3 weeks in!

Well, I officially have two weeks of teaching and 21 days of living in London under my belt! We’ve also moved into our super cute flat, which I love, by the way!

Teaching in the UK is definitely different than teaching in Canada. Since my first day of teaching, however, I've definitely already seen personal improvement! There are still some days where I come home and wonder how a day could've gone so terribly, however, I've mostly come home pleased with how days have gone, and how I've responded to certain situations that have risen!

I’m LOVING London! As I begin to conquer the transit, and get used to how many people are constantly around, I find I begin to thrive more and more! I've also noticed that I'm already beginning to pick up sayings that locals use. (so get ready for that at Christmas time!) Meeting up with friends who have also travelled to the UK to teach has also been incredibly good for my heart, as well! 

We moved into our flat, as I mentioned above, last Wednesday.  We took the day off of work to do the big move.  Here’s a picture of us moving in:

Needless to say... We were pretty pumped about finally having a place to call home!

And here's our super cute flat:

 Don't worry mom...I've cleaned my room since this picture was taken! It's actually spotless right now! Sorry, I probably just made you fall out of your chair, hehe.

You have no idea how incredible it felt to finally unpack all of my stuff and begin to get established here! There’s nothing like living out of a suitcase for two weeks to make you appreciate a closet! We are still without internet, but hoping to get that installed soon! Phone plans are incredibly cheap here, so I've managed to snag one that has unlimited calling, texting, and data… For less than some of the most basic plans back in Canada.  Incredible, right?!  I’ve missed chatting with all of my loved ones during our internet-less living, so bring on the Skype calls! I’m also pretty pumped for some netflix…ha!

Overall, I'm super happy right now, and beginning to really settle in for life here in London. Missing all of my loved ones a ton, but also really beginning to love it here! And just because I feel like it, here's another picture of me being all touristy at the Thames River:

This Sunday, I'm planning on going to the Tower of London, which I am COMPLETELY excited about!!

Much Love from London,
Manda

And so it begins!

Just thought I'd throw a quick update up here.  I am going to attempt to post a weekly update, to keep all of you loved ones updated on what is going on in my life!

This past week has been a WILD ride! I had some really incredibly high points, and some pretty brutally low points, as usually comes with throwing yourself into a whole new experience.  When we arrived in London, we came with a job lined up...but that was about it.  These past 10 days have been consumed with getting new phone numbers, new bank accounts, meeting employers, finding a new address, and finding a new church. To say this process was overwhelming is an understatement! I thought about picking up and heading home several times over the past 10 days, however, to quote my girl Shania: "I ain't no quitter!" Thankfully, once things began to fall into place, WE MOVED OUT OF THE TRAVELODGE (this was a very momentous occasion for us, we were pretty stoked to move into an airbnb for the remainder of our homeless days), set up bank accounts, got new phone numbers, and secured a flat.  As everything began to work out, and one panicked phone call home about money later, I began to get more excited about the time ahead of me here in London! It's going to feel even better when we finally move in (COME ON WEDNESDAY!), and get settled into our cute little home.  Since it's 10:58 here the night before our first day of work (YAY), I'll give you a really quick update on what I've learned about myself since coming.

- sleep talking and sleep shenanigans (as I'm now calling it) is a nightly occurrence...sorry future husband, I guess when you marry me, this is what you're signing up for...
- I HATE LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE! it's just not a settling feeling
- I will never take a refrigerator or stove for granted again...or fruit...or my own bed
- Even though I struggled a bit at first, I'm more than a conqueror and I'm SO excited to start work tomorrow and dig into life here to the fullest.
- I AM getting better at navigating transit! Woo!
- I have the world's best most supportive parents out there, who don't ask questions, and just support me in any way I need. HUGE shout out, famjam - You're amazing. I love you and miss you so much!

Also, tried out Hillsong London this morning, it was great! Next week I'm trying out the other campus in London, just to see how it is, but things are looking promising! YAY CHURCH & welcoming people! (Big shout out to Matt for meeting me this morning, and helping me navigate transit!)

