Adventure is out there.

Currently: Sitting in a perfect little hideaway spot in the newest Starbucks, finishing up this post and getting ready to read a new book.

(Why a town the size of Cleveland needs three different Starbucks--plus 9842034 other coffee shops--I will never understand, but I can't say I'm complaining, either. Also, is it weird that I've been planning to come here alone all week long and been SO excited about that thought? I swear I'm not antisocial.)

Adventure is one of my favorite words.

This probably isn't news to most of you. It's a word with so much meaning, at least for me personally. It's exciting, it's dangerous, it's always changing, always new. It teaches you, it changes you, it makes you who you are. In a certain sense, it's my theme for life.

I recently read an article from Relevant Magazine titled "Should We Chase Security or Adventure?" I love the author's perspective.

"The predetermined path may be smooth sailing, but there’s a sense of adventure in not knowing exactly what’s ahead. When we rely on faith to guide us rather than our own concept of a life plan, we open ourselves up to being used in extraordinary ways. This faith includes trusting God not only in matters of obvious importance, but also in the small decisions of daily life." 

That is exactly how I want to live my life. I honestly can't imagine my future any other way. It's weird, but I've always had a feeling that my life will never be completely…normal. I don't know how to fully explain that, but the above sums it up pretty well.

Photo credit: Julian Bialowas

Still, as exciting it is to imagine living one day at a time, completely based on faith and trusting God, it's really, really scary, too. I love adventure, but I also love stability. Change is exciting, but it isn't secure. A quick glance back at my own past experiences is proof enough that I don't usually respond too well to not being completely in control. But at the same time, isn't that a huge part of what makes an adventure, well, an adventure?

I've been thinking about the future a lot lately. I still have a year left of grad school, but I'll be done with classes in July. All that's left will be 3 months of thesis-writing, but during that time, I won't be tied to Cleveland. I'll have the freedom to go wherever I want, wherever God may lead me. It's an exhilarating thought, but a scary one, too. I have no idea what's coming next, but I am excited to see what the next phase of life will bring.