Greetings!
Advent is a time of anticipation, and a time of journey. This year I feel even more connected to this season and all its meaning than ever before, (which is saying something as it is my favorite season). As I count down to Christmas and the birth of Christ this year, I am also counting down to my departure from my church family, my home for the last 2 1/2 years and not far after my departure from this country.
As most of you know by now I am moving to Bundaberg Australia. My departure will be on January 26th, but I am taking the month of January to pack my life into 2 suitcases and a closet. Before starting my Journey and transition, I think it is important to look back to where it all began.
Since graduating college, I have been in Tacoma Washington, working as a full time youth director. I love my job, my youth and the whole church family here. I have learned a great deal about myself, as I have had to live by myself for the first time both literally and more figuratively in stepping out as an individual in the world. This job is what I thought was my dream job, in my home state, by mountains, but not so far away that I can't visit family on any given weekend. Yet, with all these great positives I couldn't help but have a nagging feeling that I wasn't really ready to settle down and create my "forever" place here. During this time, I have watched so many friends go and live in other countries, and that is the one thing I always wanted to do in college, and never did.
Then there was the fateful spring day, when a colleague shared with me a job posting in Australia. I was feeling grumpy and restless and remembered "Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day", one of my favorite childhood storybooks. So, I decided I would apply for the job. So there it is, the start of my story, the start of my journey.
