Three years ago today I moved to NYC with my three suitcases, one month sublet, nine interviews and sunshine state of mind. I was ready to conquer the world. I had faith that I would find a job and start my life in NYC. I didn’t do it alone of course. I had help and support from my family and friends. I also had my trust in God that this was his plan for me. My decision to move came at a Sunday evening Mass at St. Marks in Wesley Chapel, FL. I prayed before Mass about whether I should move to NYC. It was risky. I didn’t have a job and I had friends there but would be completely uprooting my life. Nothing was holding me back in Florida. The homily that evening was about taking chances and not having regrets. It was pretty clear my prayers had been answered and I went home and told my Mom I was going to make the move. To trust God in the light is nothing but to trust him in the dark – that’s faith. I took my leap of faith and three years later here I am in my lovely Upper East Side apartment and fantastic job. The job portion wasn’t as easy as I had hoped in the beginning but I’ve been at Indeed 2.5 years and been promoted twice and now managing a team. Three years ago I couldn’t even imagine this life for me. The apartment search was a challenge as well. Within 10 months I lived in five different apartments before settling down in the fifth where I have just signed my third year lease and live with the friendliest of roommates. I couldn’t be more blessed.

Job. Check. Apartment. Check. Dating? Well that’s been a whole other adventure. It’s amazing all the shit I have been through with men these past three years in NYC. I should write about all these awful dates. Oh wait, I do. ;). I decided at my church retreat end of April that it was time to focus my prayers on finding someone to share my life with. You can’t share your life with someone until your path is paved. Well, my path is pretty damn paved now. I made a 2016 goal to settle down and hang up my party and binge drinking shoes and have at least someone I’ve gone on five dates with and somewhat jokingly to get engaged by end of year. The partying wasn’t getting me any type of quality man out there. At this retreat, which the theme was transitions, we had this beautiful prayer tree. We were all given a ribbon to write down a hope, dream or grace. I asked God to open up my heart to share with someone. Each day at this retreat I couldn’t stop staring at this tree filled with the hopes, dreams and graces of the 40 people on this retreat. It was a beautiful thing and I couldn’t help but hope my hope would grow into fruition.

I met this wonderful man three and a half weeks ago. I didn’t meet him swiping on an app. I didn’t meet him at a bar. I met him when I least expected to meet someone. And, I love our story of how we met. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I think it is too good to be true. I’m ridiculously content, never hesitate to be myself with him and feel like I’ve known him much longer than 24 days. Things just feel different and my emotions are all turned around in such a good way. My mind hasn’t gone crazy until tonight because I’m hitting that point that’s inevitable with me where I look for something to go wrong. There’s no reason for me to think this. Absolutely nothing is wrong. But, this is definitely a self learning process for me. Whether this is long-term or not I need to keep my faith in God and trust that this plan has been put into motion for a reason. Maybe this is my hope I tied onto that tree coming true. Maybe it’s not. Either way, I’m gonna make the most out of this.

“Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” Mark 5:36.