Grounded

There is something to be said about staying put. I have been such a wanderer in my heart for most of my life, a pursuer of the next adventure. I love daydreaming, getting lost in the imagination of the unknown, and traveling to mysterious places in my mind. I love the thought of travel, the unknown experience and possibilities that lie ahead. The prospect of exploring a new country always intrigues me. In fact, I keep a top five in my head of the places I want to go. (Ireland, India, northern Canada, Alaska, South Africa-and I want to experience the rainforest with my sister) However, when I was traversing Europe this summer I experienced something I am not familiar with. A desire to go back and continue doing the things I was before: house hunting in North Minneapolis, working with Beautiful, investing in my church. The usual place i find myself in is perpetual adventurer: loving the travel, letting it spark my heart for more travel, to pursue the next thing when i get back, and a general discontentment in regular life and contentment in looking forward to the next trip. But this time, no, I wanted to go back to what I was ALREADY doing. It caught me by such a surprise. It was so confirming that, yes, God was grounding me. And I was already where He wanted me to be. I think there is a peace, and a longing, that is found when you are in God's desires for you. I had not found that peace before, and I was longing to stay in it. I am still in it, in fact, and it is new to me. New to be enjoying the day by day, not looking for the next trip, and being fine right where I am. Don't mistake me-I still LOVE traveling. Everything about it. And i still desire it for the future. But right now I am going to be here, 100%. I love learning about other cultures, and feeding that global desire I have. But i can do that as I live here, in the place I love the most, Minnesota.
I am starting Aveda on Tuesday, and because that program is 10 months i know i will renew my lease here in August. Which means Ill be her for 2 years. At least! It is good to know I will be grounded for awhile, and really be invested. It is strange to be happy about this, but I am. That is how I know God is in it. It is less my desires, and more His, and I am happy because I am in Him. Not because of where i am, or what i am doing.
I started to feel a little ungrounded this last week, I am not sure from what. But it is interesting what cured it. I had to do wedding hair in St. Cloud on Saturday morning. i have not been up there in years. I had to leave my house around 5:45am, and I enjoyed an unfamiliar drive in solitude, lit by the moon, mostly by myself on the rode. It was peaceful, alone, and just the dose of quiet travel I needed to settle my soul. It seems weird, but I love that sort of thing and it is just what i needed.

Here are a few pics from Covenant Pines, one of my favorite most life-giving places.