Much prayer and seeking led me a the final decision - about a month ago - to put off the final decision of where I am going to settle for a while by choosing to pursue a 13 week travel position. As a result I have found myself in a nearly ideal job, in a lovely little part of the country in Eastern Pennsylvania. I was offered the job less than a week from finding out about the position and received confirmation from the Lord that this was the path I needed to follow in various forms. My drive from Dallas to Allentown, PA was truly a blessing because of all the precious friends along the way. And now, I find myself living a life, very different from any previous experiences I've had...
I live in a hotel for one. A quick glance at the name of my blog, and you realize, this is a completely appropriate housing choice for me. There are things I miss about having an apartment or home, the hotel has it's perks, don't get me wrong, continental breakfast and house keeping is hard to beat, but it would be nice to have a place to personalize and feel comfortable hosting guests. One thing that I am enjoying about my little studio suite, however, is realizing how little space I need to live comfortably.
This is the first place that I have come to, where I don't have either a support group or buddy traveling with me or awaiting my arrival. I quickly realized what it was that frightens so many people from traveling alone or to a new place. I am learning how hard it is to not have that support group and the friends that I have grown so accustomed to. I am now beginning to understand why most people are content to settle in one place for an extended length of time, and why not everyone has the urge to go and try something new on their own. I am also learning an important lesson here, and that is a new level of dependence on God. I now have a lot more free time, with no social agenda to keep up with after work. I am daily faced with the decision of who I want to be and how spending my free time will be a reflection of that choice. I am forced to recognize how much I have grown accustomed to relying on other people, spiritually, emotionally, physically. There is still much to learn, and 9 more weeks spent here to do so. What impression do I want to leave with my acquaintances here? What can I look back on with pride from this experience? What will I take away from this?
