memphis bound!

after nine months of anticipation, i woke up on friday morning 2 weeks ago and said goodbyes to my family. if you know me well at all, you'll know that i love people dearly but tend to look at goodbye's as "see-you-laters". i think sometimes this comes across as un-feeling- and so i am learning how to be more sympathetic:) but i digress.

i picked up kendie and we headed south. we decided to take the day slowly so we made a pit stop in louisville at please & thank you and then another stop in nashville for lunch at red bicycle crepes. so much fun introducing her to some of my favorite spots! we rolled into memphis in the evening and i drove around town to give her an idea of what the city looks like. there's so much that i don't know or remember about memphis yet but after walking down to the riverfront, we got some dinner at south of beale and kendie had fried green tomatoes for the first time! 

saturday morning we woke up and explored the civil rights museum for several hours before meeting philip (my boss, the executive director of SOS & director of the Academy) at my new house to move in! it was wet & rainy but it was still so exciting to finally be there! we started cleaning while waiting for my new roommates to arrive and then spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking. we all were invited to philip's home for an academy dinner and molly rolled into town while we were there! seriously, this girl gets the award- she drove 7+ hours one way only to turn around and drive back the next day! i'm so thankful for both molls & kendie and they way they have constantly loved me so well the past year and a half! that they would both drive all the way down to help me move in and get a glimpse of my new community meant more than i can say!

sunday morning we woke up to more dark & gloomy rain but we still got to soak up the last few minutes together on the front porch swing before they headed back north:)

i'm finally here. actually HERE in memphis. it's a bit surreal, slightly overwhelming & rather exhausting but also incredibly right. this is where i am supposed to be and despite being thrown into the midst of things, i can already tell that this season is going to be one of rest, vibrant community, eye opening/humbling experiences & countless opportunities to learn.

also,  i already love my roomies devin & tara! the Lord was so good in choosing each of us to do the academy at the same time and the three of us fit so well together! 

p.s. shoutout to my friend shelby who is doing the world race this coming year! you should check out her story > www.shelbysawyers.theworldrace.org