It's here!

Yesterday, my passport arrived!

To be honest, I didn't know how I was going to react, if I would just start freaking out and squealing or burst into happy tears. I was somewhere in the middle. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I was crazy giddy and couldn't stop laughing for a minute. This was such a huge step for me that has now been completed! One step closer to England!

So, here's my gobsmacked face:

And here's my excited face:

If you are still reading this, I thank you! I hope to have more to post on here soon, and I appreciate everyone who has kept up with this crazy journey of mine! Keep checking back!

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The First Real Step

Something big happened this week. Something really big toward my dream of going to England:

I ORDERED MY PASSPORT!

To backtrack, I still do not have funds to go to England, to take classes, to do anything there. I do not know how that will come about, I just believe it will somehow. I know it will take a miracle, and that miracle could come from any number of sources. But for the longest time, I've wanted to take care of the passport with my own money. I just felt if I could at least get that out of the way, then maybe this timeline for getting there may perhaps start moving a bit quicker.

However, it was one thing after another why I still was unable to purchase one. Although a passport isn't terribly expensive in the grand scheme of things, it might as well have been a million dollars. I even tried to save up a chunk of money each week for a while, to no avail. Eventually life got in the way, and that money had to be used for more pressing matters. I was heartbroken. It seemed impossible just to take this one little step.

But recently, God redeemed a terrible event and created extra provision from it. Through these extra funds, I was able to finally, FINALLY, make an appointment to order my passport. I called at the beginning of the week, and they had an opening the very next morning, otherwise I'd have to wait another 3 weeks. So I jumped on it. I drove to the post office the next morning playing my London playlist on my iPod (yes, I made a London playlist). Everything was super quick and easy, and I could not stop grinning for about five minutes after I left there. I was chuffed to bits!

I probably can't fully convey how important this moment was for me. While it doesn't guarantee that I'll get to London any quicker, I do feel a little closer to my dream, and my dream feels a bit more real. So, I wanted to share that on here, in hopes that there will be more moments like this coming in the near future. This story is just getting started!

Minding the Gap

Hello friends! I hope everyone is off to a good start in 2014. I, for one, was immensely glad to see the calendar switch to January, as 2013 was one of the most difficult years I've endured. It was definitely my worst financially, which led to me not getting to England as hoped. I have not given up, though. It will happen at the most beautifully perfect time for me, although I am certainly hoping that that means this year!

There's a phrase used in the London Underground called "mind the gap". It means be careful stepping from the platform to the train door. I love the phrase and can't wait to see it when I'm riding the Tube. But as the phrase has come to my mind many times, there's a deeper meaning that has emerged.

Photo Source: Wikipedia

Right now, there's a gap between where I am and where I want to be. That applies to pretty much all areas of my life, but let's just specify it to getting over to England. I've received the dream, and have done initial research, but quite honestly, I feel like I've dropped the ball a little bit on actively pursuing this. I feel a bit like it's completely out of my hands (which it is), so what can I really do about it, hmmm?

Plenty.

I need to mind the gap better in 2014. I need to be constantly doing things that remind me of my dream, and that will help me move toward it, even if it feels like the tiniest step. Whether that is reading or researching or talking to someone, the point is that it's doing something. One thing I plan on doing is blogging on here more, even if it's just about a video or article I saw about something British. It will help to keep me more connected.

Each of us has a gap somewhere in our lives that we need to mind better. We are in the season of New Year's resolutions, and fresh starts. Let's all make it a point to be more diligent in minding these gaps, of making our goals and dreams a reality.

And just for fun, I'm pretty sure I found this on Buzzfeed. I love it!