Smile Because it Happened

Whoa. What a year. As I look back from the time I started this blog on April 24, 2013, till now, it kind of knocks me off my feet. This year has been an absolute whirlwind, full of ups and downs, tears and smiles, opportunities and closed doors.

The new season of my life started in a flash: Christopher and I got engaged on April 28, 2013. Two days later, Christopher was accepted into pharmacy school...in Savannah. Two weeks later, I graduated college. Two weeks after that, I moved to my own place in North Georgia and away from my home in South Carolina as my family was getting ready to relocate to North Carolina, nine hours away from me.

Fast forward a few months, and my family and all I've ever known is crumbling around me. The perfect picture of what I thought I ever wanted for my future was shattered; more like ripped from my hands and shredded into hundreds of tiny pieces. Couple that with living a day away from the people I so desperately wanted to protect, and five hours away from my fiance, and I wonder how I even functioned some days. The amount of tears and feelings of loneliness I've experienced in the past ten months are things I hope I never have to experience ever again.

Needless to say, this year has not turned out to be anything like the one I expected when I started this blog last April. I suppose if you don't have expectations, you avoid disappointments, but I've not managed to make that work for me. I feel like if you don't have expectations, you don't have a focus or a plan, so how do you get things done?

As always, when I let go, God steps in. Prayers for guidance and focus, as well as to be close to loved ones have been answered. I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted a position at the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce as the Communications and Special Events manager! I will be relocating back to Statesboro in just a few short weeks to join an amazing community that I love and have missed. I am incredibly thankful for the experience I've gained during the past year, but am so excited to be back with all of my best friends and only a short drive away from my fiance! Finally, I can say I am once again looking forward to the upcoming changes in my life with positive energy--I can't wait to see what comes next, and hope you'll continue to follow along with me.

My sweet new home in Statesboro