2018: A year of adventure

Nathan and I have decided to let out work contracts run out and travel the world.

It stemmed from Nathan feeling burnt out at work, and me getting increasingly discouraged that I have not had any success getting other employment in the field I am pursuing.

Throughout 2017 I have battled a desire to obtain further employment to prove something to myself; or maybe it was more to prove something to the people around me.

I don’t deny how hard and disheartening it has been to apply job after job, attending interview after interview, and being just that close from getting the job.

It became an obsession.

In some weird twist of fate, it was when I received a job offer for a place that required me to move which made me make this decision to travel with Nathan. I was initially excited about it (we had talked about it, because the interviewer raised it as an option before my interview) and it was an answer to a prayer… but something didn’t feel right.

I felt like if I took it it would be catastrophic. I wasn’t the only person to think that, too.

I have said this time and time again to everyone I tell my decision to: it was like receiving a bird in my hand, gifted by God. But now I was at a crossroads – do I take this risk and move for this job and leave my husband behind, or do I let go of what “I have always wanted”, support my husband, and do something crazy like travel the world for the year?

I chose the latter.
I chose the latter because he means more to me than any career or job.
I chose the latter because God wants me to support one of the most important people in my life.
I chose the latter because I am not defined by my job.
I chose the latter because I want to support one of the most important people in my life.
I chose the latter because God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, be it in our career paths or otherwise.
I chose the latter because I know God will and can provide for us, for the coming year and in due course.

Perhaps travelling was the easier option out for me. It is a very attractive proposition. But in a weird way I think it will teach me, and us, plenty of lessons – about ourselves, and about the world around us.

I think 2018 will throw us some curveballs and moments of crisis in what seems like a dream. I’m sure it will be plenty of fun, but I think there will be not fun times too. Like when we started hiking along the Half Dome Trail and it started hailing on us.

I hope it will grow us and change us to be better people.

After 8 years of being together, God has taken us through a wild journey – of laughter, happiness, death, hysteria and sorrow.

I know 2018 is going to be even a wilder journey.