Anyways, that's all.  Thanks for all of the love, prayers, and support you're sending my way.  Missing my Canadian peeps a lot, but digging in to do life here!

Much Love from London,
Manda

P.S. I did not proof read this, so my apologies to all of my English major friends reading this and cringing at any mistakes! hehe!

Update from Across the Pond!

They, whoever "they" are, say that when you travel, and do new things, you'll learn a lot about yourself.  Well, I've discovered over the past several days that this is definitely the case! I've had moments of fear, moments of excitement, moments of worry, and many moments filled with laughter.

As many of you know, last Thursday, I hopped onto a plane in Toronto, and travelled half way across the world to London, UK for a teaching position.  We came without a home lined up, and a lot of unknowns ahead of us.

On the serious side of self discovery, I've learned that when I'm stressed or about to do something that I don't feel prepared for I often find that I get quite nauseous, and my appetite disappears.  For the first several days here, my appetite was absent at best, but thankfully I'm beginning to come out of that as we begin to accomplish things and get closer to getting settled into life here.

Slowly, we're learning how to do life in London.. Little things like which direction to look when crossing the road, and which side of the sidewalk to walk on...or which side of the escalator to stand on. We've tackled the tube and rail systems...and while we're definitely far from pros, we're definitely getting a bit better with them! We've also learned, if British music channels are correct, that Ariana Grande is incredibly popular over here...I hear "Problem" VERY regularly.   We've also learned that the "Canadian accent" is a hit over here...who knew?!

Also, if you know me at all, and past roommates will be able to attest to this fact, you'll know that I'm a bit of a sleep talker.  However, over the past few days of sharing a very small hotel room and a bed with Carlie, we've discovered that I get into quite a lot of shenanigans in my sleep. Apparently I go from speaking in full, coherent sentences, to babbling nonsense in my sleep. But that's not the extent of it!  We've found I also get out of bed and rearrange things, and put things into our purses...even things that don't belong there. This can make for very interesting mornings when I'm looking for things that belong to me, and they are mysteriously in Carlie's purse.

While I'm living across the pond, I'm going to try to keep everyone at home updated on what I'm up to on this blog! :)

Speaking of which, Carl & I went adventuring on the weekend, so enjoy a few pictures from our adventures!

Adventuring around Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey!!

 BIG BEN! 

You Know What? You're Right!

I'm pretty loud, opinionated, often hyper, and tend to take charge in situations. Often, I find that this can rub others the wrong way, especially people who don't know how to handle a woman who isn't afraid to take leadership, and have her voice heard.

Recently, when working through some insecurities I have, to find freedom from them, a lie that I had been believing surfaced.  One thing that's been really cool about  my journey into freedom is that the more freedom I find, the louder, and more confident I get.  I've found that even though it rears it's head every once in a while, I'm rarely bogged down with worrying what other people think of me.

However, in this walk towards freedom, I've found that when people don't know how to take you, or how to be okay with this confidence, they can say hurtful things, unintentionally, and sometimes even intentionally.

I often hear things like, "Wow Amanda, the guy you end up marrying is going to have to be pretty strong!" or "Man, the guy you end up with is really going to have to be something."

This lead me to believe that the personality that I have, that God crafted this way intentionally, was going to keep me from finding the guy God has planned for me.

Now, I'm blessed with many strong women in my life, my mom, grandma, aunts, friends, and women at my church.  One of those strong women happens to be my mentor.  When I brought up that I was feeling this, and that God had highlighted this as a lie I was believing, Krissy gave me the kick that I needed.  I was interpreting people saying I would need a "strong man" or "special guy" as an insult (which in some cases was the intention on the other side of the comment) to "handle" me.

In reality, those comments are true, I DO need a strong man! You want to know why? Not because I'm "a lot to handle," but because I've worked really hard at chasing after freedom, and dealing with really painful and uncomfortable baggage.  And it's a lot hard work!  If I'm working this hard, I better have a man who will work as hard at chasing after God and freedom, is becoming more like Christ everyday, will spur me to continue chasing freedom, and will lead me & love me like Christ does! And I won't settle for anything less!

