Change of Pace

Prior to the beginning of my tenure with the Presbyterian Church of Danville as Youth Director, I have had many adventures since graduating from college:

-I have worked as a car-salesman (that's another story), substitute teacher, Starbucks barista, outdoor education instructor, summer-camp counselor, and assistant program director.

-I have tasted different cultures in 24 states and 7 countries.

-I have made and lost contact with many friends.

There was much movement in the two years after college, and many people were surprised when they heard I had settled down in the town of my alma mater. I surprised myself, but I was finally encountered a change of pace. No, I am not in the rugged mountains of Colorado, where within two-hours driving radius is any majestical outdoor beauty imaginable. I am not traveling, pilgrimaging around, discovering new and different cultures...

I am in Danville, Kentucky. And have been here since December of 2007.

The change was an adjustment, to say the least. As time has moved on since my arrival, I was met with emotions of bitterness, apathy, and regret. How I longed to be back in Colorado, backpacking with students in the wilderness for weeks on end.

These emotions eventually subsided, and others took their place: a sense of rebirth, stability, searching, becoming. I have always been on the go. Now I have found myself in a place where time seems to have come to a standstill. The opportunity to discover intellectual capabilities, spiritual awakenings, and physical fortitude is at hand.

I could wither this time away, feeding myself with shallow pacifiers of movies, TV shows, pointless internet surfing, fast-food, and compulsive sports-following (which can be, at times, good things). Or, I could challenge myself during this time by reading and researching stimulating books, defining what I am passionate about, challenging myself physically, and being intentional with friends and family. I chose the latter.

Danville has a lot to offer, and treating it as such will open many doors. Now I find myself within a two-hours driving radius of family and friends of the past. And, as a wise man once told me, "You might discover the world out in Colorado, but you might discover Mars here [in Danville]."

On to Mars...

This blog will account my travels, adventures, and discoveries while living in this Godforsaken town of Danville, Kentucky.

(To read the blog that inspired "Whereabouts in Danville," visit http://mark-mallman.blogspot.com/)