move. and grow.

before you start reading... I am going to warn you

this is wayy tooo long.

but I had to say it all.

so good luck.

my life has truly been an adventure.

God has blessed me an allowed me to travel all around the world.

but some of the times I traveled.. it wasnt for vacation purposes...

it was because I was moving.

you hear all these horror stories about moving and how awful being the new kid is and how leaving your friends sucks and how your life is ruined..

well guess what. those stories are true.

I have moved eleven times in 18 years. 

now granted not all these moves were MAJOR but still. a move is a move.

lets start from the beginning.

I was born in eastern kentucky.

in a tiny town called williamson. in a small hospital where my grandmother delivered me.

after I left the hospital, my momma and I lived in an even smaller town in west virginia that also happened to be called williamson. we lived with my mommas parents.

and a few weeks later... we made the biggest move of my life.

this move was so gigantic there wasnt even need for a moving truck (last time I checked they dont drive through the atlantic ocean)

we moved to germany.

you see my dad was in the army.

and of course the two most important girls in his life couldnt leave him hanging.

so we moved here.

and while I was there I almost died while my dad was out on the field for a few months, I stole multiple food items from grocery stores and ice cream men (I didnt know any better I was like three), I learned a little german, and I became friends with this girl.

when I was almost four my dad was stationed in tennessee. 

so off we went. 

we lived in this big time military town... the kind of place where it was rare to see someone in civilian clothing.

it was hear that I had my first true experience with loss (we had to put my beautiful lab to sleep), it was hear that I cut my bangs down to my forehead, it was hear that I learned how to swim and ride a bike without the training wheels, it was hear that I picked up my first basketball.

about a year and a half later. 

my dad finished his commitment time and was honorably discharged and I thought military life was done for me (yeah I was wrong.)

but anyways. 

we moved to a super tiny house in a super tiny town called alderson west virginia.

ohhh alderson.

let me tell you a little bit about this place.

population: like 1000

the town where martha stewart did her jail time.

the town that has the LARGEST fourth of july celebration in all of west virginia... impressive huh.

alderson is a really unique place.

I loved our second house we moved to while we where there.

virginia street.

what a place to begin to grow up.

this is the place where my little brother entered the world, the place where I started school, the place where I won every fourth of july race known to man, the place where I was on september 11th.

alderson had a lot of firsts for me.

and then in third grade.

this place called florida had to barge in...

up to this point this was the hardest move.

I was finally at the age where I had best friends.....

these girls..

and I did not want to leave them.

I remember the day I hopped in the moving truck.

it was like cruel and unusual punishment.

I just knew that all of my friends and family would eventually forget about me and that everyone down in florida would hate me.

and I also had already decided that I hated florida back.

for the first year we lived there.

I kept my mindset.

I HATED florida.

I hated everything about it... well except the weather maybe.

I didnt have any real friends, we lived in a ghetto apartment complex, and I was experiencing some MAJOR culture shock. 

but can you blame me???

I had just left my small little town of 1000 people and moved to tampa population 343,890.

which made it like the 54th largest city in the united states.

so as you can see I was going through some big changes.

and then we found a house and praise God got out of the apartment complex that was infested with cockroaches. 

we moved into a much quiter neighborhood and things began to get a little better.

I went to faith baptist christian school.

it was a k-12 school so when I was in fifth grade I had the oppurtunity to play on the high school varsity team.

and that is where my love for the sport really started.

florida started to become home.

and I quickly fell in love with many aspects of it.

it was here that I met aaron (my absolute best friend and the person that I love more than I though possible), my current best friend crystal (the one that gives me a daily dose of laughter), and most importantly...

this is where I met Jesus.

so many crucial things happened to me while I lived there.

this is where I really grew up.

I mean I had to if I wanted to be happy... and this is where I learned to be content.

and then of course.. the unthinkable happened.

we moved again.

and this was the worst of all.

pmount.

what is there to say.

I was totally happy with where I was.

and I thought that I had learned all that could be learned from moving already.

but God had bigger things in store for me, and obviously had more lessons for me to learn.

back to a small town, after five years living in a big city... again with the culture shock.

I had forgotten what small town living was like.. everyone knew everyone.. but of course.

I knew no one.

I was terrified.

and I was just positive that my four years of high school were going to be the most miserable years of my life.

so I started volleyball. and made varsity, and some friends. but still...

not great.

then basketball came along, and again I made varstiy and a few more friends..

but still I missed everyone I had left behind so much I couldnt even enjoy what was happening.

I was scared to get too close to anyone because I was afraid of having to leave them.

and then a very special girl came into my life.

and she made everything 23 million times better.

I have never really thanked her for what she did...

and she may not even know that she did anything spectacular because for her thats just what you should do.

but she is the reason I am not crazy today.

and the reason that high school is filled with countless happy moments.

and after we became close I opened up to a few others and let them in as well.

and now I have a few more best friends that I love and share memories with.

you may wonder why in the world is she telling this looonnnnggg story.

and honestly I dont really blame you if you dont read it.

but its one off those things that you just have to get out.

I am who I am today because of the moves I had to make in life.

God knew exactly what I needed and he gave me the strength to do what he asked of me.

my mom has told me countless times that not many people could do what you have had to do...

and where that may be true, I know for sure that the only reason I was able to do it was because God gave me strength and sent along people to pick me up when I couldnt do it alone.

so really the reason I am boring you with this is to say thank you.

first to say thank you to God.

second to say thank you to my parents for listening to what he said to do.

and third to say thank you to all of you that had a part in my life.

whether your role was big or small.

I wouldnt be the person I am today without these obstacles...

the obstacles which have proven to be some of the best things that have ever happened to me.