“It is when plans go ‘wrong’ that wonderful, unforeseen things are allowed to occur.”
I’ve been living in Virginia for nine months now and that quote, a string of words I saw one day on Pinterest, is the best way I could describe my time here. The past nine months have been filled with so many unexpected, unforeseen, wonderful things. When I moved here, I couldn’t even begin to imagine all of the ways in which my life would change and all of the incredible moments that I would have. I also had no idea I’d face so many hard things.
I was so scared when I moved here. Scared of the unknown, scared I wouldn’t like living in Virginia Beach, scared I would be alone. Knowing what I know now, I’d tell past me that I was absolutely making one of the best decisions of my life. I’d tell myself that, despite knowing that I was going to get so verbally beaten down by the words of another. Despite knowing that a couple of those months were going to be the most anxiety filled of my life. Despite knowing that I was going to get my heart hurt. Despite knowing that I was going to get laid off. Despite knowing that the same week I got laid off, my car wasn’t going to start.
You see, despite facing all of these hard things, there is nowhere I’d rather be.
Last month, I got laid off from my job. It was six days after I signed a lease on my new apartment. I sat on the floor in the hallway and sobbed while my roommates held me. I was devastated. I had given up a Fulbright fellowship and bought a car for this job that I no longer had. If I had known a few weeks earlier that I was going to loose my job, everything would be different. I’d be living in South Korea right now. But, I’m glad I didn’t know…there is nowhere I’d rather be.
There is nowhere I’d rather be than living in the cutest, coziest, little apartment with my two best friends here. It’s filled with so much love, laughter, wine, and an abundance of Peanut M&Ms. We eat out of mugs half the time, knit while watching The Bachelor, and cook a lot of really delicious meals. It’s bliss. My roommates are sunshine on a rainy day. They make life sparkle and I’m so lucky to be loved by them.
There is nowhere I’d rather be than working at Latitude; the very best climbing gym & community. It is seriously one of the most special places I’ve ever been. Latitude has been, since I first started climbing there, a safe haven for me. There were days when it was the only place I felt safe, the only place I could let my guard down. Now that I work there, I love it even more. The friendships I’ve formed with my coworkers are amazing. I wouldn’t survive car ownership without them and I certainly wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable climbing without all of their support. They help me to be brave.
My life here in Virginia sparkles. I feel alive in my everyday and that’s a really cool feeling. I hang out in coffee shops, I hike, I climb, I go to the beach, I laugh a lot. I’m constantly meeting new people and having new experiences. I feel incredibly lucky. I also just got hired at a PR firm. It’s a part time position, allowing me to still work as much as possible at the gym while using my degree and being creative in a capacity that works with nonprofits. It’s the absolute best case scenario; better than I could have imagined for myself.
The last nine months have been wild, full of ups and downs and all of the in betweens. All of it, so unexpected, so unforeseen, but oh so wonderful. Truly, there is nowhere I’d rather be.
Hugs,
