiana seems like the most appealing place on the planet. I never thought I would say that, but it’s so very true. Despite some of the aching and longing, I do love Florida. I love the sun. I love the warmth and beaches. I love the people who surround me here. I love my church. I love my home. I love the life that I am creating as a ‘real adult.’ I am constantly growing and maturing into adult life and enjoying the ride despite some of the bumps in the road. My parents still get plenty of tear filled phone calls, but they also get some of the happiest. I think the conversations are better than they have ever been.

Some of what has calmed my spirit through the chaos is having my besties, my college girlfriends. Being more than two years removed from the walls of college and still having them to encourage love me is priceless. How did I get so lucky to have some of the best people out there come to be my best of friends. We see each other as often a s possible with excessive amounts of squeals and giggles as humanly possible and we just pick up where we left of. We pray for each other and love each other despite being spread across the United States and the world.

With love both near and far, I am finding my way and celebrating my first anniversary of being a Floridian. Thanks for everything.

Until next time…

-kortni marie