Home is where the heart is.

This week has been a time of personal reflection. I never imagined that this European adventure would make me ponder so many aspects of my life. Nor did I think I would be in Brussels a year ago! First and foremost, this trip has reaffirmed many of my decisions of the past year. Last fall, I think many friends thought I was having a mid-life crisis at twenty years old! I faced a crossroad and made three major, life changing decisions – moving on from golf, deciding to study away and work in a foreign country (where I did not know the language), and changing my career path. The risks were worth it, as fortunately, I’ve never looked back nor regretted any of them. And thank goodness I haven’t because then this experience would not be nearly as meaningful.

While this sounds clique, I could never do this without the love and support of my family. They are truly my biggest fans. I find they are the best confidants as well. =) The other day, my aunt said something that deeply impacted me. “All stairs go up.” And of course, being too analytical at times, I questioned this… Sure, stairs can go down, but essentially they have the opportunity to go up. That’s exactly what this opportunity in Brussels is for me. An opportunity to rise to any future occasion, to excel when met with adversity and the unexpected.

Though this is probably not the blog post that many of you expected (for those who really want to know, I’m traveling to Normandy this weekend with my fellow Furman students to visit Omaha Beach), part of this experience is not simply the traveling and becoming a temporary European citizen. For four months, I am learning from something completely unique and different to everything I’ve ever known – even failing at the few things that are familiar to me. Ironically, one of my favorite bands is NeedToBreathe and their new album rings true to much of what I am encountering:

“In the crowd of the dead and disappointed
We're ashamed, giving up on what we wanted
Take a chance on a long shot this time
Aren't we all just at least worth another try.”

So here I am – taking a chance on a long shot. And I’ll keep trying.

Life is short. Make the most of it. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Smile in the face of challenges.