one of the things that ruined me for the ordinary

Want to know what the definition of ordinary is?

Commonplace, standard, with no special or distinctive features.

Normal.

So.  I'm not ordinary.
My life is anything but commonplace, or standard.  I have lots of distinctive features, and I am NOT normal.
But I like that.

There are moments in life that define us.  Even just little, tiny things that don't seem to have any lasting significance - until you realize those little tiny things were the big things.

In March 2007 I had just moved back to Michigan, after spending just over a year working with a  non-profit out of New Zealand.  I had lived in community, and spent the previous 14 months of my life volunteering, and serving people.  When I got back to Michigan I resumed a job I had at a little family owned restaurant, and thought about enrolling in school again.  But school… blah… I didn't want to go to school.

It was a little too normal for me.
Oh.
And I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

So I fought it.   I complained, and just had kind of a bad attitude in general.

Every time that I would get frustrated, or feel like I wanted to run away I would say, "Forget it.  I give up.  I'm going to Guam."  It kind of became my security phrase.  Anytime I was overwhelmed, I would say I was going to move to Guam.  Just up and leave, get out of there.

Honestly, I thought Guam was in Central America.  So in my head, when I said that, I would picture myself driving across North America, crossing the border, and never looking back.

About six months after I had returned to Michigan I was given the opportunity to work with the organization in New Zealand again, that I had been volunteering with previously.  I had never been to the particular school they were asking me to work with.  I didn't know any of the people there, or exactly what my responsibilities would be.

So naturally I dropped everything and moved 8,000 miles away in a moments notice.

When I arrived at the school I found I would in essence be staffing a six month school that ended in leading a three month missions trip overseas.

Turns out I would be leading a group of students on a three month missions trip to Guam.

Which, as it turns out, is a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  Guess I wouldn't have made it if I would have jumped in the car, not looking back.

Finding out I would be venturing out to the place I had stated, dreamed… ok - threatened to move to for months on end.  Saying that little phrase over and over, that I thought had no real significance.

Turns out that was one of the big things.

But it's things like this that make me realize - my life isn't ordinary.  And I love it.