Often times I find myself in very bizarre situations. The last three years of my life have been characterized by moments of realization, where I suddenly realize that I am in a very unique place. It is in these moments that I ask myself the question:

"How in the world did I get here?"

Today is one of those moments. I currently find myself sitting in a fairly comfortable booth in a coffee shop called Port City Java, located in the heart of Greenville, South Carolina drinking freshly squeezed orange juice while enjoying the free access to wireless internet. Now from a moments glance this doesn't seem like a bizarre situation but really it is. Let me explain.
I grew up in West Michigan in a fairly conservative community. My family and I would rarely venture out of Michigan for our vacations and if we did, it was only to visit family in Iowa. After graduating from high school, I enrolled in Hope College which is a fabulous liberal arts school located approximately five minutes from where I grew up. I know, I know, the very fact that I mention this speaks to my very sheltered up bringing. After spending about 9 months living in Venezuela upon completing my undergraduate education, I felt called to go to Fuller. It was here that a whole new world was opened up to me.

Fuller is such a unique place. It was here that my world was opened up! I met people who spoke with different accents than I. Even stranger still was that numerous people around me would ask me to talk so they could hear MY accent?!? Now, I know I don't have an accent but many apparently would beg to differ. It was this very thing that clued me into the diversity that Fuller has to offer its students. Recently there was an article published in our the Semi, the weekly newspaper that Fuller students put out, that discussed the differences in theology that students have depending upon the region of the world that they have grown up in. It was interesting to see that thought we are but one country, we are all so very different. Completely different cultures, ideologies and ways of life. Fuller is truly a unique place because people from all over the country come together to study, seek God and grow. This creates a variety of opinions and cultures all coming together, affecting and influencing one another. (This is not even taking into account the many people from different cultures from around the world that are found in Fuller.) The richness offered in this experience has truly been a blessing and one that I am truly grateful for as it has broadened my sheltered Midwestern perspectives.
Back to my question:

"How did I get here?"

Well, during the first week of orientation, when sharing with one another our short stories, I heard a sweet southern twang ring behind me. Finding out that she liked to run, I asked her if she would like to go for a run around the Rose Bowl with me. We started running together consistently, building our friendship, and serving at a local volunteer ministry together. However, at the end of last year, she and her husband had to move back to South Carolina due to a family need. They bought a house, are now expecting a child and are working fervently in a local church while continuing their education. I went through withdrawal and decided that I should come down and visit her to experience the South! I have many other Southern friends at school, and have become intrigued with this place. So here I am on my spring beak, sipping my OJ and rejoicing for all the places in which God has taken me. Diversity is what enriches our lives and I am so glad that Fuller has been a place where I can drink in the deep South.