Moving.....

I moved from America to England when I was only a year old. I grew up, spent most of my life, in England. It was home. And I could not imagine leaving it! So when I was informed that we were moving to Turkey I figured it would feel like we were just traveling like I had done my entire life. I took the good byes as no big deal not think that I might never see some of those people again. I moved to Turkey and I started to realized I left the place I loved, for real. I was not dreaming, and I certainly did not remember renting an apartment for years in the last place we traveled to. My eyes were being opened and I felt alone and scared. My best friend used to live only four houses down the street from me and we would hang out just about everyday. Now my best friend lived thousands of miles away from me and I certainly did not see her everyday. Before school started in the summer I cried almost everynight, because I missed my best friend and I didn't think much about saying goodbye to her. I emailed her once we got my computer set up. Thankfully we could email each other because we both got email addresses set up for us even though we were only nine years old at the time. I started school and I realized I had the best teacher in the world and a class to die for. I even met one of my closeest friends in Turkey that year. I still felt confused though because I wondered why God had done this to me. But I started to learn more about God the following summer and accepted Him. The year after that I finally realized why God had brought me to Turkey. Through all the sorrow I had been through I finally realized that moving to Turkey had brought me closer to God, and that was more comforting than anything in the world. Turkey feels like home now although I still miss England greatly and my best friend, but eventually I will have to leave. I am just praying that the place I'm leaving to will not be America. I have been to America quite a bit after we moved to England from there, but I am not sure I'm ready to go back. Different cultures, different languages, different customs, different accents, different everything is my life! And my life is everything but normal. I cannot imagine maybe never again (or at least not for a long time) being able to travel to Europe, Asia, or anywhere else in the world. I first flew when I was less than 18 months old. And I have been since. I have been so lucky that my dad's company, Boeing, has provided us with so much while living over seas, and I am not sure I will be able to part with being so lucky. At times I think that maybe it would be better for me to just move back, get it over with, and be able to see my family more often. I would love that, and being able to understand everyone, therefore being able to participate much more. But that is one of the reasons living abroad is so amazing! It is soooooooooooooooooo different!!!!!! I don't know when we will be moving back to America, but I have no doubt that it will happen eventually. I just hope it happens later than sooner. I love my school in Turkey and all the people in it that have been incouraging and an example to me. Please pray that God will help me understand why whatever needs to be done, needs to be done.

~~Kalista