This month marks a transition for me. In the past four years, I've returned from Bulgaria, raised money for school by substitute teaching, waitressing, and administratively assistanceship at my home church. That was year one as a returned volunteer. The next three were filled by seminary at Boston University School of Theology, hanging out with friends, learning many new board games, and meeting the man of my dreams, Jeremiah.

However, he graduated and moved to Illinois, where he is now a pastor near Champaign. We were married on gorgeous January day in Wisconsin, and I returned to finish my last semester of school.
Well, that last semester is now only a month away from being finished, completed, graduated, and I am once again attempting to chronicle my life in blog form. In a bit more than a month, I will move into my spouse's community in Illinois, hope to get a church, and begin life as a spouse, pastor, and newly transplanted Midwesterner. I sure do think that life might be getting a bit interesting, and soon.

In order to keep myself sane, I've set several goals for myself. The first, which I've already begun, is to run a 5K by the end of August in Mahomet. The second, which I've worked on sporadically for a bit now, is to practice my down-dog move so that I can finally have my heels on the ground. My third goal, and the one that scares me the most about implementing in a place where I no longer can rely on public transportation, is to live a sustainable lifestyle. Jeremiah and I have already signed up for a community sustained agriculture program (CSA) which will allow us to get organic produce rather cheaply. It's the driving and acquiring possessions to make our house a home for two rather than one that really scares me. Being fresh out of school, with loans and punitive gas prices is just plain old frightening. Not to mention all the other pressures.

But hey! No whining. I'm attempting to face life, and do so in ways that are healthy for me, my J-Man, and the environment. Here's hoping!