It's important for my first blog to state plenty of factual information:

                     1.   I am twenty-four, and I live in the middle of nowhere. This "nowhere" happens to be fifty-two acres of woods and farm land that I stumbled upon when I was seventeen. I was told in my junior year of high school that I had to attend a summer camp at "A Place for the Heart," and so I did. I wasn't expecting to be so changed by a group of people, a plot of land, and the Father's heart in five short days, but it happend. The experience left an impression on me that I was (and am) unable to shake.
                      Since my junior year, I tracked with Jonathan and Melissa Helser, the two that reached out to me in those short five days and lead the camp. I attended more camps, retreats, and later on came on staff to help lead camps, and "The 18 Inch Journey," a 60 day school focused on relationship with God from the heart.
                 
                   2.  I just finished five years of mountain living. I left Boone, NC with an Art Ed degree, a pile of stories, massive amounts of exhaustion, and a deep hunger within my heart to join a true community. The kind of community that Jesus set up. The kind where I could come with all the broken pieces of memories and life and be greeted with patient love. The kind that is never short of irritation or frustration, but the strongest leader is love. I was fortunate to move to "A Place for the Heart," earlier this year to plan "The 18 Inch Journey" with an incredible group of young adults.  In August I accepted a year-long commitment to the vision of "A Place for the Heart," serving on staff, planning out lessons for interns that will come in January, caring for the farm, teaching private art lessons, creating art for my own collection, living in community, and being young,


                3.  I am living a life that was unexpected, but better than I thought. I was supposed to be working in some public school systems somewhere in NC. I was supposed to have at least three art shows by now. I was supposed to minor in business to help with art management. I was supposed to do a lot of things by now. Haha, or perhaps the truth of the matter is that I should be exactly where I am. Right here. Quiet life.