Holy moly! The amount of things I have packed into my schedule in the last week and a half is crazy! I ended my freshman year at Whitworth University on May 16th and I have been trying to fit so many things in until I leave in five days. From packing up my dorm and bringing all of my stuff home to have scattered around the house (sorry Mom!) to last-minute coffee dates, camping with friends, and multiple Amazon orders; I cannot believe I leave in less than a week.
Last month I changed my double major of Secondary Education and English Language Arts to Journalism and English. To me, this change had been in my mind since late October, but to my family, it was a sudden change of interest the day after spring break. My original dream to be a middle school or high school English teacher is still the end goal, but I am taking a different and more adventurous route to get there. If it wasn’t for my mom and dad, the Lochheads, Mr. Naslund, and Mrs. Jensen, I do not think I would have made this decision to follow a little dream that I have and try something new.
During my junior year of high school, I was on the Mead Yearbook Staff. I did not know what I was getting myself into, but the yearbook room quickly became my second home. (You can ask my parents. I spent more time in that room than at my house!) My homework in that class was the stories I turned in, the football games I photographed, and the captions I wrote. Being surrounded by my best friends and doing work that shared stories about my peers was a dream. The beginning of senior year, for those of you who know, was probably the worst three months of my life. However, I was on the yearbook staff again and the work I was doing in that class was something that made my days a little better. By being ASB president and on the yearbook staff, I quickly had the joy of meeting a lot of kids I went to school with. I got to pull people out of class and interview them while making up questions on the spot, and I got to stand on the sidelines at games capturing photos of the people who filled my school enjoying yet another volleyball game. As I wrote each unique story, caption, or student spotlight, I was in awe of the people who filled Mead. The students of my school made up the community that I enjoyed being in, which made me wish for Christmas break to end sooner. I enjoyed writing about the people I was surrounded by and learning more about them as my time at Mead came to a close.
There is one specific moment I can look back on and realize the moment I fell in love with journalism. (I will share that story another time) It was because I love getting to know people and the unique background that everyone comes from. The honor of telling someone’s story or knowing a tiny sliver of it is beautiful. This is exactly why I love coffee dates. Even though the college I go to is five minutes away from my high school, I am in awe of the people I have met and the story of who each person is. This time in college is so rad because we are all going through the same stage of life, yet we could not be more different. It is so beautiful knowing God has planned out each of our lives and created the story of us that we get the chance to tell.
So, with all that being said, I am SO excited to leave in five days. I am SO stoked to build relationships with the people I travel and live life with. And I am SO delighted to meet the people of Cambodia and Thailand and learn their unique stories. I am thrilled that I have this opportunity to spread the love of Jesus and get to share the crazy adventures I get to experience and the people I meet.
SIDE NOTE: A couple of weeks ago, my extended family had a prayer night for me, and lots of tears were shed. Each of my family members wrote a Bible verse on a note card that I now keep in my Bible. My grandma read James 1:2-4 aloud to everybody, and now it is popping up everywhere I go:)
Thank you Jesus for the wonderful life I live, the people you have surrounded me with, and this beautiful and temporary home that I get to enjoy
Amen:)
