There are four places that are my favorite places to be.
The first, is visiting family and spending time with them. I love being in Tennessee visiting family and in Virginia visiting Matt's family because the time we have with them is precious. It is rare that we are able to visit them due to the long distances.
My second favorite place to be is in a coffee shop. There is just something about the aroma of coffee and Indie music playing over the speakers that brings out the poet in me. It's a place that I feel comfortable and can relax. There's nothing like sharing a cup of tea or coffee with a loved one or friend. Conversations can run deep or be light hearted and hilarious from a caffeine high.
The third best place on my list is being home with Matt and our puppy, Massy. We've done our best to make our apartment cozy and welcoming. There really is no place like home. Home has been more comforting to me than ever since I've not been well.
The fourth place that I enjoy the most is really no specific place at all. It is being on a boat, plane, train, or in a car going somewhere I have never been before. The first time I really discovered this was when my best friend and I flew down to Orlando with my aunt. We were seventeen and naive of the world around us. We went to Disney and during that trip I knew that I wanted to see more of America. A couple of years later, my adventurous spirit awakened even more when I boarded a plane to move to England. I had never been outside of America and there I was moving to another country! I lived in England for almost two years and during that time I faced a lot of challenges. These challenges were cultural and personal. I faced them head on and enjoyed the amazing opportunity that God had given to me.
Shortly after returning to the states, Matt and I got married and I moved up to New Hampshire to join him. I know that there are still places that we will travel to and different places that we will live. We are both adventurous and we find joy in discovering new places and meeting new people. Every place seems like a new chapter in a book. Our passports are filling with stamps and our lives are being filled with amazing people.
I've given a lot of thought to the way that I grew up and the way that Matt grew up. The differences in our lifestyles growing up are like night and day. Matt grew up in a military family, so he moved around a lot when his dad got reassigned to a new post. I, on the other hand, was raised in one small town my whole life. We both admire each other's upbringing all the time and discuss the differences. I admire the fact that Matt got to see so many places at such an early age. Matt often tells me that he wishes he had a best friend like I do. A friend that he has grown up with all his life.
It still remains a fact, though, that Matt and I are very adventurous. There aren't many places that we would never want to live. If we were given the opportunity to live in Brazil tomorrow, we would take it. If we could just fly on over to India for a few months and live there then we would do it. Our dreams are filled with equal parts country and city, living abroad and domestically, and adding stamp after stamp to our passport.
We feel that God really does have plans for us that are far bigger than any trips we could plan. We believe that we have this hunger and thirst for travel for a reason. We often talk about what we will do once we have children. We both obviously want our kids to know their extended family. We want them to have sugar cookies and sleepovers at their grandparent's house. I know that a pregnancy would not be easy without having family around. We both want our kids to go on fishing trips with papaw and go shopping with mamaw.
The truth is, though, that in it all God does have a plan. If we are thousands of miles away from family when we have children then God will provide those times to visit and those times will be precious and not taken for granted. His faithfulness knows no bounds. Mileage doesn't keep love from being a strong foundation of family and friends.
We are living a nomadic life. I'm confident that even in the difficulties, God will bless us and our families.
As we pack up boxes and suitcases we realize we're living for something so much bigger than ourselves.
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