I've never been the type of girl who wanted to travel the world. I'm not the most spontaneous of people; I like schedule, and order, and knowing what I should be doing (even if I'm not actually doing that). I'm also not a risk taker.

For Christmas, my parents gave me a gift card to Altar'd State, this boho chic store that would be right up my alley if they sold clothes in my size. (I'm not bitter at all.) At least they have cute accessories and home decor items, including little framed boxes with various sayings. Words matter to me, so every time I go to Altar'd State, I'm drawn to those. I finally went in to spend my gift certificate back in July. I wandered around the store with one of my best friends, and I remember seeing one framed piece and then going back to it. It had arrows on it, and I've had a thing for arrows for about a year now. But most of all, it said, "And so the adventure begins."

As a writer, I believe in adventures, but I always thought they were something my characters went on - not me. Since spring semester, though, I've felt a sort of wanderlust, or maybe a better term would be adventure-lust. I don't need to go on any grandiose tour of Europe (although that would be nice), or have the type of adventure that requires intense partying, or take giant risks like becoming a nomad. But I think it's important to find adventures in your day-to-day life and pursue them.

That's why "And so the adventure begins" has become my motto for this school year. I want to have little adventures - like late night trips to Sonic or even just late night drives with my girl friends. I want to learn to say yes when my friends ask me to do social things that I wouldn't normally do - such as go to soccer games (I don't do sports, OK). And I want big adventures, too. I'm going back to Chicago to visit my friends this Christmas break, and I want us to make the best memories. I want to have an internship in New York City next summer, and I want to go to England and France with one of my best friends after we graduate.

I want to live my life, seeking the adventures God has written for me. I want to explore His world with my eyes wide open because that is one of the most important parts of being a writer. We write what we know, and I can only be the best writer I can when I live out the adventures that could inspire so many stories.

There's a reason I've always felt connected to Belle, beyond the whole bookworm thing. She longs for more than small town life. Don't get me wrong, I love small towns and suburbia, but I want adventure in the great wide somewhere and somedays, I want it more than I can bear.