Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true.

When I first went to Europe in the summer of 2004, I knew that I would be back. In fact, I began to imagine living there, and I cannot believe that at the end of this month, I will be living there—as a student, as a visitor, as a tourist, as a friend, as a child, as an adult. There are so many aspects of studying abroad that I am looking forward to, but what I am anticipating the most is personal growth. One morning in London, when I was there as a 15-year-old, my mom woke up with a terrible headache. With much anxiety, I ventured to the nearest pharmacy (which was about a block away from our hotel), asked the pharmacist for migraine medicine, paid for it in pounds (or maybe Euros), and walked back to the hotel with a skip in my step and a newfound sense of confidence. This was a big step for the girl who couldn't even stand to talk to the pizza guy on the phone.

I don't really want to have too many expectations, since those usually only lead to disappointment. But I am hoping to grow a lot over these five or six months. I know that I will be challenged, encouraged, pushed, discouraged, excited, pressured, loved, hated, refreshed, renewed, and energized in my decisions, my faith, and my situations. I am both ecstatic and apprehensive, but it is usually in my most fearful moments that I really see development occurring in my life. This summer, I worked at Camp Crestridge in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I signed up to spend three months there without knowing a single person, and certainly without having any idea what exactly I was getting myself into. Of course, I left in August with some of the greatest friends I have ever had, and with a piece of my heart inside the camp gates. Little did I know that this experience was actually preparing me for the adventure on which I am about to embark. I am nervous about the newness and foreignness of living in London, and yet, I am not nervous at all. Because I know that Someone has gone ahead and paved the way for me, and that all I have to do is live—seeking the Lord's heart daily and chasing after what He has for me.

So here we are. In 17 days, I will be getting on a plane that is headed for London. I will get picked up by the Meet & Greet service from Kingston University, where I will be studying for the semester. I will be taken to a house in Thames Ditton, where I will meet the family and roommate I am to live with over the next few months. I will attend several days of orientation activities, including a trip to Brighton, during which I will begin to create the friendships that, in no time at all, will seem as though they had always existed. I will also be getting involved with and attending St. Mary's Church, which is the mother ship of churches all over the world, including River City in Jacksonville and City Church in Charlotte.

The possibilities are endless, and they are even more so because I serve a God who infinitely and unconditionally loves, and has things for me so far beyond what I could ever imagine for myself. I want to be a blank, open book in His hands. I want to be renewed, moved, and used by Him every single day. And thebest part? I believe that I will be.

I hope you can enjoy reading and following along with my journey as I skip, stumble, and stand back up again. Thank you for all that you are.

Love,
lvp

Music recommendation of the day: Matt Nathanson, Some Mad Hope (album)