change is a god thing

The day I moved to Nashville was one I’ll never forget. One minute I was bobbing along to “The Great Adventure” by Steven Curtis Chapman; the next, I was this close to turning my car around and calling the whole thing off. But with good luck texts and a plethora of good wishes, I felt alive. I was doing the thing I always wanted to do, breaking free from my boring hometown and embarking on an adventure in Nashville, of all places. Taylor Swift and I would become best friends and Dolly would adopt me as her own. The world was my oyster. 

Sooner or later, the hoopla of moving died out. I had my “party’s over!” moment as people started turning off the hypothetical lights of my hypothetical party. People stopped texting me. Reality set in. I realized I was in a city where I knew a handful of people if that. I didn’t even know how to get to Target, which is a crisis in itself. I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into. All was well. 

Luckily, things started looking up. At some point, I realized I could finally get to work without using Google Maps. I noticed I had a favorite drink at my new favorite coffee shop. I found comfort in new traditions like Sunday night Mexican. Though I missed the familiarity of home, the newness now felt refreshing and exciting. I had arrived. I was finally achieving the goal I so desperately longed to achieve: to become settled. 

And then Wednesday happened. Just a normal Wednesday. There was nothing particularly stressful or obscure about this day other than it was a Wednesday in which I felt "off." Turns out, I was just feeling. The Enneagram 7 in me struggles to understand this foreign concept. I thought the pit in my stomach was a result of the burrito I had for lunch. When in reality, I was just sad. I missed home. I missed being known by the servers at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I missed effortless, deep friendship. I missed the simplicity of college, tight-knit community, and running into people I knew at Wal-Mart. I thought I had settled. I thought I was fine. Why was I sad?

The reality is, moving/starting a new job/post-grad life, in general, is hard. And it’s OK that it’s hard. We don’t have to act like it’s a walk in the park. If you’ve taken a risk, stepped out of your comfort zone, or are simply adjusting to an uncomfortable season, give yourself some credit. Allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling, and then allow yourself to move forward. You’re not “behind” just because you have days where you don’t feel settled. You’re not failing if you sometimes miss home. In fact, it probably just means you're a normal human being adjusting to a life-change. Isn't that liberating? Here I was thinking I was a psycho for missing a place I lived for 22 years. McKenna, honey, come on. 

Things to Remember in Seasons of Change:

1. Check on your friends who have just moved or made a life-transition. Their Instagram may be thriving, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are. Make the most of things like FaceTime. We could be living in the 1800s, where video chatting was nothing but a distant dream. Call your people; make it a priority. Soak up modern technology like a sponge. 
2. Comparison will kill ya. It can be incredibly easy to fall victim to the comparison trap. I know what it’s like to feel like everyone else in the world has their ish together. Meanwhile, in Me-ville, things are turning to shambles. Avoid comparison like the plague. Practice gratefulness and celebrate others even when it’s hard. 
3. Remember that a season can be both hard and good. Erase the mindset that hard = bad. If you’re in a difficult or uncomfortable season, embrace it for what it is. Recognize that growth happens when we’re stretched. Cling to the fact that God is faithful to bring the rain, even in seasons of uncertainty and change. He is good and He is always kind. ​