in which she begins a new...

Yesterday, after my last final I packed up the car and got home.

Today, my room is a monstrosity filled with containers and laundry that has been sorted out.

Today, I've begun to re-pack my life into a duffle bag that will follow me on my next adventure...

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but on Saturday morning? I say goodbye to my family once more before heading off for an entire summer.

Off on the next adventure...

Off on the next leg of my journey of personal growth...

Off to Tennessee then to New Hampshire and Massachusetts...

I am nervous, excited, happy, and blessed to begin my journey.

I don't know what these few months on the East Coast will bring, but whatever it is...

I know it'll be amazing...

So, to my wonderful family and amazing friends, I say, thank you... Thank you for loving me so much to let me go. To forge my own path, to let me live my life, my way. Thank you for the guidance, the support, and all the love I know you are surrounding me with wherever you are. It is so humbling to know how loved I am... from coast to coast... and around the globe... You have all touched my heart in some form and I would NOT be the person I am today without you...

Ever Sincerely,

K.

to be set free...

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit a Raptor Recovery Centre,

and it really affected me.

I walked through the muddy grounds peeking into the different rooms to see the birds and came across a barn.

It was so beautiful in its own way... The barn was simple and understated. It was painted red, but the paint has slowly faded away and was chipping away. 

It was dark in that barn, with most of the doors and windows closed to keep out the frigid air, but gaps in in the walls still allowed you to see inside. There were rooms for the birds, and materials... and just plain chaos...

But as I continued my exploration I found a lone eagle in his cage. 

His wing was on the mend and he was perched on a branch staring out the window. As I approached and he turned his glorious head, my heart broke...

I saw myself in his eyes. 

I saw a yearning to be free and a yearning to fly - before he turned his head once more looking out his window.

It'll take time before he is released into the wild, and really want to see that day... Because he reminds me that one day soon, I'll be able to be free as well...

Free... to feel the wind beneath my wings...

Ever Sincerely,

K.