As the year and a decade come to an end I thought it would only be fitting to do a post reflecting on the last 10 years with gratitude, growth, and acknowledging change.
The last 10 years have opened my eyes in so many ways that I could have never fathomed. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve grown, I’ve cried, I’ve healed, and I’ve found my faith again.
Over the course of a decade I graduated from college, I moved to a new city to take a job on a whim, I lost love, I found love for myself, I found my life long love when I wasn’t even looking for him. I got engaged and like the 2 crazy kids that we were got married 2 months after our engagement. We left everything we knew and loved and moved half way across the world and I learned how to rely on my husband even when it meant swallowing my pride.
I learned to embrace every second of life abroad from finding incredible lifelong friends, gaining international work experience, culture shock, the chance to travel to places I never dreamed of. In our first year of marriage we saw Greece, Qatar, Turkey, Italy, United Arab Emirates, France, Singapore, Maldives, and Spain and with each trip memories were formed and we still sit and reminisce about them from time to time. From hiking cliff sides, to late night shisha, to eating our weight in gelato, seeing the tallest building in the world, seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, late night walks to hawker stalls, dipping our toes in some of the clearest water in the world, and partying in Ibiza.
We made plans to start our own family and to our surprise we did quite quickly. Our excitement grew, but before we knew it we lost our first little one. We mourned. We depended on each other, we supported each other, we loved each other. And we decided it was time to move home.
We bought our first house together. One that we knew we would love and grow into. We lost more little ones, but we gave so much love to our niece who helped make this house more of a home. We waited and waited and continue to wait for children of our own. And in the midst of all of it, our love and support has grown beyond anything I could have asked for… and for that I will forever be grateful.
We’ve lost grandparents and cousins and vowed to keep their legacy alive. Not a day goes by the we don’t thank them for the road that they have paved for us and the inspiration they gave us to be better people.
We saw more of the world…Canada, Thailand, Italy again, Aruba, Hawaii, and Australia. We walked across suspension bridges, bathed elephants and released lanterns in the Lantern Festival, we ate more gelato, sunbathed with flamingos, hiked to waterfalls, and took a hot air balloon ride to see the Australian country side. We experienced Kentucky Derby twice and dressed to the nines with some of our favorite people.
We truly have made an effort to LIVE!
I lost my faith, but in the last 2 years I can say that found it again. I found peace, patience, hope, and trust in God again and I am blessed to have been afforded such grace.
So as this decade comes to an end I can’t emphasize or express the gratitude I have for all of the life lessons that I have gained, for the strength I have found in my husband, my family, my friends, and God. As we prepare to enter a new year and a new decade my hope for all of us is that… we LIVE AND LOVE like never before, we FIND PEACE amongst the ups and downs of life, we FIND FAITH in which ever deity we chose to believe in, we LEARN from all that life presents to us, we FOCUS OUR ENERGY on the things and people that make us happiest, we’re KIND to those around us, we BELIEVE IN OURSELVES even when it is difficult, and we TAKE TIME to be present and enjoy all things no matter how big or small that surround us..
Goodbye to the 2010s and with open arms we welcome the 2020s! May the New Year bring you peace and prosperity! Cheers to the New Year!
Georgiana Journey 