On loving where you're at right now.

So we went on a trip.
A really fun & nostalgic trip back to my alma mater (is that how you spell that? Looks super weird).

Anyway, it was homecoming weekend and I haven't back to good 'ol Missouri State University since I graduated in May of 2008. 

Man oh man, how life can change in 4 short years.

(Travis is in the marching band & we got to see him at the parade & football game... which we won. Go Bears!)

On this trip I got to:

• Visit with 2 of my best best friends/roomies who also made the trip.
• Hang with all three of my brothers (2 of whom are current students at MSU).
• Walk around the campus that was my home for 4 very formative years of my life.
• Reminisce about college classes and sorority parties with my parents and husband, while we chased around our daughter. 

Weird.

It's was such an odd feeling to think that the last time I walked that campus I was a free woman. 

No husband. No babe. No job. No real plans (except to marry my love and run away to Denver).

It stirred up the strangest emotions that I'm still honestly trying to figure out. 

I love this life I'm blessed with. 

I'm in love with a wonderful man, we're blessed with a beautiful baby and we have loving supportive families. We're not what you would call "rich" ;) Ok we're not even what you would call comfortable probably, but we're definitely making it!

But you know what? 

There's still this aching in my chest when I think back to the innocence of that younger me. I guess I just wish I could give 21-year-old me a call and say,

"Soak this up! Enjoy every single second of it. Life is going to get really good, but it's also going to require sacrifices. And those loves you're entrusted with come with a price. A gnawing fear of loss. A heavy responsibility of guardianship. All things you will gladly choose, but things that will change you none-the-less. Be excited for what's to come, but don't be in such a hurry to graduate, to grow up. Please take a moment to be thankful for your $200 rent and your house full of best friend roommates. I promise you'll miss sharing your closet and your secrets with women who understand you so fully. Relish this brief moment in time when you are old enough to be on your own but young enough to still be fearless. Oh and by the way, can you slow down on the beer-runs? That student loan money sucks to pay back and that freshman 15 sucks to run off."

(Thanks dad, for the iphone pictures. I didn't take a single one all weekend!)

So, I guess I'll be taking my own advise & trying harder to enjoy every second of where I am right now.
Because you know what? I'll probably look back at this time in 4 more years & long for this moment.
Reflection is hard. But it's so good.
I have a tendency to love change and to dive in without truly saying goodbye to the places I'm leaving behind.
Right now I love that Lily is still an only child & I can soak up this time with just her. I love that I'm blessed with a job that is flexible and convenient so that I can have the most amount of family time possible.
Life is crazy. Enjoy every single second.

((I'm linking up with Carina today because I'm honestly thankful for where I'm at.))