I combined three weeks into one post, as two of those weeks were spent mostly in bed, recovering from COVID (don’t worry, I’m quite recovered and feeling like myself once again).

Before being down with COVID, I got to meet up with one of the girls who has come out to our fellowship dinner on Friday nights! She’s from the area, so she recommended a restaurant in downtown Fayetteville called The Friend’s Table.

Not only was it adorable, but the food was also yummy!

A great part about living in the South again is the abundance of grits. And let me tell you, I am fully enjoying it! Case in point, shrimp and grits was my food of choice and it tasted as good as it looked!

Another interesting piece of news is that I decided to attempt passing the Fetal Echo boards again.

This time, I am coming at it with much more determination, resources, and strategy. I feel much more confident than I did last time and hope that carries over into test day (September 17th)!

Though, very little studying happened once I got sick. Lots of sleeping and vegging. Once I was allowed to leave the house again but before I was allowed to return to work again, I celebrated by exploring a new local coffee shop called Something’s Brewing.

The seating was really comfy, so I hung around for a bit to blog and read. Then, I went off to a local consignment store called Lily Kat’s and found a few goodies!

Later on in the week, we hosted a surprise party for Ashley, one of the ladies involved with our Bible study. We had some delicious food and enjoyed showering her with love and gifts!

It was good to be out and about and among people, and especially my people, once more. I’ve already enjoyed the aspects of my schedule that have become engrained, but as the old adage goes, “Distance makes the heart grow fonder”.

The kiddos were starting back to school, so they each received some Harry Potter pencils with notes attached and stickers to put on their new water bottles.

Leave it to kids to get excited over pencils and stickers, but if I’m going to be honest, I was pretty excited about giving them as well.

This week, because I was scheduled for a half day, I was able to join in for the last week of a Bible study we hosted in one of the barracks on base.

It was one of my favorite things I’ve been a part of thus far in my time here! I could see this translating well to campus ministry back in Rio and just loved getting to interact soldiers within their own context!

Friday, I was surprised with a goodbye party from the site I have been working at for the first half of my contract. Moving forward, I will be at another location, working with new sonographers, and some new doctors.

I felt so loved and valued by them and will truly miss everyone I’ve gotten to work with there!

Friday began an absolute highlight: two friends from Rio, Elisabeth and Liz, came down and visited for the weekend!

I hadn’t seen them since I left Rio in May, so it was so good to be able to catch up and laugh together again.

They got to be a part of our fellowship dinner on Friday evening, then we hosted sand volleyball and a game night on Saturday for them to be able to meet as many peeps from the community down here!

My Fort Bragg friends loved my Rio friends well, colliding my two worlds in the best ways.

I am so, so grateful. For it all.