12 Years Ago

At the end of this week, it will be 12 years.

12 years ago...

I landed in Senegal for the first time.

So as I thought back to that time, I started to thinking of all the emotions I was feeling then. I started thinking of all the thoughts I was having. And I decided to write a letter to the Me of that time in my life...

Dear 23 (almost 24) years old Me,

Wow! You are so brave! 

You may not realize it yet. 

But trust me...

You are, indeed, brave. 

At this point, you're on an adrenaline high. 

You've had a roller coaster of emotions zooming through your heart and mind. ...from the extreme lows of saying goodbye to your family at the Atlanta airport to the extreme highs of the excitement of landing in Dakar. 

I realize it's scary. 

You've never even lived away from home.

 So I know you're nervous right now.

And while you've got a bit of teaching under your belt, it's not a lot. So your confidence in yourself as a teacher is quite low. 

Trust me... 

One day, twelve years from now, you'll be writing yourself a letter and smile at how confident you now (then?) feel as a teacher. After all, by that point, you'll know you're actually an Educational Rockstar ;)

And yes, you did read that correctly.

I said twelve years from now...

I know you're thinking you'll only be staying for one year (maybe 2 max). But just so you know... God has a sense of humor. So go ahead and get comfortable. You're going to be there a while. And in a few years, when you leave for a bit, you'll still end up coming back.

You're still finding your footing as a Missionary Teacher. 

Many of your missions supporters don't fully get what you do. You'll hear the following question a lot...

"So are you a missionary or are you a teacher?"

And each time, you'll take a deep breath, smile sweetly, and say...

I am a Missionary Teacher.

And then you'll explain what that means.

I won't lie to you.

Sometimes it's going to be hard.

Friends will leave.

There will be hard things to deal with back home in the US.

And the list goes on...

But trust me...

There will be plenty of good.

Today, you stepped on Senegalese soil for the first time. And when you did you instantly felt that you were at home.

Today, you fell in love with the country whose sandy streets and tall buildings, whose colorful outfits and lively music, whose open doors and hospitable people all make it the fun place you love.

12 years from now, you'll be in line at the post office, chatting with the worker, and tell her that while the U.S. will always be home... In a way, so will Senegal. Senegal is where God called you to go AND where you choose to live and the U.S. is where you visit. 

And you love the truth in that statement.

The past 12 years have produced rich memories that will last your heart for a lifetime. Take time to remember them. Take time to truly notice the goodness and faithfulness of God each step of the way. 

Take time to be grateful for all God's doing in your life in the next 12 years (and beyond). 

See ya in 12 years ;)

Sincerely,

35 (almost 36 year old Me)

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 Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing about one of my most favorite topics to discuss - Today's my Senegal-iversary... The anniversary of the date I landed in Senegal for the very first time.

Randomness on a Tuesday

 Happy Tuesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where bloggers come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment. 

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Want to know what's on my mind at the moment?

A whole bunch of randomness, like...

Today is my brother's birthday. He's such a great guy! He loves his wife and daughters and treats them like the queen/princesses they are. He's generous and kind. He works ridiculously hard. I could keep going. I'm so grateful to have him as my brother. He's the best :)

Y'all... What is up with the weather back home?! It's so so cold there right now, which is obviously, so unlike Alabama. Also... Where were these cold temps when I was there last month? I'm a big fan of the cold. So I might be just a little jealous at the moment. Maybe... ;)

Valentines Day was this weekend. I can't say it's my most favorite holiday ever. It's the #1 day for magnifying singleness, whether you want it magnified or not. But, it was okay. I had breakfast with a friend. I joined one of my supporting churches in their online worship service. I did a bit of work in my classroom. I did some baking. And I spent some time resting/relaxing before starting the week ahead. Not a bad way to spend the day...

Oh... I did get this adorably cute card from a friend's son the other day. And I also got a couple roses and some candy too :) 

Last night, I called my mom and since she was at my brother's house, I got to chat with both of my nieces. They took me all around the house, pointing out all their favorite books and toys, telling me about their day, about them having school cancelled due to the crazy weather they're having, and more. It was definitely a super fun way to end my night :)

Last week, I was back in school. By the end of the week, I felt like I was finally back in my groove and all was good. But after 7 weeks away, I was absolutely exhausted every night the first few days back. One thing I am super grateful for is all the planning I did before leaving in December. Since I didn't know how long I'd need to be gone, I had to plan enough sub plans to last a long long time. And now, I am quite pleased with Past Me for doing that. It's kind of nice to have my afternoons/evenings free to hang out with friends or to go home and do absolutely nothing. I think I'm going to enjoy that :)

And speaking of school... I saw this quote and it's stuck with me.

 Oh how true it is!

There's all kind of other stuff on my mind. But these are the main things that made the cut. What about you? What's going on with you today?

If I Made a Mixtape...

While looking for ideas for future blog posts, I came across this prompt, and thought it'd be a fun one to write about.

Who remembers making mixtapes? 

I totally remember sitting in front of my boom box (yes, boom box) with the radio on, a blank tape in the cassette holder, and my finger poised over the record button, ready to catch my favorite song as it came on. 

Along the way, tapes gave way to CDs and then eventually those CDs gave way to an iPod. 

And now instead of a mix tape, I have playlists on my iPhone.

I have quite the eclectic collection of music. There are many different genres. There are soft, mellow songs and then there are songs with more of a loud beat that doesn't allow you to simply sit still. There are songs that are happy, sad, and some that are even a little weird. There are songs in English, French, Wolof, and even one in Hungarian.

I love hooking my iPhone up to my car stereo and listening to music as I drive. Or if I'm not driving, I love putting on my headphones and just "escaping" from reality. 

And now to answer a few mix tape song questions...

1. What song makes you laugh?

I'll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan

2. What song makes you happy?

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

3. What song do you listen to every day?

What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction

4. What song brings you closer to God?

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

5. What song brings back an "inside" memory - one that is your very own secret?

Peaches by New Heights

6. What song reminds you of home?

I have 2...

Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

and Africa by Toto

7. Put your iTunes on shuffle. What are the first two songs that come on?

The 12 Days of Christmas by Straight No Chaser

Marry Me by Train (I love love love this song!)

P.S. Thanks Google Images (and my iPhone screenshots) for the pictures :)