"I'll have French toast and a side of bacon." That is my usual answer to the question "what will you be having today" at any breakfast or brunch place. I like things unchanging. I rarely sway from my normal patterns of life (including what I order for the first meal of the day if we go out to eat). A year ago I stepped out of my comfort zone, and moved away from all of my friends and family to North Carolina with my new husband. Knowing only one person in the entire state of North Carolina. Yeah, talk about being out of your comfort zone. I posted my blog post on changes (read that one here), having a daily freak out about being far away from home in an unknown place and how scary that was to me. Me and my "French toast and bacon" comfort zone was not readily available. Then the changes kept on coming; a death in the family, a car accident with broken bones, new family members, parents and friends in new relationships, health problems, all while being isolated from the ones we love. Yeah it was hard. There were times I would want to pack my bags and take the first flight back to Florida where everything was "French toast and bacon", except as we found out when we went home last April, things had changed there too. As I wrote in my blog post about what I learned in year one of marriage, I truly had to depend on Madi to be there through all these struggles, which wasn't always easy with both of our schedules being so tight. And yet... 
We LOVE it in Durham. God has blessed us beyond belief with this opportunity to grow together and individually. Looking back on the last year, I wouldn't rather be anywhere else. We've found an awesome church and gotten involved with their ministries weekly, gotten to see the beauty of four seasons, had the chance to work for and go to school at one of the best places in the nation (even if they are the devils), and meet new people who have become friends. I remember around Christmas time being invited to different Christmas events and thinking, "wow people here are so welcoming and friendly!" They really are! I got so lucky with the job I'm in, having great co-workers next to me on the daily, working with some of the most prestigious doctors, and seeing some amazing research take place right before my eyes. So I'm glad I gave Durham a chance, sometimes God's work through change surprises you in the most amazing ways.
Yeah I still follow patterns, and like things to be complacent. But when things do go for a spin I've been trying to get better on relying on God and trusting in him and his plan through the changes. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." But in the spirit of adapting and growing in change maybe the next time I go to brunch, I'll order something different than French toast and bacon. Who knows, I may just go crazy and adventure out to pancakes ;)
Thanks for keeping up with us,
- Olivia :)
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