As I creep towards the big 30, I find myself reflecting on the past 28 years of my life. One of my favorite country singers is Martina McBride because of her powerful voice and touching songs. One of those songs is called Blessed. Here are a few lines of the song.
I have been blessed
And I feel like I’ve found my way
I thank God for all I’ve been given
At the end of every day
This song is a reminder of how truly blessed I am and the importance of being thankful. I have been blessed with much in my life and one of the first things that come to mind is family and farm. I thoroughly enjoyed growing up on the farm in what some people consider the “middle-of-nowhere.” There was no arcade, movie theatre or shopping mall nearby, but we never had a lack of things to keep us occupied. Between helping out on the farm, school and other activities (sports, music etc), there was always something to do. On the farm my parents taught my brothers and I the value of hard work and determination. And I now try to apply this to my work. I’ve also been fortunate to be able to combine two of my passions – agriculture and communications – in my job.
After high school I decided to take a year off and volunteer through the Service Adventure program in South Bend, Indiana. I remember tearing up as my mom and brother dropped me off in front of the big red house on Forest Avenue, not knowing what I was getting myself into. Fast forward almost a year and I teared up again as my mom and dad picked me up, not wanting to leave this place I had grown to love. While there, I did administrative tasks at three different work places – Indiana Legal Services, the Advocacy Center, and the Near Northwest Neighborhood Association. Helping those in need through volunteering is a rewarding experience.
I’ve also had the privilege of travelling to several destinations; two of which really stand out in my mind. A few years ago I headed across the pond for my friend’s wedding in Germany (I lived with her in Indiana). After the wedding I hopped onto the Eurail and toured through parts of western Europe. I ended my trip in Sweden where I visited another friend (I also lived with her in Indiana). And this past December, I flew around the world to New Zealand and Australia. I backpacked through New Zealand with a friend and then headed to Australia myself. You can read all about my adventures on this excursion in my Scribbles & Snapshots travel blog: http://tfalk.travellerspoint.com/
Sometimes I look back on my life and can’t believe the exciting things I’ve done, the amazing places I’ve been and the friendly people I’ve met. This is all because I’ve been blessed. And I can only hope that there will be many more exciting adventures to come – whether it be here at home or around the world. Thank you for being a friend and reading my ramblings!
Rural Route Ramblings 
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have an awesome day. . .it just gets better and better. . I promise!
Happy Birthday Teresa! I was hoping that one of those two trips that stood out in your mind would have been kitchener-waterloo and our day trip to niagara falls! lol.
I hope that you had a “sweet” day and that this year will bring you much joy and happiness!
Thanks Sue! That was a fun trip. I’ve had so many great trips – Florida a few times, California a couple times, Minnesota several times, Arizona, Alberta, Ontario etc.