Unfortunately, I woke up this morning feeling a little ill. The original plan was to work half a day and to celebrate this afternoon and evening, but since I am not feeling so hot I decided to stay home and rest. Which is why I have time to write this post. Being home is nice minus the middle school next to us that has been blasting music over the loud speakers and awful singing for the past 3 hours. But wait? Can it be true? It just stopped and now it is blissfully quiet. Hoping it stays. Please Lord for my birthday! haha
Taking a moment to reflect on my 25th year, I realized that it has been pretty monumental. It was full of big events and many transitions. To name a few....
Travels- In March I had the chance to go to Costa Rica with my Eastern grad school classmates. For me it was a really special trip because I got to visit my old host family. I also had the chance to work alongside a local NGO and see a region of Costa Rica I wasn't familiar with. I met some really cool people and yet another fabulous host family that I still keep in touch with. Also, I was able to be a leader on this trip helping to organize it and facilitate fundraising events. While there, I acted as a translator which was a growing, positive experience for me. I also made some small trips to places like D.C. and New York to see friends which was pretty sweet.
Marriage!!!- August 20th was the day Daniel and I got married! :) It was an absolutely beautiful day full of love and joy. After the months of planning and many stressful moments, it was a relief to just be married at the end of the day. I am sure I am not the only bride who felt this way! Haha :) So far, marriage has been absolutely wonderful. We are growing so much as a couple and as individuals. We feel like our relationship is getting stronger and stronger as we learn how to communicate better, how to make decisions, how to balance time together and time alone, and so many other things.
Two International Moves- First, Bolivia and now Guatemala it has been a year of transitions for sure. Despite the challenges that we've experienced, we have also had so many wonderful moments. Even though sometimes I truly miss home and all things familiar, I also feel peace and joy knowing that we are where God wants us to be. I am not sure what the future holds, but know that for right now Guatemala is the place for us. Also, it is kind of cool only having a couple suitcases of belongings; it makes moving fast and easy (which was the case on Saturday when we moved to a new apartment).
Graduating- Most know that for me, graduate school was anything but easy. Planning a wedding while studying full time while commuting two hours daily while also working part-time was just as complicated as it sounds. But, in the end, I made it and was truly blessed by the friends and family who pulled me through, my amazing classmates and professors, and the education I obtained. I feel very blessed to have completed a Master's Degree at the age of 25 and to have had the chance to study something I love! Right now I have sworn off any more studies, but who knows maybe I will feel differently in the future.
In some ways I feel like my 25th year was so great. How will year 26 compare? But even though I don't expect this year to be full of huge life changes I think it will still be amazing (or at least has the potential to be). At the end of the day I am truly thankful for the simple things in life- sunshine, living in a beautiful place, coffee, emails, Skype, good food, wine, meeting cool people, quiet moments, my wonderful husband, good health, and supportive friends and family. Here's to my 26th year of life and the second half of our 1st year of marriage! Much love to you all! ;)
P.S. Guess what I found in the grocery store here! Funfetti cake mix!! I don't know why, but I LOVE it! Dan is in the process of making my cake right now. :)
FUNFETTI!!!! That is the best! I hope it was a good one!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Rach and Happy 6 months to you and Dan. :) Miss ya.
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