Saturday, February 13, 2016

Do life big.

It's the name of a song by Jamie Grace, and one of my particular favorites. She sings:

I came to give you life,
So spread your wings and fly!
I've got a secret to share,
You are enough to change the atmosphere.

I don't know about you, but I don't always feel like an atmosphere-changer. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of change at all. Change scares me. It's hard enough to change schedules, plans, leaders, or anything else. So the atmosphere?!? I don't know if I'm cut out for this, Lord...

But He knows that I'm a big scaredy-cat, and that's why He gave me a mother who isn't. :) My mother is always encouraging me to reach out, spread my wings, and try things that scare me. In fact, she gave me a challenge for my senior year of high school:

Do at least one new thing every week for the entire school year.

Now, I may not like change, but I do love a good challenge! I started a neat, organized notebook (Because who doesn't love the excuse to start a new notebook? Am I right?!) to keep track of my adventures. I won't bore you with the whole list, but here are a few highlights...

- Visited an antique mall. (I may or may not have almost gotten lost in there...)
- Baked a peach pie. I'm all about setting food goals...
- Finally found a promise ring that I love.
- Learned how to French braid my own hair. I've been trying since 5th grade. *sigh*
- Took the Myers-Briggs personality test. (ESFJ, in case you're curious.)
- Kissed a dolphin. Oh, happiness.
- Learned how to remove wallpaper. It's actually kind of fun, in my opinion.
- Waltzed my way through a private dance lesson with Ben.
- Used my first hashtag. I know, I know... #oldfashioned #whatcanIsay
- Planned a surprise party. Secrets are awesome, just sayin'...

There are many more, some big and others small. Each one, however, has been a new adventure and one step further out of my comfort zone. But the biggest item on this list happened just a few weeks ago, and I'm pretty excited to tell you guys about it.

I'm moving to Michigan. :)

But let me back up... 

Many of you know that I am currently earning my college degree right now through CollegePlus. The student community is incredible, and I have met so many amazing people, both in person and online. Two particular students, Richie and Kasey Friske (Yes, they met through CP, got married, and are literally the cutest couple ever. But I digress...) live and work up at Friske Orchards in Ellsworth, Michigan, in the Charlevoix area. This incredible family farm produces over 5.5 MILLION pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables every year, and has been run by the Friske family since 1962. Besides the farm and orchards, there's also a market, cafe, bakery, children's play area and more! Needless to say, this operation needs many hands to keep the business running smoothly. That's where I come in...

I will be leaving Virginia in late June to go work/intern at the market until the end of October. I will be living with other CollegePlus students on the farm and building memorable friendships with them as well! This will be my first experience living away from home, and I am both excited and terrified. :) There are so many new experiences to be had, and I'm looking forward to tackling each one as it comes. I've never worked full-time before, but a four-month pause in my degree is welcome indeed!

Some of you may have heard this news already, but I know others have not. I wanted to let everyone know, however, why I will disappear at the end of June! (Although a top-secret government mission would be far more exciting to write about. Maybe next year...) The hardest part of this adventure will be leaving you all - my dear friends and family - for a while. However, I would absolutely LOVE it if anyone visited me over the summer. If you're up in the Northern Michigan area, please let me know and I will try to meet up with you! :) Friske's is a beautiful place, and we love our visitors!

So, my dear readers, that is how I am 'doing life big' this summer. :) I'm spreading my wings, taking the jump, and eagerly waiting to see where God takes me on this flight!

~ Riley

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