Oh, the Places I Hope to Go! // Monday Musings

I wrote a few weeks ago about some of the things I learned from the last workshop I went to. It was a wonderful experience, and the biggest positive (if I could choose just one) was the encouragement and support of the ladies who spoke to us and with us about our business visions, dreams, and goals.

One big thing I heard over and over again was to just say out loud some of my hopes for what the next few years will bring. And one big thing kept coming to my mind - I love to travel! I grew up quite literally on the other side of the world, and when I meet someone who asks me where I'm from, I never quite know how to answer. I've lived in southern China, northwest China, Roanoke (Virginia), West Virginia, Blacksburg (Virginia), and now Hampton Roads.

On top of that, I've spent months in Thailand, a summer in South Africa, and visited countless other places, from the United Kingdom to Tokyo to Hong Kong (where my sister was born). I've driven all over the United States, and finally got to check New York and Seattle off my bucket list last year alone.

What's the point of all this? Well, as much as I love local weddings, I would LOVE to travel for a few weddings next year! There's almost nothing as scary and exciting as saying your dreams out loud, for fear of not achieving them, but keeping them to myself sure won't get me anywhere :) So without further ado, here are some places I would love to travel for weddings. And if you happen to be getting married here (or somewhere else across the country or the world!), I would love to be there for your big day.
United States: Portland, Oregon; anywhere in California; New York City; anywhere in Texas; Denver, Colorado; Charleston, South Carolina
International: Jamaica; Cayman Islands; Ireland; Spain, Peru

We all know that we miss 100% of the shots we don't take. So here I am, taking my shot at travel in the years to come :)

Letters to Our (Future) Child, Part 3 // Monday Musings

Click here to view Letter 1.
Click here to view Letter 2.

Dear Little One,
The last few weeks have been strangely hard for me. I've watched countless couples - almost one every day! - announce that they are expecting a child. I am so excited for them, but my heart has begun to ache for you as well.

Let me be clear: I am not missing out on a thing. Not for one second do I wish you were coming to us in a different way. We have chosen to grow our family through adoption, and we know that each day brings us closer to meeting OUR little one, one day nearer to holding you in our arms. You are our child, the same way I am my parents' child, and the same way all these new babies belong to their moms and dads.

No, my heart aches because I can't yet see you to celebrate you. I can't watch you grow. I can't see your little eyes forming, or let a doctor measure how quickly your heart beats each minute. In fact, I can't even be sure that you are more than a thought in God's heart yet - you may not have even begun your life as we know it.

I wish I could know you from the very beginning. I wish I could marvel over pictures of you when you're only the size of a peach. I wish I could be there at the moment we find out if you're a girl or a boy.

And yet, you still belong to us. When you are finally here, I get to be there for every important moment, and for all the growing up you have to do as a child, adolescent, and adult. The first time you sit up, your first step, your first word. I get to teach you  how to eat real food, how to clap your hands to a song. I get to teach you about who God is.

So maybe it is hard right now to know that you may be growing and I don't get to see you until you're done. But the beauty of all this is that I get to be there for every big moment that you will remember. Though I'll start a few months later than most, I still get to be your mom for the rest of your life. And that's more than worth the wait. I love you.

Love,
Your (Future) Mommy