Greetings and well met my friends! Welcome back!
Today I wanted to talk about something that’s not related to books or writing or hot cocoa (shocking, I know)! This is something a little more personal, but I found it extremely important and possibly helpful for all my friends coming into young adulthood.
I graduated high school in May of 2019 with a vague plan for my future. I wanted to study linguistics and become a Bible Translator. Maybe I’d publish a book along the way, maybe I’d teach some kids, but that was the main goal. Unfortunately, all the schooling options I had been looking into were daunting in either expense or distance from my family… and though I felt confident in myself after an amazing high-school experience, I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready for such a huge change.
Thankfully my parents were extremely open to me taking a year at home before I moved away. Their unwavering support for my choices and wisdom when I need it has been huge. Shoutout to them because they are the best!!!
Anywho, to start off my gap year I actually got to attend the Summit Ministries Worldview camp for two weeks in June of 2019. I went with fellow high schoolers from my church, and our whole group got completely funded through our fundraising efforts, which was an immense blessing for she-who-only-babysits-and-just-bought-a-car (me). The camp not only strengthened my faith and friendships (I highly recommend you go if you get the chance!), but it also introduced me to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, which I had previously only known as a school for pastors.
Turns out, they have an Applied Linguistics major… and if you get accepted, your tuition is donor paid!
That leads me to the next cool thing I got to do during my gap year, which was travel! My mom and I went to Chicago together that fall to visit Moody, and it was such a blast! She used to live there with my dad while she attended grad school, but it had been a long time, so we both had fun discovering the city together.
The Art Institute The Bean Hamilton at the CIBC Theater
After my visit, I was sold on Moody, and a few months and admissions essays later, I got accepted! The biggest goal of my gap year had been accomplished, but it was still far from over!
Some other cool traveling I got to do was take a backpacking trip with my friends into the James Creek Wilderness, a hunting trip with my dad, two road trips to Iowa, many flights to California, and a lot of solo driving for me, from Beaver Creek to Colorado Springs to the Twin Lakes. I also flew solo for the first time this March when I went to Indiana to visit some good friends… though as everything had just shut down, the airports were very spooky, to say the least!
Even though I love traveling and most of our trips were fun and exciting, two of them were to attend memorials for my mother’s Grandmother and my father’s Grandfather. I knew both of them quite well, and thankfully they had both lived very long and loving lives. They loved Jesus very much so I know I’ll see them both again one day, but it was still a new and very tough experience for me and my sisters.
All of these things mentioned thus far really stretched me as an individual. Being able to communicate well with others, learn from the people around me, and work through my own feelings were not completely foreign skills, but these adventures truly gave me more confidence in myself as a capable adult.
And I haven’t even discussed the most important experience yet!
The defining feature of my gap year by far is that I had the privilege of teaching at Artios Academies. It is the homeschool program that I attended throughout high school, and the community I had there is one of the things I am most reluctant to leave. Because of that and my experience with the students, I reached out to both the Castle Rock and Littleton campuses with a willingness to teach, and I was rewarded with two classes of K-2nd graders!
I was very familiar with this age from my years of working at MOPs, babysitting, and being an older sister… but this experience was still vastly different. I had to take these sweet, adorable, chatty, distracted, sometimes grumpy little kids, and teach them about history, art, theater, and music.
I whipped up my first lesson plan with the help of my mom (who previously taught at Artios), grabbed my new teacher bag, and tried to get myself to like coffee as I dove headfirst into this new job!
Spoiler alert: I never got myself to like coffee.
But I did adapt quickly to this new environment. There were days that were really hard, where I felt like a failure and just wanted to go home and cry in frustration. There were days when I forgot something, when I ran out of things to do, when kids cried, and when I had to answer difficult questions from parents.
But then there were days when their eyes lit up as they understood what we were talking about and made connections with past lessons. Days where they laughed at the games we played and shared with each other and said please and thank you. I got the sweetest homemade cards from them, which I have taped up on my wall, and every time they see me, they smile and give me a big hug.
I had the best and most supportive staff surrounding me at all times as well, people who never hesitated to lend me a hand or a word of encouragement. People who loved me, loved the students, and loved the Lord — even on the craziest and hardest days.
Was it the hardest thing I’ve ever done? Oh yes, and there was a whole new level of difficulty added when we switched to online.
But was it also the coolest and most amazing thing I’ve ever gotten to do? Absolutely. And I am going to miss my Artios community almost as much as my own family come moving day.
Dance Class over Zoom Drama Club Theater Hat Game My Last Lesson Page
I learned a lot this past year. I am a different, more confident, more prepared person than I was when I graduated. I know my limits, as I definitely pushed myself far beyond them a few times. I am more sure of my strengths and have worked to improve upon my weaknesses. I have become a master scheduler, a better driver, and I no longer have anxiety when I need to tell someone no. I am fueled by checklists, hot chocolate, and my Bible studies, and I think now I can confidently say that “I am quite ready for another adventure.”
Namárië friends! Until next time!
Audrey,
Sounds like you had a very interesting, adventurous year of learning. We wish you blessings in your endeavors to pursue your studies and future career.