You often hear, don't take a break off from school, you will never go back. Well, I didn't really have a choice. Due to waitlists and competitive programs, I had two semesters that I could not attend my university after completing pre-requisites before starting in my program. You could say God planned that extremely well.
I moved away from home, I lived in a city where I had no history. It was a fresh start into adulthood. It was a year to adventure, grow, and dive deep into my faith. Eight students all together for eight months learning, traveling, and serving together? Yes, a lot of people joked, "oh, so you're joining a cult now?" It probably looked like that, but thankfully it was the farthest thing from it.
When you have to learn to live in such a tight knit community, you learn a lot of things. For one, conflict will happen, but it isn't an option to let it drag out. Don't focus on the weakness in people, instead, seek to learn from people's strengths. Learn about different personalities. Love languages are crucial to recognize. It is okay to trust people with walking through life with you.
When you move away from home, you are thrown into more responsibility. You can't always call mom and dad to come help right away; the plane ride would be too long. You learn to seek to understand new life skills. You start to thrive on the little life hacks you learn along the way. Suddenly, money doesn't grow on trees.
When you constantly travel, you are often forced into minimalism. Packing becomes a game of how to pack the least, yet also have what you define as crucial needs. Often without the assistance of a phone to get you places, you learn to talk to complete strangers to ask for help or even offer to help others with tasks to make their day easier.
When you do life with people, people who walk with Christ like you, there is a special sweetness. You all have this goal. To bring light and life to others is your core aim. People begin to intentionally step into your story, and in turn, you step into theirs. You experience ups and downs. There is a unique balance of grace and truth. There is a season that will never be repeated, and that was the best decision I ever made for myself.
