Greetings from Nashville!

Courtney, Kathryn and I have made our way to the deep south of Nashville, TN for the last few weeks of our YAVIT! tour. So far we've been able to see quite a bit of the city - from honky tonks on SoBro to a night at the Opera! We've had quite the tour guide in (Belfast YAV-turned-Nashville YAV) T.J.

He also gave us a tour of his current placement, Room in the Inn. It was really impactful to see his relationships to the participants at his site. Many former Nashville YAVs have even stayed on as employees. 

Don't worry, it hasn't been all fun and games - we've done some outreach, too. ;-) Last night we met the campus ministry at Vandy that I think deserves its own post... so keep an eye out for that!

We've just got one more night here in our "Cave" - the youth room at Westminster Pres that has been our home for the past week - before we head to Cookeville for the Middle Tennessee Presbytery meeting tomorrow. I can't believe our tour is almost complete!

YAVITs on Tour!

Courtney, Kathryn and I are in Colorado!

Airport stylin'!

It's really beautiful here, our hosts have gone over-the-top to make us feel welcome, and the Presbytery folks we've met so far couldn't be nicer. We have a few days up front to work a little more on our message and do some sightseeing, but we'll be polishing up our presentations in front of a (hopefully understanding) public audience soon.

Some of our engagements are for specific groups or require RSVP, but if you live in the Denver / Boulder area, here are a few places you can stop by and say hi to me in the next few weeks!

Sunday, 29 September (Boulder, CO)
10:30 am - St. Andrew Presbyterian Church

Friday, 4 October (Denver, CO)
9 pm - Salsa dancing at Blue Ice

Sunday, 6 October (Denver)
10:30 am - Central Presbyterian Church

Hope to see you soon!

An update - and a new adventure!

Well, the time of sitting around waiting for the "next steps" is over - tomorrow, I will finally fly to Abiquiu, NM for the YAV transition retreat and reunite with the whole gang I haven't seen since last August (minus a few who will be sorely missed)! I am really, really excited.

After a week in New Mexico, I will head to Denver and Nashville for a few weeks to share my story with local churches and presbyteries. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to spend time in each of these cities - so if you're in the area, drop me a line! I'll do my best to update here during my time on the road.

In other news:

I was interviewed! Read it here:
Following God's call as a Young Adult Volunteer: Young adults find their voice and their place in the church

What I'm listening to:
I love this song. A friend posted this today on facebook, and even though I hadn't heard it since leaving Belfast, I've probably listened to it at least 10 times today while getting ready for the next stage of my journey. Enjoy!

Lyrics below:

TriciAdventures

I have returned from my travels with just a day left in Belfast to re-pack the treasures and memories from this trip before heading home.

I have met lovely people and seen beautiful things over the past 3 weeks of travel. I have taken over 2400 photographs that now need culling and sorting, only about 150 of which are #awkwardselfies. I've had time to process some of the emotions associated with leaving Belfast and returning to the States, a process which I'm sure will continue for some time to come.

I will continue to write here occasionally: I still have half-formed ideas that I'd like to think-through in writing, and my time as a YAV is not quite over. This fall I will travel as a part of the YAV Itineration Team (otherwise known as YAVIT!), spreading the word about this program to Presbyteries, schools and churches around the country.

I'd still love your prayers and support as I begin this next phase. Returning home when so much has changed (for both myself and the people I love back home) is intimidating. I will step off that plane on Wednesday with no job, no car and no real home: many things associated with comfort and success in our society. Of course I trust that the Lord and my amazing community will help me through, but knowing those of you who have been my prayer warriors still have my back is a great comfort. If I've learned anything this year, it is that I have the most amazing support network on the planet!

Until next time, my friends!
Tricia