May 23. 4:05am. I am wide awake and coming to many conclusions. The first one being that I am on a terrible sleeping schedule. This is going to kick me in the butt when I’m under the Spanish sun. The second: I am terrible at packing. Why I need to bring 19 unnecessary pairs of underwear, or why I make many different piles of clothes separated by their importance to my Spanish wardrobe, I’ll probably never know. But at this rate, I should have started packing two weeks ago. Crap.

The spanish adventure starts soon, Monday, to be exact, and things are pretty similar to how they always are right before I go somewhere important: Me. By myself. Downstairs in the corner blue chair at my parent's house. Wee hours of the night. Packing. Distracted. Burning eyes. Excited heart. Some things just always happen by accident.

Almost one year ago exactly, I was preparing to go on another adventure to A Place for The Heart, where the Lord met me like never before, and I've never been the same since. It was a summer of healing--real, complete healing of my heart--community, creativity, and overcoming those things I’ve always been afraid of. It was as if He called me away for a season, just to lay me down and breath life back into my lungs. He gave me complete permission to really believe and live out those things I’ve always wanted to believe about the Lord and myself. From there He sent me into the most beautiful season of really finding my life. It was the year of a lot of firsts for me. First apartment, first independent and legit grocery shopping adventures, first big girl bills to pay, etc etc. And i liked it. I think I grew up this year a lot in really simple ways. I’m learning a lot about life, so much about the Lord, and still so much about myself.

So that brings us here. To the Spanish Romping. To being a Spanish Romper. What’s a romper? Well, I’m glad you asked...

romp·er   [rom-per]

–noun

1. a person or thing that romps.

2. one who frolics or plays boisterously

3. Usually, rompers. (used with a plural verb)

a. a loose, one-piece garment combining a shirt or blouse and short, bloomerlike pants, worn by young children.

b. a similar garment worn by women and girls for sports, leisure activity, etc.

yes. so here's to romping. here's to being a romper. as ridiculous as it sounds. it doesn't even matter. i'm ready for this adventure.