My birthday was on Monday and it’s made me think back to all that I’ve done & seen this past year.
It’s also made me look ahead to the possibilities this next year will bring.
My last year of life was full of adventure and transition. I started it in Omaha, NE but quickly left to spend a week in Denmark with friends before heading to Uganda for 2 months. Then it was back to India, back to the states and preparing to move to Bellingham, WA (aka my new home). I look back on last year and can’t believe I really got to do all that I did. It’s incredible. I visited 4 countries and took numerous trips within Uganda, India and America. I made new friends and stayed connected with old ones. I learned more about myself than I ever expected. God pushed me further than I new I could be pushed. It’s a year I will never forget.
So now as I look ahead to this next year (and new decade), it’s hard to imagine what it’ll be like. I don’t have huge travel plans. I’m hoping to live in Bellingham for a while and there’s a good possibility that I’ll celebrate my next birthday living here, working the same job and maybe even with some of the same friends I celebrated this one with. That might not sound nearly as exciting as traveling around the world but it does to me. It’s a new adventure. I’m used to bouncing around but not staying put. I’ve seen God work in extraordinary ways when I’m overseas but now I get to see Him work in the everyday of American-living. To trust Him as my “Plan A” when it’s easy to rely on my own strength here. To put down roots somewhere and live life with a marathon mindset instead of a sprint. To work at a job for longer than 6 months and be able to support people overseas the way I was supported. It’s all unknown territory for me. I want to learn to live in America but not lose who I was when I lived abroad.
Boulevard Park. One of my favorite places.
Downtown Bellingham where my office is.
If rain makes everything look so pretty, I don’t mind it all.
So far I have seen God work in amazing ways since I’ve been here. I love my coworkers and my job. I’ve learned so much already from working alongside crazy talented (and hilarious) people. I love where I live. When I first thought about moving out here, I was set on living by myself. I’m so glad God knew better and has placed me with two amazing roommates in a little house in the country. I love how close to amazing natural beauty I am. I’ve lived in the mountains before but this place takes the cake. It’s so green everywhere and I can’t get over how beautiful moss-covered trees with ferns covering the ground is. Not to mention living so close to the water. It’s so refreshing. And to top all that off, I’ve made some great friends so far. It’s crazy how fast I’ve met people here but I love it. I know that it doesn’t matter how cool a place is, it’s whether or not you have good friends that matters. I experienced that in Delhi most vividly.
Reunited with friends I met in New Zealand!
Celebrating my birthday with new Bellingham friends on the beach with a bonfire.
So as I settle in to my new town and reflect on all that God has done this past year, the word that comes to mind over and over is thankfulness. I’m so undeserving and yet God is so gracious.
nebraskatraveler 
I’m so glad you had an awesome birthday! The photos are beautiful and make me long for Washington. God is really blessing you and I’m glad I can enjoy the journey with you through your blog.