Not Quite Home Anymore.

It's been three weeks since I got back to the U.S.A. I wish I could find the words to tell you about Ethiopia, but everything that happened there and all the things I learned are tied up and tangled inside my little brain. The team that I had the pleasure of traveling and spending two weeks with could not have been better. We bonded so much, and I formed some strong friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. Ethiopia changed me, just like I knew it would. A little piece (or maybe a not so little piece), was fractured off and left in that marvelous country. Maybe it's because I had never really traveled before, or maybe it's because I'm young and impressionable, but I think it might be that God led me over there because he knows I'll be going back. I've already made some general plans for how I'll get back and when. I'll keep that to myself though, because when these plans of mine become concrete, trust me, I'll let you know. In the three weeks that have passed since my return, I've started my Junior year at Bozeman High. Let me tell you, folks, after experiencing the best two weeks of my life, living everyday to the most, helping people with incredible need, and basically just doing what I love, high school can be a real dragola. When people ask me how I'm readjusting to the "real world," I want to let them see what I've seen in Africa and yell: "THAT is the real world! That." Life is so much more than appearances, money, possessions, meaningless fake relationships, and the million other things that we worry about on a daily basis in our dry and stagnant lives. However, determined not to let my new perspective fade, I've made up my stubborn mind to make the best of this year and to make a difference regardless of where I am, whether it is the place I'd like to be or not. I'm entering this new chapter of my life with an open mind and an optimistic spirit (even if it means working hard to maintain that optimism). So, there will be many more posts relaying my small experiences and adventures, keep your eyes out for those, and read up on them when you can. Remember: Your life is big, and there is plenty of room in it, but it's your job to fill it up. Go.