8.19.2003

Another Ending

Well, this is it. Tomorrow I move all my stuff back to Columbia MO. I'm really looking forward to living with my friends again. The roomate's of this summer have been many and difficult, so I'm ready for the familiar and the wonderful! I will be back in Nashville briefly this weekend to do my checkout scuba dive and grab a cup of joe with a friend, and then Sunday night it's Radiohead in St. Louis followed by class on Monday at 1pm. Man this summer flew by fast.

Jason and I went apartment hunting yesterday and today and I'm excited to say we found an awesome apartment complex with two buildings. Since we're looking now and putting ourselves on the top of the list for January the woman has guaranteed us we'll have an apartment in this complex. We are really excited. It's two great buildings, one built in 1929 and one in 1919. Hard wood floors, vaulted ceilings, they're just perfect, and even within our budget! It's really hitting me that I'm getting married now. It's less than five months away, the dresses are being made, the floral plans have been gathered, hotel rooms blocked, the honeymoon suite at the Ritz, the honeymoon and my scuba certification. It's all really coming together. I'm really excited-I'm ready.

Even though I'm excited and ready, I'm still thankful for these last few months ahead to enjoy my girlfriends, to enjoy being single just a little longer, to get some awesome pre-marital counseling, and to daily give this all over to God and pray for His grace in my life and in our married life to come. Sometimes I can't help thinking wow, we're so young. But, when you know you've found the right person why does it matter how old you are when you've found them? God has a purpose for us, I'm sure of it. What that is lies yet to be determined, but we'll find it day to day, together. I feel like I'm giving up a lot by saying goodbye to being single so young, but I'm doing it because of the certainty that I'm gaining so much more. I've been given an incredible partner to explore with, to dream with, to succeed and to fail with. To love, to cherish, to hold and protect, to serve and to share with, to truly live with. What an amazing blessing, and we're so young! We're so blessed. Sometimes it brings a tear to my eye.
Well, anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow and I leave with excitement towards what's ahead. Even though I want to be married today to move into our cute new apartment and start my life permanently here, I'm still so excited about the lingering days of my singleness, living with five of my best friends and writing the final chapter on my college career. Pretty exciting stuff. I'm ready for it.