Over the last two months, I’ve been telling you the (abridged) version of everything that has happened over the last four years of my life. And what a journey it has been!

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different…

-C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

My application (and acceptance) into graduate school helped kickstart it all. All of the people (professors, friends, coworkers, family) who encouraged me to pursue my dreams of a Ph.D. didn’t know what would happen, but they wanted me to give it my all.

I was scared. I didn’t want to leave everything I knew to move to the Midwest, but it was the only place I was accepted. I didn’t know what was waiting for me. But my plan was to get my Ph.D., and move back home, so I could brave the uncertainty for a couple of years. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you know that is not what happened.  

I moved for my Ph.D., and my immediate family came with a month later. After struggling through three Ph.D. advisors, I realized that this program was not for me. But I was encouraged (once again) to not give up after putting in so much work. My last advisor believed in me, and perhaps against his better judgement, he helped me obtain a Masters degree – he knew the work I’d put in over the last three years and how I just needed to get out.

Because I obtained that Masters degree, I am now the science lab manager for a local university, teaching labs and prepping materials. I am also an adjunct faculty for microbiology (which you all know by now is my favorite subject). I am lucky that I got these jobs. The science lab manager is only a 9-month position (meaning I have summers off), and my adjunct job is super flexible, allowing me to take on as many classes as they’ll give me and being able to work from anywhere. Even though I commute for a total of two hours each day, having a state government job that’s only 9 months long is amazing – I don’t think I would have gotten these jobs back on the East Coast.

If I had not gone to graduate school for a Ph.D., I would never have met my husband. If Matt had not started making conversation with me, I don’t think I would’ve talked with him. Talking to people makes me nervous, and anything I could do to avoid it, I did. But he didn’t give up, and we started dating. He is such an amazing guy, his dog is really sweet, and his family is so kind and welcoming (even though I still struggle talking to people and joining in – it is something I am working on). Then we got married a couple months ago.

After thinking I had found a new church family and then realizing I had not found the church for me, I started going to church with Matt. They have a couple of different pastors that preach, but depending on who it is, the service is really good (the music could be improved, but I grew up just singing hymns and miss that). There is also a church that we found 30 minutes away, which has good preaching and good music. On nicer days we go to that one – I even jammed with a guy there who plays the banjo (we’ve got to schedule a time to do that again).

Let’s do a brief recap of what I had planned for my life:

• I got my Ph.D. – No.
• I moved back to the East Coast – Also no.

Nothing went according to plan. Instead, I got my Masters, a really nice job, live close to my parents and sister…and got a husband. To me, that is infinitely better. I am in the process of waiting to hear back from one university for a Health Sciences Ph.D., I figured I would give it one more try from another university, and see what happens.

Leaving Virginia and my church family was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But trusting God was worth it. I could have stuck to my original plan. I could have kept switching advisors or just lived through a couple of miserable years until I obtained my Ph.D. – I could have also not talked to the dashing young man who was interested in me so that I could move back to the East Coast and fight for a good job and a good place to live that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I could have stuck to my plan, but it would have been so much harder for me. Trusting God, knowing that He had a plan the whole time, and following what He had in store for me, made the last four years of my life so much better than what I could have imagined.

I still enjoy visiting the East Coast, but I don’t think I would want to live there again. Too many people, too expensive, and not a whole lot of people are super nice (and the politics, of course). I would like to live somewhere less flat than it is here, but it’s only a few hours’ drive away to get some elevation and trees, so weekend trips are definitely a thing.

Never did I think that I would permanently be living here when I left home almost four years ago. I also didn’t think I would be married and have a job where I am paid to not work summers. It was a pretty good deal, if I do say so myself.

We all have plans for ourselves, and visions for where we see ourselves going. Those are perfectly fine – you don’t really want to spend your life without a goal and something to work towards. But when doors keep slamming in your face, don’t try to shove them open again. God has another path, and His is going to work out so much better than what you could’ve imagined. Make sure in your life that you’re paying attention to know when it’s time you should give up your plan, and let God work His plan in your life.

There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’

-C.S. Lewis

If you missed the previous parts to this saga, you can find Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7 here! Thanks for coming along on this journey!

I love hearing from you! You can contact me here, or leave any comments/questions/topic suggestions below!

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved.