Up until today, I have been preparing myself for a 16 month long vacation! Looking online, trying to find cute sandals, swimsuits, hats, dresses etc. for me ... and stuff for the boys as well. Ultimately, I have felt excited, excited to be moving on with our lives, excited to move to a new place! I mean seriously, just look at the paradise we will call home in 3 months!
Feelings of excitement have filled my mind, along with me imagining how life will be in a place we have never been. However, today Broc and I received an email from a girl whose husband is going to school there now. It was helpful to read the advice she gave, yet it was a reality check for me. As I finished reading the email, I found a few tears falling. The reality of our new home was setting in. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous, because I am. I wonder how the boys will adjust and how I will adjust. Broc and I have never had a lot. We have never lived anywhere really nice. But, we are moving to a third world country. A place where we won't have a car. We walk everywhere. It is a 30 minute walk to church! (Really, we have a hard time making it on time to our 1:30PM meetings!) A place where everybody just lets their kids run around in their diapers or underwear because it is so hot! (So all of those cute clothes I was looking at...?) Milk is so expensive that most use powdered milk. Crew LOVES his milk. Will he drink it over there, will he still like it when we return? The list goes on and on, I just shared a few examples. We aren't taking a lot with us. Whatever we can pack in a few suitcases will have to do. I know Broc's classes and studies will be demanding, so I am preparing myself to be a single mom of two... in a different country, away from all family and friends. It was today that I really started to feel a flood of emotions. We have heard that it can be one of the greatest, most memorable experiences we will ever have... or it can be the worst. It all comes down to what we make of it.
Early on we titled this blog, "Finding Joy in the Journey" (from a talk given by President Monson). It has summed up our experiences over the 6 years of our marriage. Some situations in our lives have been far from ideal, but it has always come down to what we make of life. It really doesn't matter what situation we are in, where we live, what we have or don't have, what trials we are facing, we can always look at life as an experience and find the joy in everyday. President Monson says it best, "it is my sincere prayer that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey." As I pulled up my blog today, I was reminded of this.
I'm sure today I just skimmed the surface of what is to come. And yet, amidst all of these mixed emotions, I truly feel that this is where we need to be. For whatever the reason, whatever we need to learn. That is what life is... finding joy in the journey!
