The Tuscaloosa Experiment

For the past month, I've lived at home with my parents. At this season in my life, my support system is in my hometown... where I can have dinner with sweet newlyweds Lee and Lele, trek through the adventures of substitute teaching with Erica, hit the gym with Jim, watch Idol with Anna, meet and pray with Ashlee, or just snuggle on the couch with my sweet Maggie. I consider it a blessing, no mere coincidence, that two of my three classes were online this semester and I've been able to live at home with my nearest and dearest and commute one day a week to a town that terrifies me.

But D-Day is coming. The nature of my degree is people interaction, so I cannot expect to do it all online. Eventually, I will HAVE to be in Tuscaloosa. So this weekend, I participated in a little "experiment," if you will.

Mom and I drove down to Tuscaloosa Saturday. We shopped for my coming *niece,* had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, overheard the outrageous antics of my upstairs neighbor, and just had quality mother-daughter time. Sunday morning we met with my sorority sister and classmate (another not-mere-coincidence that I consider Divine Providence) and visited a church where we were overwhelmed with welcoming smiles. I spent the day with my sorority sister (you might've noticed an afore-posted blog about Hannah Montana), and then met up with Tyler for dinner.

Sweet Tyler. He and our mutual friend Glen introduced me to two of their friends, and for the first time in Tuscaloosa... I felt light. And natural. I could literally feel the tension in my heart ease as these boys made me laugh and feel welcome. It felt so normal, and I could picture myself forming a little circle here in my new town. Tyler and Glen came back to my house after we ate dinner, and the three of us watched Discovery-Health. I went to bed Sunday night with an unexpected smile.

When I woke up Monday morning, I looked around my apartment and didn't feel as... I don't know... scared? The memories that are so embedded in these walls seemed faded and blurred, if not completely erased.

A classmate came to town Monday to work on a project with me, and she brought me "house-warming gifts" to help me reclaim my own space and bring in "new life." It was a dear gesture, and I was so grateful. We went to lunch, and it was kind of strange to be out on the town and on my own. But it felt good.

Monday night was girls' night, and I went to dinner with Kelsea and Katie and my cousin Danielle, and my sorority sister met up with us later. We gossiped and watched Dancing with the Stars, and I was amazed again at how normal it felt just being here. Later, my friend Zach came over with some friends, and we hung out and laughed. That's the key word: we laughed.

Today I am inspired and humbled and encouraged. The Lord is so good, and He is proving His sufficiency for me daily. And today I can honestly say that I am so happy with where I am in life. And that... that feels good.