So, you're right, I do need a strong man, because I deserve it!

Oh, and shout out to my other strong and confident women out there! Go out and take the world by storm!

My cup, it overflows

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Yesterday we celebrated my wonderful mother, making her a big breakfast, going to church, watching movies, and over all just loving on her. And while we celebrated her and spent time together, I forgot to do some sort of public Mother's Day post...so here it is :)

Whenever I reflect on this amazing woman that has raised me, I'm overwhelmed by how blessed I am to call myself a daughter of Darlene Myles. Absolutely overwhelmed.

She has loved me unconditionally over the past 23 years, even though there were many times that I didn't deserve it.  I put her (and dad) through hell on earth for quite a few of those years, and yet, that love never wavered or died. And for that, I want to thank you.

Mom,

You have taught me so much in my short 23 years since you brought me into the world. You've taught me what it means to always put others before yourself, even when those people have a track record of treating you poorly in return.  You've taught me the value of giving and loving selflessly, even if it may never be reciprocated.  You've taught me that kindness and compassion should never be reserved for those who i deem deserving, but that it should be extended to everyone.  You've taught me how to humbly apologize when you've made a mistake, even if it's still a skill that I'm still working on developing.  You've taught me more life skills than anyone ever has, even if that teaching was allowing me to fumble my way through a new situation, because you knew I needed to learn that lesson on my own.  You have allowed me to be my own person, and you have never tried to tame my wild side....even though I know sometimes it makes you shudder.  You have not only taught me what being an amazing mother looks like, but you have taught me what being an amazing human being looks like. The way you give selflessly of your time, talents, and treasure is remarkable.  You've shown me what loving The Lord with all your heart truly looks like, even through periods of hardship and struggle.  You've taught me that I deserve to be loved, and how I deserve to be treated by a man, through the love that you share with Dad.

Mom, you ARE the Proverbs 31 woman.  

I know at times, the past 23 years have been rocky, but I'm so excited for what the coming years of our Mother-Daughter relationship are going to look like.

I love you so much Mom! My cup, it overflows.

Love Your First-born,

Amanda

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31:10-31 NIV)

Where I've Been, and Where I'm Going

I finished university last week. I'm all done, finito, with only the formal graduation ceremony ahead of me.  Turns out, graduating university leads to a lot of reflection, reminiscing, and dreaming.  I've found myself spending time reflecting on the woman I've become, the freedom I've found, reminiscing about the past 5 years of university, and anticipating what comes next, and what kind of adventures God is planning to take me on.  So, this is my way of publicly reflecting...followed by my public announcement of what comes next.  

God has brought me through so much over the past 23 years.  

I've written a number of blogs on the freedom I've found, and my journey over the past 23 years. I've written about what I've learned, and how much freedom I have found.  It amazes me when I look back on my short time in university, at just how much has happened.  I've dealt with a couple broken-hearts, becoming secure in my singleness, grabbing ahold of my faith and making it mine, identity theft, breaking up street fights, overcoming serious issues in significant friendships, fighting for my (and other people's) freedom, discovering who I am, on top of a full university course load and being out on my own for the first time.  I wouldn't change a single part of my story.  

I've pulled all-nighters, thought about dropping out on more than one occasion (usually right before that all-nighter, or a super stressful, assignment-filled week), I've gotten good grades (better than when I was in highschool, go figure), and I've squeaked by in a few classes, where the C felt like an A+ (cough...my personal finance business class...cough).  I've had incredible professors who inspired me with their lectures, and some who inspired sleep with their lectures.  

I've made amazing and LASTING friendships in my time here, met people who absolutely inspire me, gotten a taste for leadership and freedom, and had more spiritual growth in the past 5 years than I had in the 18 before.  I began to repair my relationships with my family, and was wholeheartedly accepted by my very own "Brantford Family."  I've had people speak life into me, and some people speak less than life-filled words to me, with the life-filled words ALWAYS winning out. 

