Rollercoaster

Being able to spend August, September, and part of October in Memphis was a huge blessing. When I got back to Memphis from Portland at the end of July, I was ready and anxious to pack up and drive all my stuff across the country. However, I had a flight out of Memphis at the beginning of September for our family vacation and one of my best friends was getting married at the end of September. I know, terrible reasons to have to stay in Memphis, right? Little did I know, those couple months were going to be some of the most memorable of my life. I was able to live with Tommy and Jessica and spend intentional time with them, learning and loving. I took a trip to Knoxville and spent 5 days with my best friends. I fell in love with running and got to experience Memphis's new greenline. I got to be a part of a very exciting few weeks with Julie as she prepared and tied the knot with Chad. Sundays became my favorite day of the week; worshiping with my family, eating lunch, running, worshiping again and hearing my dad speak, then going out for dinner. A full day of fellowship with the family. Not to mention I was lucky enough to get in on my parents' anniversary trip to NYC.

However, the last couple weeks were rough. I had no idea it was going to be so hard. I felt at home, and it was comfortable. I got extremely close to Tommy and Jessica, and they were challenging me and supporting me. There definitely were some times when I thought, "Wait, what am I thinking? This is where I should be." I'm honestly not sure why I still decided to move. I think it was mainly pride and stubbornness, but hopefully there was faith in there somewhere too. And of course, there was a little part of me that was extremely excited, but it was pretty masked.

Needless to say, I was drained and emotionally exhausted by the time my mom and I jumped in the car. Once we got on the road my adrenaline started pumping though. By day two I was able to really feel the excitement break through the wall of sadness. My mom and I had a wonderful time together. Our trip in a nutshell:
Day one: Memphis, TN to Council Bluffs, IA. 11 hours. 639 miles. 1 flat tire.
Day two: Council Bluffs, IA to Rapid City, SD. 9 hours. 545 miles. 4 dead presidents sculpted on a mountain. 2 incredibly sweet letters from my dad.
Day three: Rapid City, SD to Billings, MT. 5.5 hours. 374 miles. 2 pictograph caves. 1 local brewery. 2 local beers. 1 of the best meals I've ever had.
Day four: Billings, MT to Missoula, MT. 5 hours. 344 miles. 1 best friend in the world. 1 hike to the M. 1 night out with Katy and some of her friends who I met this summer.
Day five: Missoula, MT to Portland, OR. 9 hours. 548 miles. 2 excited siblings. 1 crazy cute cat.
Total: Memphis, TN to Portland, OR. 39.5 hours. 2,450 miles. Let's not talk about the amount of money spent on gas and lodging... Thanks for your support mom and dad. :) 

I'm thrilled to be here, but it truly has been an emotional rollercoaster. Some moments I still question my decision, but I know I would never have had these experiences and challenges if I hadn't done this. I'm so grateful for Avery and Destiny and their willingness to have me and help me here. I know this is an extremely precious time that I'm able to have with them. I was afraid I would never have the opportunity to do this.