Knoxville I love you.

It's December 6, and I have less than a month left in Knoxville. It's been a wild eight years in my adoptive city, and I'm sad to leave it. Knoxville is where I've lived my entire adult life.

Here I was dropped off for college, started walking with Jesus, became a post grad, made a few friends, made friends that feel like family, started jobs, ended jobs, said, "yes!" to crazy whispers from the Lord, cried, laughed, felt like it was the end of the world, woke up to new sunrises, got flat tires, ate cupcakes on parking garages, mourned friendships and lives, celebrated new life, danced, danced, danced, sang at the top of my lungs, failed at a lot, picked myself up again, talked about life, talked about love, talked about death. Knoxville, I'm going to miss you.

It's kind of fitting that I get to end Knoxville during Advent. It's the season of expectancy. Of waiting. Of preparing. 

I'm waiting. 

(Featuring Kiwi)

Big News.

I'm the world's worst at keeping a blog. I think I've tried 10,000 blog attempts since the tender age of 13. 

I've recently agreed to do something I thought I would never do. I just signed up to spend a year doing missions overseas. Yeah, you heard that: overseas missions. 

Last week I got word that I will be joining the World Race in January. The World Race is a journey to 11 countries in 11 months to tell people about Jesus. Here's a few of the places I'll be: Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bosnia, Kosovo, Romania, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique. You can read the full description of my route here.

Agreeing to say yes to this trip was a big feat. Plenty of tears and fear and prayers the last few months have led me to take the first steps. Lots of conversations that would be easier to avoid but the urging from the Lord has been too evident to avoid. 

I'm choosing to say yes. I'm choosing to follow Him when it's scary. I'm choosing a life that wasn't what I always dreamed. I'm choosing new dreams, new aspirations.

I'm really scared some moments, but I'm comforted in the fact that I wasn't guaranteed most of the things I think I deserve. That choosing to say yes doesn't often look like the American dream. 

#4 - Chainsmokers & Chuys

Yesterday, we woke up and John David was the best host. Cooked us breakfast, let us take his room, and took us out to eat this morning. 

We went to Chuys with Hollis and just wandered down Hillsboro Village a while. That night we met Laura at The Whiskey Kitchen (which is the best). I got the seared ahi tun and green beans, with their acai lemonade to drink. 

The concert was complete silliness , because everyone was in a costume.  We felt too old for this- which is something I'm reconciling with turning 25-but had so much fun. An older woman behind me in the seats complimented me on my spirit dancing and that was everything. 💃