Dear Future Husband: Before I'm With You

Dear Future Husband,

I just wanted to let you know that my life is not going to "start" once I marry you.

My life has already begun, and I want to take advantage of every second of it.

I can't wait to be with you, but until then, I am going to make memories so that one day, I'll be able to tell you stories. I'm going to travel, work hard, go on adventures, and make the most of every minute of my life. Because my life has already started.

I do not need you to have a good time. I do not need you to feel complete. I am complete, I am whole, and God has a purpose for my life. His plans for me don't start after I get a husband. They've already started. They're happening now.

When we're finally together, we'll go to Europe together, or maybe Mexico, or maybe anywhere. I've always found going alone to be a bit boring. I can't wait to have hobbies with you. Dumb hobbies. Like playing parcheesi or yard sale shopping on the weekends. Or putting together a puzzle. I'd even but together a puzzle with you. How dumb is that?

So someday we will be together, having fun and traveling and playing parcheesi.

But until then, I'll be having fun.

And I hope you are, too.

Because on the nights when it storms or when I can't sleep, I want you to tell me stories. And if you are waiting to live until we get married, how will you have any stories to tell me?

I've been thinking about you today. Someday I'll tell you stories of all of my adventures. Like when there was a moose in my front yard. Or when I was lost for hours during my first camping trip. Or when I parasailed through the Nepali mountains.

God has great plans for your life now; He has great plans for my life now. And He has plans for us together. Glorify Him now with your own life, so that later, we can glorify Him together.

Love,
Jessica

Here's to 2015.

During a Thanksgiving celebration, we all went around saying what we were thankful for. Mine was easy. I am thankful for how much can change in a year.

2014 was a huge year of growing into the woman that I've always wanted to be. I grew in my confidence, in my faith, in my relationships. I prioritized my life, learning from the past, and looking forward to the future. I have broken, healed, lost, and loved.

I am humbled to say that I still have so much to learn. I still struggle. I still find myself acting selfishly, spending more time focusing on my fleshly desires than on the world around me. I get impatient, I get sad, I get overwhelmed. I am not perfect, nowhere close. I still have so much more growing to do. But looking back on this past year, I am so proud of how far I've come. 

One year ago, I was inspired by Bonnie to name 2014, proclaiming what you expected to get out of the new year. I named 2014 "a year to love and to learn." I learned so much about the world, as I travelled through Asia, and about myself, as I looked at myself and what I needed to change. I even got a tattoo, a triangle, to represent my ongoing desire to change into a better person every day.

This year I am going to name 2015 "a year to become myself." All last year, I was surrounded by inspiring people who showed me what women and men of God are supposed to look like. I got rid of everything holding me back and discovered who I want to be. This upcoming year, I want to become that person. I want to become a wonderful friend, an inspiring woman of God. That is my prayer and my goal for this year. 

2014 was by far my favorite year - a year I messed up, a year I tried again, a year I traveled, the year I found myself, the year I found love.

And here's to 2015. I have so much to look forward to - graduation, more traveling, new experiences, more growing. 

Some highlights of 2014..

The Happiness of Pursuit: A Book to Inspire You to Dream

Through Blogging for Books I was given a free copy of The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau in exchange for an honest review.

As a young woman who is always seeking adventure, I was instantly drawn to this book. Chris Guillebeau tells tales of his own journey to visit every country in the world, as well as the tales of others' adventures - a man who vowed to silence, a teenager who decided to live at sea, and a woman who devoted her life to bird watching.

The author makes a point to say that not one person's quest is bigger than another's. Seeing the most species of birds is just as admirable as sailing across the sea. The common thread is that the quest is their passion, their life.

What are you passionate about? What am I? Is there anything that I would give up money, time, even friends and family for? This book really made me think. It made me realize what I value, and what I don't.

Another thing I love about this book is that he ends each chapter with some tips to helping you find a realistic, admirable pursuit.

Chris Guillebeau also tells stories of failures, setbacks, and mistakes. Because that's life. And you can't go on a great pursuit without stumbling a couple times. He keeps the book real. He makes me feel as if I can do something great, too.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I think the variety of his stories is appealing to readers of all ages and walks of life. I would definitely recommend this book to those with an adventurous soul, who are looking to embark on a great journey.

One thing that bothered me about this book comes from my Christian worldview. If I have thousands of dollars to spend on traveling or on the hobby of my choice, wouldn't it be better to do something worthwhile with that money, instead of checking things off your pursuit's to-do list? After traveling to Haiti several times, I have seen extreme poverty. I can't blow all my money on things that I want to accomplish or pursue. My conscious won't let me. I know that I am bias, but I think that some pursuits are foolish and selfish.

Overall, this book was definitely inspiring and I would recommend it to anyone.

Christmas Break Goals

As of this morning, I am officially done with this semester! As an education major, I have finished all of my undergrad classes. Next semester I will be student teaching in the second grade. It was be the craziest, busiest, hardest semester of my life, so I am looking forward to a fun Christmas break beforehand.

