The Mountains Keep Me Reaching Higher
Just as sure as I was about first moving to Nashville, I was sure that it was time to leave. But, making the right choice doesn't mean that it will be heartache-free. Last Sunday, as I stood amongst my best friends in the church and the city that I have come to call home, I couldn't help but cry. Finally, I had reached a point where I was beyond comfortable with the people and places around me. I forged my own path in Nashville, discovered the dreams I wanted to pursue, and made relationships that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life. I love Nashville because it's a city of people chasing their dreams, wholeheartedly, and it helped me accomplish mine. In the past four weeks, I got engaged to the boy I've loved since I was fourteen, graduated college, moved across the country to start a business, and said goodbye to the friends who will stand beside me on my wedding day in less than five months. I've packed nearly every life change that a 22 year old can encounter into a month's time.
And now, I'm here: one thousand and some miles and several time zones away from the people that I call home. I've had endless words of encouragement and support, and I don't doubt that God has led me here, but I'm still clueless as to where I'm going.
The thing is, up until your twenties, everyone only has a handful of dreams: finish school, find your dream job, live in your dream location, fall in love, and get married. Someone I consider to be a mentor recently pointed out to me that all of these items on my figurative checklist are virtually complete. I know that should be the most rewarding feeling in the world for an overachiever like me, and, on one hand, it definitely is. But, dreaming of the race and actually running are two different battles.
Everything in my life has led me to this point, and now it's time to start running. Just as Nashville was the right move four years ago, Colorado is the right move now. This isn't a four year commitment, it's indefinite, and that's the most terrifying and exciting part. I don't know how long it will be until I feel the comfort and security that I felt in Nashville, but I know that it will be well worth the wait.
My favorite thing about Colorado is, when I'm tempted to spend my days looking back at the place I've left, all I have to do is look up, and the mountains show me a bigger picture. Having such a tangible symbol of God's power in front of me every day is a reminder of why I fell in love with moving here in the first place. Every time I doubt or feel like I've hit the ceiling on my dreams, the mountains keep me reaching higher.