And now, as I sit here, just waiting for graduation to roll around, I'm beginning to dream about the adventures that await.  If you know me at all, you'll know that since I got back from my trip to Kenya I've been dying to jump back on a plane.  Well, that dream will be coming true.  In September, I will be jumping on a plane, and moving across the pond to London, England! To say I'm excited would be a huge understatement!  I'm going over to be a supply teacher in London, and will be getting a bunch of travelling in!  I could be gone anywhere from 6 months, to 2 years (probably two years, lets be honest!), and I couldn't be more thrilled!  I don't have all of the details sorted out quite yet, but now that I've got university behind me, I will begin to get ready for my big adventure!

I will definitely miss my family, and friends that I've got back here in Canada...and I'm sure I will need to add a BUNCH of people to my skype list!   I appreciate and values the support I've received from everyone in my life, and the prayers and well wishes that I have received thus far!

So there you have it, my big announcement....London, Baby, HERE I COME! 

The Pursuit

The word "pursuit" and I have a love-hate relationship.

Now, some of you may be thinking, "what?!" so let me elaborate.  God and I have been on an adventure since the moment He created me in my mother's womb.  While we've been on this adventure, God has taught me some really hard, but important lessons about who I am, and who He is.  These lessons have been in all facets of life, from how I view myself, how I react to how others treat me, and how I should carry myself in relationships.  Pursuit, and the importance of it in dating has been something that God has been teaching me about, as well as the source of a struggle within me.

In today's society, the pursuit seems to be a lost art.  In a culture that promotes the self, the "go get it" attitude combined with the notion that "chivalry is dead" can make holding out for the pursuit seem, well...a little ridiculous. You see, I've had several different experiences with pursuit, and being pursued. In high school, I was a pursuer.  I saw what I wanted and I went for it, but only when I had managed to make sure it was a sure thing.  You know, the classic high school tricks, like your friends talk to their friends, then report back to you.  Clearly, this has worked well for me in the past (excuse me while I snicker). Clearly, my perception of what pursuit, and being pursued meant and my view of healthy relationships was skewed.  I had never experienced what it truly felt like to be sought after, and pursued, in a healthy manner.

Fast forward to the summer after my first year of university, newly single for the first time in almost 5 years (since I didn't spend much time single in high school), where I began to learn about what it truly meant to be pursued.  This time, not by a guy, but by the Creator of the Universe.  He began to romance me, woo me, and love me.  This was the first time that I caught a glimpse of what pure pursuit looks like.  Unconditional, never-ending love was poured out on me, even before I was ready to accept it, and reciprocate it. During this time, I began to work through foundational issues that had contributed to my inability to be content with myself, without a boyfriend.  Layer by layer, God began to peel back the past hurts, betrayal, and lies to reveal his truth.  I began to see the truth about who I am, and who God made me to be.  Concepts that I had struggled with, that were as simple as "I am beautiful," "I am intelligent," and "I am worthy of love," began to rise up, and I began to accept those concepts as what they are, which is truth.  Slowly but surely, God would reveal lies that I was believing, and bring me comfort and truth to battle those lies.  I began to see that my struggles weren't about being good enough, but they were actually "Truth Struggles," where I needed to accept the truth, regardless of the situation, or what my emotions were telling me. As I began to accept and hold onto these truths, I began to watch my very personality and character become shaped and moulded to the woman I am today.

That's not to say that God is finished with me, by any means, that I don't still struggle with those same lies at times, or even struggle with the desire to just pursue someone in order to fill a void I'm feeling in my life.  It doesn't mean that I haven't struggled with new lies surrounding the way my personality has blossomed, or when I'm a few pounds heavier than I ought to be.  It does mean, however, that God has taught me the beauty of pursuit, and that I deserve to be pursued.  I will not settle for anything less, and that is purely because God took the time to show me what ultimate and constant pursuit is, and that the man that I'm waiting for, who WILL pursue me is absolutely worth the wait.

Ultimately, let God pursue your heart, and teach you what it truly means to be pursued.  You will learn so much more than you could ever learn from my little post. :)