Flying Solo: Monday Musings

When I met Annie Downs I loved her instantly. She's witty, charming and so very kind. As life has changed for me recently and my time has been sliced to virtually non-existent, I am bringing in some of my friends to co-labor with me in the life of singleness. I will still do some of our months. But there are so many talented people out there that are single and have amazing lives to share that I am thrilled to give them a place for their voice to be heard. Please enjoy my friend Annie this month. And check out her blog as well at annieblogs.comYou will grow to love her this month as I am sure. And I am so grateful that she is a part of my community of friendships. I treasure her. You're going to too...
Denise

I am so excited this month to be hosting all the hoopla that goes on here at Flying Solo. Our focus, throughout the month, is going to be community and loving people around you.

If you don’t knowme, my name is Annie Downs. I am a blogger (address) and a freelance writer in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m a 29-year-old single Christian girl and I never dreamed that my life would look like this.

I grew up outsideof Atlanta, Georgia and honestly, I never planned to live anywhere else. I attended the University of Georgia (go dawgs!) and then moved back to my hometown. My family is there. My best friends (and their growing families) are there. I got a job teaching 4th grade, bought a house, and planted myself there.

I need to explain that I’m a big people person. I. Love. My. People. So I wanted to live close to them. In fact, my house was within walking distance of my two best friends. I figured if I was going to stay single forever (I’m dramatic.) that I wanted to be single in the same town as the people I love.

Then God spoke and said “move.” My response was, “no thank you.” But when do we ever really say no to God? I love Him the most, so I followed His call on my life.

And I left my people.

Even writing about it today, two years later, it still brings a lump to my throat. Especially while we are single, community is a big BIG deal. And I thought I had found the only community that I would ever love and I did not ever want to leave them.

Until that day in August, when I packed my car and drove three hours north, to a city where only four people knew my name. To a place with no friends, just a few acquaintances.

I feared I would never find what I had left.