never did i ever think i would get to this place. after years of disappointment, frustration and many many tears, i finally graduated. since i graduated 5 years ago my life has been the complete opposite of what i had planned. i was going to go to university, become a nurse, play basketball, go on to become a PA, all while volunteering and somewhere along the way get married and have babies. little did i know my life would be very different than this perfect plan that i had made up in my mind. when i graduated i was accepted into the nursing program conditionally and thanks to my stellar(not) work ethic in high school the acceptance was revoked when my english 30 mark was less than ideal. due to that i had to adjust my plan a little bit and ended up taking general kinesiology classes in hopes to become a PT. i would later realize this was definitely not for me. i was still able to live my dream of playing basketball and made some of the best friends. theres something about being on a team that brings you closer than anything else in the world can. my first semester was hard. i got really sick and struggled with migraines and what i felt like was depression for the first time in my life. i realized that as much as i loved basketball there was something else i was supposed to be doing. i didnt know it at the time but i would later find out there was a greater plan god had in store for me. i was sitting in an institute class one day when the words “if you love me, feed my sheep” hit me harder than ever before. that was the moment i knew i was supposed to go on a mission. it was hard to give up something i loved so much and turn down this perfect plan that i had created for my life to go and do something with so many unknowns. something i was completely terrified to do. despite so many things telling me not to go, i held on to the confirmation and feelings that i knew to be from god. i trusted that he knew best and that turned out to be the most important decision I’ve ever made. so i started preparing to leave and got my call. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is what the call read. Pennsylvania??????? who in the world wants to go to pennsylvania?! the only things i knew about this random state were that sidney crosby played there and there were lots of amish people. i would soon learn to love this place more than my own city and never want to leave. as i was getting ready to leave i was again tested as i received news that i was accepted into the nursing program at my school for the next fall. for a split second i thought about what it would be like to live out this perfect dream i had but i knew if that was what i was supposed to do god would make it happen for me when i got home. so i went. i served. i cried. i laughed. and i learned. learned about myself, good, others and so much more. this prepared me to become a better wife, mom, friend and overall person. when i got home i wasn’t sure what to do. my perfect plan was gone and i was in limbo because i didnt know what to do. then out of nowhere this blue-eyed, dimpled handsome boy came into my life and swept me off my feet. suddenly all of these huge dreams for school and life revolved around him. i knew i was in trouble (the good kind) because he was all i thought about and wanted in life. i didnt get into the original program i had wished for but instead i got into a shorter program that turned out to be much better for what would soon become our little family. i suddenly found myself again playing basketball and living my dream of playing basketball and being in nursing school. this was the worst 2 years and the best 2 years of my life. that boy that stole my heart ended up asking me to marry him and in the midst of all of the chaos of life we planned a wedding and tied the knot. turns out i couldn’t have graduated if it wasn’t for his support, love and acceptance of me and my goals and dreams. 2 years of only seeing each other on the weekends, studying all night, crying daily, being exhausted constantly and of course falling more and more in love. school was hard. it was tiring and trying and pushed me to do things i didnt know i was capable of. it showed me my strengths and my weaknesses and showed me i can do hard things. i can accomplish anything i put my mind to because i have the biggest supporter in my side and i chose a plan god laid out perfectly for our future family. i wouldn’t trade any of it ever. now I’m terrified. have to find a job, start a family, make adult decisions, give up basketball and find new, better goals to reach. i am so unbelievably happy with the path that i took to get here and i am also so unbelievably glad i have my best friend and family to enjoy it all with. i guess the point it that i am excited to be done but i am even more stunned that through all of my questioning, pain and tears, god was there and knew this was exactly what i needed. my life plan could not have been more perfect than the one that has been laid out for me. i love this life. I’m a grad. I’m a nurse. I’m a wife. and I’m happy.