It isn’t often that we are able to just leave everything behind and go explore something new. However, I sit here having finished up yet another semester abroad. Last year it was Africa and this year, South America. I look back to my high school years when everyone asked where I had planned on going to college, like I already had all of that figured out. Let’s be honest, I had absolutely no idea what was in store for me. Now, 6 schools, 3 states, and 5 countries later, I am hit with some realizations. With only 48 hours back in the states, it is crazy to see the many ways that Christ has moved in my life and the directions that a trips like that push me in.
I would not be here if it weren’t for a sporadic “go and do” mentality. We often sit around and wait for God to point us in the right direction. Yet, in this, we miss so many opportunities that he puts right in front of us. It’s a struggle because I am a VERY indecisive person. I often let opportunities pass me by and I am able to look back and see the ones that I have let slip away. I am so so glad that this was not one of them.
This time in Argentina has been wonderful. While not quite as life changing as Ghana, still an experience. I have come home with renewed and refurbished Spanish skills, a greater appreciation for healthy food than I have ever had, new friendships, new ambitions, more confidence in myself, and a faith stronger than ever before. The way we grow as people when pulled out of our comfort zones is absolutely amazing.
There is no way to put into words how grateful I am for my host family and the impact they had on my trip. They made me genuinely feel like a part of the family rather than just a temporary boarder. Whether it be family picnics on the weekends, the military formal functions, or the road trip we took to Santa Fe two weeks ago, they went above and beyond my expectations for any host family. There is no one else I would have wanted to stay with for my time here in Argentina.
Now that I am back in the states, my focus turns to this upcoming semester in Washington, D.C. and schools for the next two years of my college career. God has a crazy way of working things out in my life and I cannot wait to see what comes next on this crazy journey.
Wandering the Waters 