Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had trouble stepping out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been a big fan of stability and security and sameness. When I was 7-years-old, my dad had to coax me into playing basketball for the first time. I wasn’t so sure about it initially, because I didn’t want to be bad at it. I didn’t want to fail. But once I gave it a try, playing that sport became a huge part of my life for the next 11 years.

Something similar happened six months ago. My friend texted me and said she had recommended me to her editor to write for Odyssey. I was flattered, but the idea also scared me. I had done some writing for a previous job, but that was all factual and reporting. I had never let anyone outside of my close friends and family read anything personal that I had written. The feelings I had about playing basketball from when I was 7-years-old came rushing back. I didn’t want to fail. I didn’t want to be bad at it, but once again, after a little encouragement I said yes. And I’m so glad I did.

I have grown so much as a writer over the past six months. I have been pushed like never before. I have stepped further out of my comfort zone than I ever thought I would. And in doing so, I have reached an audience so much bigger than just my close friends and family, which is something I didn’t think I could do. Every single time I wrote an article, I was given incredible affirmation and feedback that my voice mattered. It made me want to dig even deeper inside myself in hopes that my writing would relate to my readers, that they could see that they aren’t alone in the things they are going through.

I’ve also learned that not everyone is going to agree with everything you say. People are going to say discouraging things or try to convince that you’re wrong or that you’re not good enough. But that’s never an excuse to stop doing what you’re doing. I learned to have confidence in my writing and in my message, and that was enough to keep me going.

All of that to say, I have reached a point now where it’s time to once again step out of my comfort zone. I’m choosing to step away from Odyssey and to put my time, talents and energy into my own blog. As wonderful of a platform that Odyssey has been, I’m excited to go off on my own and expand my little corner of the internet.

I truly believe that my ability to write is a gift from God, and I think it would be an absolute shame if I wasted it.

So, going forward, I’m still planning on using that gift, and I would love if you joined me for the ride. I’m planning on revamping the entire look and feel of my blog over the next few months, and I’m super excited about it! I’m going to be writing about all the things women walk through in their 20s, from faith to friendships to relationships. I’m going to be writing about what it looks like to live a life that looks different than what you hoped for and how to learn and grow in seasons of waiting and wondering.

But, in the meantime, while I’m still planning and prepping for the new blog, you can check out all of my previous work at my blog on Wordpress! And keep an eye out in 2018 for some new and exciting things!

Lastly, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to anyone who has ever taken the time to read one of my articles. Whether or not something I wrote made you laugh, smile or even cry, I hope more than anything you’ve been able to relate to my writing in some way. Thank you to Jordan, for recommending me to write for this amazing website. Thank you to my editor Marium and my team, for helping me grow and improve as a writer. Thank you to my best friend Melanie, for always giving me great ideas to write about.

And finally, thank you to my parents, Chris and Tamela, and my grandparents, Nanny and Pawpaw, for being the first to read every single article, for always encouraging me to use this gift I’ve been given and for being my biggest cheerleaders along the way.

I’ll see you over on the blog!

xoxo

Kristen