HIATUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Gone To Another Land Of New Words

First time in a college taking an unofficial German language test 

By the time you read this post, I'll have been in Germany two days or so, I think (Germany is like eight hours ahead from where I live, so I'm not sure exactly what day it'll be that this will post). 

I've always been obsessed with Germany. I think? 

But I can't really tell you why. 

I've always loved Germanic stories and fairytales. I've loved reading German history ... anabaptist history, early church history, world war history, and so much more. 

When I was thirteen-sixteen we lived with the Amish, and I read a lot of German stuff during that time and really fell in love with the High German. 

Also, my grandma has some German in her lineage. And I'm a lot like her ... helpfully blunt, hardworking, crazy sense of humor, and in-your-face opinionated. I'm not afraid to take charge or speak or ... anything. In fact, if something scares me, I have to do it (if it's reasonable. Like, I'm not going to jump off any cliff to defeat fear). 

I'm not sure if those are Germanic traits, but I like to think they are. 

Two years ago, during a really tough season of life, I sat down and told myself I needed to find a reason to be joyful about life. I needed to find a dream to energize me. I needed to value life again. 

I had nothing tying me anywhere, but grief. I had nothing to lose ... I'd felt like I'd lost everything already. I'd forgotten every dream, every desire, every wish of mine. And so I sat and I tried to remember ... and all my childhood dreams surfaced. 

At first, I told myself, "But those are childish dreams; impossible to actually do now."

And then I realized that wasn't true. Everything is impossible only as long as you don't do, or don't hope. 

And so I applied to be an Au Pair in Germany. 

After two years, I'm finally going. 

I'll be in Stuttgart for six months ;D 

//By the way, going to Germany isn't how I found my happiness. I purposed to find that in my every day before. So I'm bringing that found happiness along with me ;) //

Birthday card from the family I'm staying with while in Germany

That's not to say I'm always happy. 

Life is a struggle. But I'm no longer drowning. I'm swimming, and my arms are loving the sore, but ever developing muscles. 

These last two years have seen: 

• Me building up my cleaning business
• Hiring someone to help me clean 
• Finding sooo much confidence 
• Going to Germany 
• Completing four novels, and being published three times
• Learning that emotions aren't all bad
• Finding my passion for politics exploding full force 
• Finding new friends
• Finding contentment 
• Loving God more than ever before

I have always been a hardcore extrovert. But for a while, I really disliked people. I'm finally starting to go to more social events, and I'm finding joy in meeting people again. 

I've remembered that I don't actually hate people. Or that I shouldn't. And wow there's peace in that. 

I've remembered that doing new things are exciting. 

I've remembered that doing old things are satisfying. 

I've remembered that reading is exhilarating. 

So what will these next six months look like? 

Of course, I don't know the full answer. But I know it will be somewhat overwhelming and very much exciting. 

This blog will become a temporary travel blog ... fun posts ahead! 

I'm going to take a hiatus of sort from writing. Meaning, as soon as I finish my current novel I won't be writing on one specific novel every day. 

Instead, I will be: 

• Living life in Germany 
• Learning a new language
• Reading more
• Blogging here and over at The Girl Who Doesn't Exist
• Writing short stories
• Tweaking old novels 
• Aaannndd researching for my NEXT TWO NOVELS!!! (I'm too excited about these next two books of mine, but they need lots of life lived and research learned)

Since we're on the topic of writing, I want to go ahead an invite you all to be beta read my latest novel, "All The Other Girls" a Cinderella reimagining. 

There's only one prince, and not every girl can be his Cinderella. 

But does that make every other girl an evil stepsister? 

Cinderella is content to live her life out as a servant to her step-family. Zilla though dreams of a better life, where she isn't forced to work dawn to dusk for her strict aunt, or dirty cousins. 

Cinderella is the one with a fairy godmother. Zilla is the one with an imagination. 

Both girls are best friends but are as different as the sun is from the moon. 

Zilla determines to make both of their lives better, and so when she hears that the prince is having a ball to find a wife, she knows this is her chance at last. 

But ... what if her dreams crumble? What will Zilla have left?

One last thing of importance

I really appreciate all of your guys' feedback on the form you all filled out for my blogiversary. 

Because graphs are fun: 

You guys basically let me know:

• I'm opinionated 
• Y'all want more writing posts
• I share diverse, but mostly interesting stuff
• Writing posts would be nice
• You think of me when you see my blog (guess I'm doing well giving a glimpse into a korner of my brain ;p
• WRITING POSTS!!!!
• Sometimes my stuff is annoying, but it always makes you think (that's the goal, y'all! I mean, not the annoying part, but the thinking part. But I'll take what I can get)
• Share your writing process???
• Susan of Narnia is awesome
• So are other blog posts of mine
• But... where are the writing posts!? 

Confession time: 

I hate writing about writing. 

But guess what? I actually have a few posts on that subject that I'm working on. 

And this is my life. 

Share your thoughts with me! And if you want to read All The Other Girls you'll make my day perfect.