I love ridiculous holidays. I love the idea of celebrating small things and having an excuse to make a memory with someone. Today is "(inter)national coffee day" which fact checked is apparently inaccurate (it can only be "national" if it's declared so by the government) but who cares, businesses recognize with it with tons of free specials so why the heck can't I? I celebrated by going to Starbucks with my sister, it felt right.

      After I was curious how one invents a "fake (real) holiday", and found out that it isn't actually that hard (find out how here or here). Now I just need an awesome idea...

The blog world feels like a bit of a wasteland but here I am :)

I've had several people ask if I plan to have a blog while I'm away, I've been saying no...I guess I changed my mind. I'm not sure how consistent I'll be with this but I'll try, for you, my three readers

It feels weird to follow my post about committing to America with a post about moving to Italy but that's how my life goes. Italy is the plan, it's been the plan for awhile. It's definitely bittersweet, leaving is hard but I'm super excited for this next adventure. I'll be working with American high school and middle school kids who have parents serving in the US Air Force (see, not abandoning America). I leave in less than a month...crazy! pray for me :)

      For the better part of my adult life I haven’t been proud to be an American. I’ve spent most of my 20s wishing I could be from another country…like Canada. Americans love meat, celebrity gossip, and following sports…I’ve never really identified with these things (minus my love of N’Sync and the Spice Girls in the late 90s). Where as Canadians love syrup…that’s it. That’s a lot easier to get behind. The thing that kept drawing me back to America was the fact 98% (not based on actual math) of the people I love most are from this "land of the free and home of the brave". Then the other day while sitting in church, totally distracted (I know, I’ll say it for you, “sinner”), I had this realization: God doesn’t always want me to be the best. I’m not called to be the smartest, fastest, coolest, prettiest, or funniest. I’m not even called to be in the top ten. But I am encouraged to be content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12). My situation makes me an American. It might not have been my first choice, but it’s definitely not my last. America isn’t the best, it isn’t even the goodest, but after living in China I’m at least thankful to have grown up where I did. America doesn’t need people to flee the country because it’s messy and not the hip trendy country to live in (like Norway or Costa Rica). America needs people who believe in the ability of a place to change. People who are intentional in prayer, love, and hope. People who are willing to invest in people and places in real and tangible ways because they truly believe that we can help shape this nation to be the great nation we all long for it to be. I think we are called to be those people; to be the hands and feet of a God who really does love his children, even those of us in America.
So…
America,
I’m in.
Sincerely,
Lauren