Wanderer.

So here is my first blog post. I honestly have no idea whether anyone but my boyfriend will read this, but I could care less. This is where I can electronically document my life in order to remember my adventures and thoughts and feelings in years to come.

In one month, twelve days, eighteen hours, and two minutes, I will embark on the most exciting journey of my life thus far: spending a semester away from home in the beautiful, historic city of Granada, Spain. Seeing as though I have grown up in the college football fanatic town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama my whole life, I think getting out for a bit of time is exactly what I need. I've always had this itch to travel; after my first mission trip to the Bahamas with my church, I've jumped on every opportunity possible to go overseas, or anywhere in the States, for that matter. From road trips with my sorority sisters to Orlando, high school class trips to New York City, and summer camp at JH Ranch in California, I've loved every minute of my whirlwind adventures, even when they didn't turn out as expected... (breaking my pelvis horseback riding. ha.) I've never been satisfied by being in one place for extremely long periods of time; I'm always wanting to go. Everywhere I've been, everything I've seen and experienced, and everyone I've met while here and on my travels has helped me become the person I am today, molding me into this new creation, who can't possibly live without Jesus, who wants to do physical therapy after having gone through it herself, who loves art and history and reading and learning and creating, who wants to sky dive and ride an elephant one day, and who can't get enough of every bit of this wonderful life that God has given each of us.

I think going to Spain is going to help me outline my passions even more and discover new ones, to allow me to figure out what I truly believe in, and to grant me the responsibility of fully being on my own. I'm trying to leave with no expectations because I know I'll be blown away more than I can imagine with how different it is from life here. I hope that I will be able to better understand and speak the Spanish language I've been so desperately trying to learn since college when I return home. I know that it will be an incredible journey, and I'm crazy excited.

I decided to name the blog this because of a worship song I can really relate to; it's called Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. (Sidenote: there's a pretty cool Mumford and Sons cover of it on YouTube that I'm currently obsessed with.) It has quite a few verses about wandering, which I think is really cool. Back before I really knew Jesus, I was most definitely lost and wandering, not sure what direction I was taking, doing whatever that my flesh wanted. But then,


Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood

and I realized what I had been missing, what I needed more than all the stupid things I had been focusing on, was Him. 

And now, my life is very different. I'm not perfect, and I know that I am prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. But I want Him to have my whole heart, to follow Him all of my days, and to seek His direction and guidance in everything I do. He is my Redeemer, my Savior, Jehovah Rapha my Healer, everything that is good in me, and my source of joy in every circumstance. I know now that though I may wander in this life, I'll never be lost again. 

Hasta Luego, or until later,

Tara Jo