Valley Life: Moving to the Valley

I began writing this post 2 months ago, having just moved to a new city - without a job. Over the years many friends have asked me for advice on different topics, but if this had been one I'm not sure that I would have encouraged it. I've been longing to move away from home. I wanted a big city life, a grown-up life. So yes, I may have been excited for a friend to make the big move, but without a job? I don't know.  I moved to a street with the word Valley in it, and began hash tagging #ValleyLife. The Lord has begun to use that hashtag in my life to teach me a thing or two already.

So just about a week ago, I did something I've wanted to do for a long time. I moved away from home. Now, there's nothing wrong with home - I have the best family, yes, younger brother included, and the best friends from childhood, but I didn't feel like a grown-up. The night before the big move, I began to really doubt this decision. And a week later, and still jobless, those doubts are still here. But guess Who is still here as well...The Lord.

As a 17 year old girl, I dreamed of living in NYC working in fashion or event planning. Neither of which has happened.  I thought that because I didn't become a teacher (which was my non-NYC idea) or an event planner in NYC, that I was a failure. I'd let that young 17 year old girl down. One thing I learned the hard way in college, and am still learning to deal with now, is to let go of my plans. Aren't His better anyway? And that 17 year old girl, was just 17, and should've stuck with her plan, but since she didn't - then obviously things were bound to change. Change. I don't deal well with change. The thought of turning 25 in less than 6 months scares me - I still feel like a 17 year old. 

Those first two weeks in Atlanta I was constantly reminded of how He had always provided for me and that He would always provide. I thought that moving to the city would make it easier to get a job, and that I would instantly feel like a grown-up, living the mountain top life I longed for. But I began to question the whole mountain experience thing. You go to church camp every summer and they call it a 'mountain top experience' and you have to take it home with you and continue living the high that you feel at camp, or try to live a more Christ-dedicated life than you did before. But if we aren't living on the 'mountain top' then we must either be living in the valley or climbing up/down the mountain. What does that life look like? I think we spend most of our life longing for mountain top experiences but living in the Valley. Is that wrong? No, but what if we focus on life in the Valley? Its kind of like the old saying "live where you are planted." It took me a while to love living at home when all I wanted was to move away, but when I did - boy, did the Lord remind me of the sweet friendships I already had and gave me some amazing new ones. I do miss them now that I've moved away, but I'm learning a lot about living in the Valley.

(Thanks to my big bro & Anne for helping me  move!)

**Busyness, laziness, and learning have kept me from posting, but just wait - I hope to share more of what I'm learning!**