10

Family…. I would define family in many different ways. I have an amazing family back home in Florida. Not only a family of relatives, but a family of amazing friends. I can say that I have the best, biggest, most loving, most supportive family ever. It constantly blows me away at how much I am loved and how much each of you believe in me and support me. I know I say it a lot, but I truly wouldn’t have made it through this journey with out you. I am where I am today because of you and I am who I am today because of you. In 8 days, I get on a plane to come home to my family. I cannot express to you in words how excited I am to see each one of you, to give you all some Shawna hugs, and to tell you about my journey here in South Africa. It makes me all giddy inside!

But knowing that I have to leave this family here in South Africa is really starting to weigh on my heart. I never would have expected to come into this and get another family out of it. I have had the honor to walk alongside these 11 people in my house for these 3 months and I can honestly say, I am forever changed by them. I think that God wanted me to realize something about friendship, about relationships, and about family. All of us in this house all come from different countries, different backgrounds, we are different colors, but one thing that is the same is the love we all have. As I sat in my room the other night with my roommate Blue, literally laughing until we couldn’t breathe and there were tears running down our faces, I realized that I cannot take ANY relationship for granted. Life is too short to let the little things in life take priority over the relationships in my life….over my family.

It hit me that I am going to have to leave this family just like I left my family three months ago to come here. The same emotions are running through me as they were in December before I came here. I had to say goodbye to my Dani on Monday. The first of many goodbyes. And we all know me, of course I was quite weepy. Not only did we start this journey together, we learned together, grew together, conquered together, laughed together, cried together, and loved together. LIFE.IS.CHANGED.

Dani, Kadder, Isa, Blue, Erna, Kelsey, Catriona, Sarah, Vovo, and Trevor. You will carry a piece of my heart to all corners of the world. Thank you for your love. It has changed me. I now have a new, international family ☺

To my family back home. You are all amazing. My love for you is indescribable. Thank you for your love and for walking with me through this journey.

And then there were 10….for 8 more days!

Much love!