When I first told Jake and Joe that I was going to be going to another country for school this year, they were very interested and asked me all sorts of questions. One of them of course being, where exactly was I going? I told them I was going to a country called Switzerland and staying in a city named Lausanne. They got such a kick out of that. "Lausanne?" they said, "That sounds just like Lasagna!" So pretty much from then on whenever they refer to Lausanne they say Lasagna, and I just think it's the cutest thing ever, a perfect portrayal of the goofiness of my brothers.
I leave for the airport in 4 hours, and am feeling a real mix of emotions. Most of me is beyond excited for what my year abroad will bring, but part of me hates leaving home. I hate that I will leave behind the playful laughter of my brothers and the joy and Zoey Grace exudes. I will miss my afternoon naps in my bed with Zoey, when I wake up to her gently twirling my hair. I will miss seeing the boys love on Zoey, and having the boys love on me (well, mostly Joe, Jake doesn't do much snuggling anymore). I'll miss being able to take a quick 30-minute drive home from Pepperdine on the weekends, for dinner or just to get my Zoey fix. I will miss seeing my darling niece every few weekends, along with Caitlin and Danny. I'll miss playing demon with Matt and Jess, and yes Mom and Dad, I will miss you too.
Even though I'll miss all of these things and more, I know that the opportunities that await me are worth the things I'm leaving behind for this short period of time. I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me.
I will try to update once a week, with pictures and short tidbits of what I've been up to. I don't doubt that when I return home in April, I will look back on this blog and be amazed by all that I experienced.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain
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Quotes I Love & Aim to Live by
- "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart." -unknown
- "Stand up for what you believe in, even if it means standing alone."
- "I believe in Christianity like I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C.S. Lewis
- "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Plato
- "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."
- "Whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more, and all good things will be yours."
- "It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you." Randy Pausch
- "Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows." -Helen Keller
Any moment now,you will be touching down in the place that you will call home for the next 7 months.How surreal but how absolutely incredible.There should be no fear of the unknown of what tomorrow will bring but rather unbridled excitement of the magic those tomorrows will hold.
ReplyDeleteI did wander into your room a few times today and glance around and sit for a moment or two.It is cleaner than the way you left it,but that shouldn't surprise anyone,should it?But your room and the rest of us,awaiting your return,anxious to hear of where life has led you and not only what this adventure has brought you but what you have also brought to this adventure.
We love you.
Taylor, I am very curious to meeting with you and until then, I am very happy to follow you on your journey, while rememering all the feelings I had when I moved to Vancouver for a couple of months nearly 10 years ago....I had the time of my life there because I met so many nice and friendly people and earned so much self-confidence. I am still in contact with the friends I met there, although they are all over the world. Once I was homesick and I didn`t know really if it was right or wrong to live there and leave family behind, but then I was sitting in a starbucks and there was that guy in front of me wearing a T-shirt with a "Don`t let your fears stand in front of your dreams" - print (or likelly), and so did I ;-) I never had regrets.-
ReplyDeletehi Taylor! this is Emmie's mom, Steph. I follow your moms blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful blog you have set up here. made me cry with the very first post!are you staying with a family or are you in an apt?
a very close friend of mine sent her daughters to Spain. They love it! best time of their lives!!!
See everything, taste everything, just suck it all in!!!!!
Hi Taylor....Ella's mom here! Have a great time!! This will be the experience of a lifetime. I am so glad that you are getting the chance to do this. You have served your family so well these past few years and you deserve some time to focus on you now. Be safe and I look forward to following your exciting adventure!
ReplyDeleteHi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kim and I follow your moms blog...Love to see all the pics of your entire family...Can't wait to see what your blog brings...
Love the quotes...you are SO your mother's daughter!!! I can hardly wait to see all of the pics and hear about the wonderful times you will have! You will most certainly have the time of your life, but you will be missed.
ReplyDeleteHello Taylor,
ReplyDeletei wish you a wonderful time in Switzerland!
And if you should be in the city "Essen" in Germany, announce you then. Then we drink a coffee:)
"Essen" is the cultural capital 2010 in Europe!
Vero
What an amazing opportunity! Enjoy it! Since I haven't traveled much, I look forward to following along!
ReplyDelete