I'm finally here.

After months of planning, waiting, stalling, rushing, crying, laughing, etc. I'm finally here. Hello, Bellingham, Washington.

I've been here for one week and one day now. It's not home, but it's comfortable. It's beautiful, and the weather is awesome. I'm living with my host family, Dave and Kelli Gauthier, and their two kids Milan, 7, and Chase, 4 and 1/2. It's a great house with a garden full of wonderful things, and a neighborhood overflowing with kids. I'm close to downtown and the office, which is nice, and biking has been generally pleasant.

I'm frequenting some pretty cool local spots like the Lettered Streets Coffeehouse, Avellino coffeehouse, Boundary Bay restaurant and brewery, Everyday Music, the lakes, and we're going camping this weekend toward Mt. Baker. The bay is key to the feel of this place. There's usually a breeze, and there's something about the view that reminds me of the Walnut St. bridge in Chattanooga. It's not the same at all, but it's that feeling at sunset of "Wow, I live in a really beautiful place."

There will be pictures to come, I hope. I shouldn't have waited so long to write since I arrived because now there seems to be too much to say. I hate sweeping generalizations about things. I will say this though, very specifically...

There could be a thousand reasons for my being drawn to this place. There could be another thousand reasons for which I'm actually here. I do know that a person only lives once, and although I will miss the times shared with dear friends at home, this is a season for other things, and I mean to live every moment as something to be treasured. I may never know for which moment I was made to come alive in here, perhaps like never before, but I have a feeling that moment will come again and again and be many.

Here's to Bellingham...