Wanderlust

Wanderlust: a strong impulse to travel or wander

I dedicate this blog to one of my beautiful cousins. I just read her lovely blog entry of her Halloween weekend. She may be younger than me, but I am envious of her for many reasons but one is her ability with words... she is going to do amazing things (as will her twin sister). They are three years younger than me but they have always been teaching me more than I probably ever taught them. 

With that said I was inspired by her to write and I was inspired today in my travel writing class for the same reason. If we can all learn one thing from Nike, it is to JUST DO IT. So here I am while I should be studying, I am writing a blog post. 

Between going to London this January and taking this travel writing class my wanderlust has exploded. I told my mother to other day that I wanted to be a flight attendant just to be able to travel. I love the adventure, I love getting out of my comfort zone and learning more about myself than I ever would staying in Owings Mills. My friend asked me today if I was "enjoying life." I told him yes but in reality the answer was no. I am stressed, all the freaking time. That is no way to enjoy life, I will only be 21 for a few more months and I want to enjoy it. And beyond being 21, I want to enjoy everyday. 

I had the privilege of going to North Carolina this weekend to NC State to visit a friend. I've gone for the past four years,  the trip is always too short and leaves me questioning my decision to not to go to school in the south.  If you have never been to Raleigh-go. To me, its over shadowed by other North Carolina cities but I love going there. Especially for this preppy redneck, I fit right in :) 

I love airports and travel (I wrote a blog a looong time ago about it, and my feelings are even deeper now). So from Friday morning when I got of bed at 6:30 a.m., I was excited. I loved sitting in the airport anticipating my flight and watching the other people. I arrived in Raleigh around 4 on friday evening and I got in my friends car and we started talking like no time had past from the last time we spoke (thats a sign of true friendship). Friday we stayed in and just caught up on each others crazy, sometimes tragic lives. It was wonderful. 

Saturday we woke up for my favorite event-TAILGATING AND FOOTBALL. This is the one aspect I regret about my college career- not going to a school with ridiculous school pride. From the atmosphere of the tailgate to the roar of the crowd in the stadium, everyone wearing red and white, it is one of the greatest feelings of pride you will ever experience. Unfortunately NC State lost to UNC,  a small heartbreak for all of us Wolfpack fans but despite this we had an amazing time and the PACK put in a hard fight. 

GO PACK!! 

After the game, we were exhausted and all I wanted was a nap but I had made plans with another friend to grab dinner. So in true Morgan fashion I fought through the exhaustion and met him for dinner. And I am so glad I did. It amazes me how God uses the most unexpected people to reveal something to you. These past couple months of my life, have been crazy and at times a near train wreck. I've been in a valley and as I start to pull myself to the top of the mountain, I slide back down. 

As I sat in Chipotle telling him about my life and the crazy that it has been. He looked at me and said "You are more than enough. Keep your eyes on God and he will put you where you need to be." Nothing I haven't heard, nothing that I didn't know, yet listening to him and having it come out of his mouth made it so much more attainable. I respect this friend more than I can explain, he has always been a source of reason in my life and appreciate the friendship and advice he has always given.  It reminded me of when I was graduating high school and I was stressed about college and he told me, "Morgan it is not always about the mountain tops but being grateful for the valleys as well." I cant tell you how much I needed a reminder from him this weekend to slow down and enjoy it all. Honestly, I don't think I would have truly heard it, if came from anyone else. 

My first visit to NC State- it seems like forever ago

A lot about my life has change since that picture was taken. I am not that girl anymore, and at times I miss the naive hope she had, in love and for passion.  But, as I sat with my friend, I realized it never left me, it was only hiding. God brings you back to places and people from your past to reveal that what you thought you lost, was never gone, you just stop seeking it. You got in you own way, life pushed its way in between and its up to you to get it back. I slowly am and this weekend gave me the opportunity to stop and see that life is a journey to wander through and if the path you take is wrong, backup and find guidance from what gave you hope and passion in the past. 

I don't know what challenges or heart ache tomorrow may bring, all I know is two things- I can only do my best and God is in control of my destiny, I only have to be willing to do two things- get out of my own head and be faithful. I need to JUST DO IT. I have found a passion, a passion to travel, to wander and thats what I intend to do. I will wander through this crazy, beautiful life with faith so that I can continue searching and continue learning to enjoy this perfectly imperfect life every day in the valleys and the mountain tops. Everyday has become a new travel destination and I can not wait to see where God leads.