It's no secret that I love to travel so when the opportunity to work in Canada for 3 months presented itself I couldn't say no. That AND I had been praying for quite a while about looking for a change of pace. How could I not make this awesome opportunity mine... So I did. For the last 3 months, I have lived and resided as a Canadian - well, as an American in Canada - and let me tell you, I have learned SO much about myself, life, and God. Below I have listed quite a few things:
1. In Calgary, you need the heat in the middle of July. No joke. Yes. Be confused.
2. Canada has some of the prettiest areas in North America.
3. Glacier National Park is my favorite place in the US to date. Last weekend I took a camping/hiking trip there and wow was it gorgeous. We saw some phenomenal animals, gorgeous views, and a perfect mountain reflected in a perfect lake. God makes great things for us to enjoy. I can't wait until He makes everything perfect and new. My mind truly can't fathom what that will be like. Come Lord Jesus!!!!!
4.Some Canadians believe that Pott should be legalized in the US. They will stop at nothing to tell you you are wrong when you say there are other/real issues to deal with.
5.I love America. I do. I wish we could all come together and have world peace... or at least peace in the US. I had an 11 year old boy attempt to talk to me about September 11th. I didn't realize what a sore spot it was until he was quoting facts to me. Facts that I know inside and out. Facts that I feel deep in my bones. Facts that still to this day make me well up with tears. I didn't realize it until that conversation but I have great pride in my country. I love it to my very core.
6. Along with loving the US, I love Houston. And even more than just Houston, Montrose. My soul has ached for it every single day since I've been gone. I've missed my community, my neighborhood, my dog, and that part of me that belongs to each street and coffee shop in that small area. I have a huge fear I will die sometime in the next 9 days and not make it back.
7. Relationships are waaaay harder than they look. I made and broke one in the course of exactly 2 months. It was my first relationship since becoming a Christian, I prayed long and hard about it and felt it was the whole reason I was here. God obviously brought me to Canada to meet this person and to fall in love and to have this great relationship. Right? Wrong... I think I'm wrong anyway. I'm still processing that one but I think I wanted a relationship so badly I convinced myself it was God saying to go for it. Confusing huh? Like I said... still processing. That lesson hurt a bit. I must admit, I was mad and confused and upset that God had led me to this and simultaneously dropped the ball. While I don't feel this anymore, it has taken quite a while to heal and to give my faith back to Him. He has been faithful to remind me who He truly is and how much He cares for me and protects me. I am so blessed to be called a child of God and to get to worship and follow Him to the best of my ability. I love that He holds the future and while I want to rush things along, He is still growing and pruning me to be glorious and to reflect Him more each day.
8. I can survive natural disasters. I was homeless for exactly one week because of the flood. After all of my time in Oklahoma and Texas, you would think I would have dealt with something along these lines, but I have been lucky and haven't had to. But, I now know I'm a survivor and can make it through anything.
9. Calgarians have cowboy boots and cowboy hats that they wear 9 days a year. Stampede?!? what the heck... I'm still confused!
10. Canadians don't like Americans all that much. I've been told I'm stupid to my face more than once on this trip... but it's ok, because while I'm proud to be an American, I'm even prouder to be a Texan.
I have learned so many other things, and I'm still working through so much, but I have grown leaps and bounds in almost every way imaginable. While I'm happy to have been on this trip, I can honestly say I'm even happier to be going home... 9 days in counting!
I'll leave you with a couple of links... one is to a youtube video of a song I've been jamming out to and one is a link to the Matt Chandler sermon that has really grabbed a hold of me this trip:
The Counter-intuitive Life
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