One thing I hate is being bored. I also hate making lists. As a future teacher, I've been trying to get more organized and make more lists. Now that my Christmas break has begun, I decided to make a list of things I am looking forward to doing over the next month.

1. Read
I have loads of books that I have collected from thrift stores and yard sales all throughout the semester. I'm excited to finally have time to read all of them. They include the entire Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, some books by my favorite author Jodi Picoult, and classic children's novels that I've never read, such as Holes by Louis Sachar.

2. Learn to Crochet 
Or knit. But since my mom only knows how to crochet, I'll probably learn from her. I'd love to actually do something productive over break and make something. And I could make gifts for my friends' upcoming birthdays!

3. Watch Netflix
Yes, maybe this is somewhat unproductive, but I STILL haven't seen season 3 of Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch. I'm excited to have plenty of time to binge watch.

4. Roadtrip
This is my first time without a job over Christmas break. Even with the things listed above, I know I'll still be bored. I already have a couple of roadtrips planned to visit friends. I'm excited to hang out with friends without worrying about studying or leaving in time to get to my next class. We can actually relax and chill.

5. Cook
My family and I are all vegan. While I'm the only one gluten free, I know that our pantry will be packed with foods that I can eat. During the school year, I find it hard to cook a lot on my college kid budget. At home, since we already have a ton of healthy ingredients, it will be so easy to try the recipes that I've been collecting all semester.

What are some of your Christmas break goals?

Local Adventure in Historical Philadelphia

My school is only about 20 minutes away from Philadelphia. I have been there so many times. I've seen the glamorous side, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I have seen the unattractive side, such as the subways and the homeless and the rundown houses.

There is also a historical side to Philly. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc. These old historical buildings are all located in what is now Independence Historical National Park. A couple weeks ago, I toured through these buildings and was amazed by all of the beauty. I've been there before, but never in the fall. The trees surrounding these old brick buildings were gorgeous. The birches throughout the park made for perfect shade.

Best part? Admission is free. They just do a security check and then you can walk around the park. I spotted several couples taking advantage of the beautiful paths. I also saw a lot of readers, mothers with young children, and college students studying. This place is great for everyone, and I'm hoping to go back again soon.

I'm all about having fun and going on adventures. Good news is - you don't have to travel far to find cool places! Anyone have any Philly-area suggestions for my next local adventure?

21 Before 21: Being Blessed

As most of you know, I started a 21 Before 21: Twenty One Acts of Kindness challenge.

I was inspired by an article I read over the summer of a boy who went on a random acts of kindness roadtrip, completing over 100 acts along the way. I wanted to do something similar. So I've made lists of what I could do, bought supplies, set dates, made appointments, and began prepping. I've even completed a couple of them.

I have until December 21st, which is my 21st birthday.

Since beginning this challenge, I have received SO many blessings.

After letting Tori borrow my car for a quick errand, she returned with my gas tank FULL. If that's not a blessing, what is?

During all of my sick days recently, Nick has made the time to come visit me, bringing me coffee and snacks. He has given up parts of his busy day to watch movies with me and make sure I'm feeling better.

Natalie is so talented in the kitchen. Before I even roll out of bed, she is asking me what I want for breakfast, telling me that the coffee is ready.

My babysitting jobs are increasing - one parent threw in extra money because it was "late at night". It was only midnight! But I'll take it!

Strangers will compliment me, open doors for me. Cashiers will wish me a good day, not charge me extra for my soy milk in my latte.

Blessings upon blessings.

Maybe things have always been like this. Maybe my eyes are just being opened to the blessings all around me. Look around you. How have you been blessed today?

Jessica Goes to Central Asia Part 2

As most of you know, I spent the summer in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Haiti. I also spent parts of my summer stopping at friends' houses in Missouri and touring NYC for the first time. It was a wonderful summer, and I got to cross so many things off my bucket list! I've been back at school for about two months now, but I've started to feel the travel jitters again.

So I am happy to announce that I was accepted to go Tajikistan as part of a cultural exchange program. You don't know where that is? That's okay. I didn't either. As soon as I heard about it, I googled, "Where is Tajikistan on a map?"and looked at all the pictures. I also studied the wikipedia page on it. To simplify, it is bordered by China on the east, Uzbekistan on the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and Afghanistan to the south.

I've been captivated by the middle eastern culture since meeting friends (a couple of them spent the summer in Kyrgyzstan), swapping stories, and reading books by Khaled Hosseini. His book "The Kite Runner", which is now one of my favorites, portrays the culture so beautifully. I've been obsessed with the language, food, and holidays ever since. I am thrilled to be going.

I leave in May, the day after I graduate. What a crazy time that will be! For the next several months, I will be learning the language and the culture in order to be prepared by the time I get there.

I will also be trying to raise the funds so that I am able to go. This will be done in two ways.

My Wild Thing Paper Co. etsy store - click here.

My fundraising page - click here.

If you have any questions or comments, I would LOVE to talk about it. (I'm kind of obsessed with travel stories).

Please keep me in your prayers, and if you feel called to, support me in the one of the ways listed above. Thanks so much, everyone! I'll be keeping you posted as I learn more about this trip!