A not so ordinary day...

I woke up for work this morning with the renewed hope that today could be the day. Today I could get that email that would change my life completely.

So just as I had done every one of the past {229 days}, I checked my email once again to find... nothing. Again. Just another, normal day. I told myself once again... not today. Keep waiting. Live in the moment. It will happen (right?)

So that's what I did. I went to work. Smiled at my customers. Handed them their food. Gave them their checks and wished them a very happy rest of their week. Just another normal day...

Until it wasn't.

:)

As usual, (because checking once every 24 hours, or even every 24 minutes, never had been able to stamp out my hope) I couldn't even wait until I got home to check my email. I picked up my phone the second I was back in my car, opened up my email (thank goodness for smartphones) and there it was. I knew it from the title. It wasn't just another wait list email.

Adjudicación de plaza. And the first few lines appeared. Andalucía, España.

My placement. My car could barely contain my excitement. For pete's sake the entire city probably couldn't. So I went for a drive.

Being the task-oriented person I am, I had to stick to the day's agenda. So I continued on my planned trip to the grocery. As I entered the store it was all I could do not to run in and shout at the top of my lungs like a girl in a bad chick-flick... "IT HAPPENED! IT HAPPENED! THEY REALLY DO WANT ME!" proceeding to hug every person in sight... Instead, I held my breath and translated my excitement into a ridiculous, swooning-girl-in-love kind of grin.

Later, in the privacy of my own home, I allowed myself to shout, hop, scream, dance, laugh and cry. And when I finally managed to contain myself (well, kind of)... I began to call every single person to whom I had spent the past 7 1/2 months worrying to about whether or not this day would ever come. Luckily for me, they shared my joy.

At this point some of you might be thinking... Isn't this reaction a little over the top? Why are you even telling us all this? And, let's be honest, isn't all this detail just a tad bit dramatic? And let me say, you would be right. It is over the top. It is dramatic. And the rest of the world might not care in the least. But I thought you might be able to relate. After all, we've all been there. Maybe you've never dreamed of traveling to a foreign country. Maybe you've never even had to wait so long for something you wanted so badly. But we've all dreamed desperately for something. And however long you waited for it, it still felt agonizingly long. Maybe you're still waiting.

I wanted to share this story with you, every detail of it, because I know you must know how it feels. That overwhelming joy that is attaining what you've hoped for for so long. And if you haven't yet experienced that release, let this be a sign unto you: miracles do happen. I know this... from experience ;)

Of course, it's easy to take the credit for myself. After all, I did work hard, wait for what seemed to be a very long time, and I got it! But I know deep down that none of this would have happened if it wasn't a part of my purpose. I know I was made for a reason. This wasn't a random occurrence in my life. All the hard work in the world couldn't have gotten me here if it wasn't where I was meant to be.

So I thank God for this gift. This opportunity that will allow me to be a part of so much, learn so much, grow so much and share it all with others.

Today (finally!) was not such an ordinary day.