Just the beginning

After a few failed attempts at keeping up a blog in the past hopefully this one will be different. I always find the most difficult part of this is writing down what is happening in my life. For some reason I feel selfish and unsure that someone would actually enjoy reading this. But of course, lies come in all shapes, sizes, and voices and the sentence before this is certainly a lie. As much as I enjoy reading my friends blogs in order to keep up with them, my friends will also enjoy reading mine.

I have been back in Kelowna, my hometown, for just under a month now and it has been blessing to re-establish friendships and have the ability to relax and enjoy time with my parents. It feels like years since I've been able to spend a significant amount of time with my Mom and Dad and just having them near has been a blessing I have thanked my Lord for numerous times over. Being by the water has also been refreshing and I've started to realize how much I love this city. It has bike paths everywhere and hiking trails less than 15 minutes outside of the city (sometimes inside of the city depending on where you go) and people enjoy being at others houses rather than out at a restaurant or pub. As much as I enjoy coffee shops and pubs, sitting at a friends place outside having a BBQ or playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee always seems more special and intimate. I've missed friends in Calgary a lot though and it will be nice to be back there in just a few days.


In a week I will be on my way to London, England to meet up with a friend and after a few days of visiting I will be off to Ireland. This trip still seems like a dream to me and I'm a bit scared of what my reaction will be when it sinks in that I will be gone for a year. As exciting as this journey will be, God has given me such a close community of people that I have cared for and they have cared for me that it is hard to leave that behind. Both in Kelowna and Calgary He has blessed me with people I can share life with and although they are just an email or phone call away it will still be difficult to leave them behind. As the days go by I've been thinking a lot of what will happen over this next year. I have been able to plan a few things but much of my trip is being left up to moment by moment planning. My time in Europe will be spontaneous rather than pre-planned which is exciting but also daunting. As many of you know I am a planner and leaving things to chance is not my idea of a good trip. But, God is teaching me that His plans may not be known by me at this moment but if I just continue following Him with one foot ahead of the other I will not only be ok but I will be living out His plans for me. This is but one lesson among many that I am positive that my Lord will be teaching me on the weeks and months to come.

I will do my best to post photos so check my facebook page for those as it is easier for me to upload them there instead of adding them all to this blog. I can't wait to hear from you so please don't hesitate to send me an email or comment or a quick message or wall posting on facebook.

Love, Candice