Blooming Where You Are Planted: France, Miss Pennsylvania, and Hearing God

Hey blessed, brilliant, beauties! I feel like it has been forever since I have blogged! Oh my gosh, I have missed it so much! Okay, so I know you must be wondering, “Girl, where have you been these past two months?” Well, let me explain.

Around mid-May to mid-June I had the privilege of studying abroad in Paris, France. The amazing friends that I met (shoutout to my Paris crew) this summer through my program encouraged me that adventure is truly out there. My apartment roommates and I decided to take advantage of our time in Europe and travel to Barcelona, Spain and Brussels, Belgium. And yes, if you were wondering, there were a lot of times we were studying on planes and trains to makes sure we got our homework done on time. School always comes first, loves!

Paris was ughh, I just can’t even put it in words. If you ever get a chance as a young woman to travel, even if it is alone, do it. There is no growth like truly learning who you are by removing everything that is familiar to you.

In Paris, I spent a lot of time writing, reading, watching, listening, and of course, drinking a lot of café au laits. Coming back was a little hard because I liked who I was in Paris—free spirited, always in a bookstore, and adventurous.

Before I knew it I was back on my Delta flight to North Carolina. After I landed back in the United States, I was en route to my final dress fitting for this year’s Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition! Literally, my mom picked me up from Raleigh Durham International Airport and took me straight to An Affair to Remember in Fayetteville, NC.

I am not going to lie, at the time I really wasn’t excited about competing and I was just trying to get it over with. However, it wasn’t until pageant week started that I was completely overwhelmed with an enormous amount of love, new friends, and a confidence in myself that I thought I had lost a while ago.

My favorite part of competing in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition was not only being a top eleven finalist and winning the Miracle Maker Award, but the lasting friendships I made with young women I met. They truly reminded me the importance of serving others and being the best #girlboss you could possibly be.

You see, these girls aren’t your typical pageant girls. They are some of the smartest people I know. You could ask them just about anything in the news and they’ll be able to answer you back with an educated opinion along with some quotes from the New York Times. They have some of the biggest hearts of service I have ever seen. They know all the words to the latest Cardi B (Yes, I am talking about you Abby and Nia) and probably can belt out to Defying Gravity (Syd) in their Wicked Themed workout leggings (my girl, Carolyn). I loved every minute I spent with them during pageant week. Regardless of what changes happen to the Miss America Organization, I hope that the sisterhood doesn’t change one bit.

Before I competed in the state of Pennsylvania, I would always say that my role model was my mom or grandma. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still the most amazing people I know on this Earth, but the girls I met at Miss Pennsylvania this year are truly my role models because they taught me the importance of blooming where you are planted.

Those words use to sit on the cover of my bloom daily planner all last year. I never understood what it truly meant until this summer.

A lot has happened since I have been here in Pittsburgh. A lot of friendships were made, and a lot were lost. There were a lot of moments of hurt, disappointment, and broken hearts.  I can point out so many times where I remember hiding behind a building on campus sobbing my little eyes out because I let some test score, some professor, or some peer of mine define who I was…or who I thought I was.

I wanted to talk about blooming where we are planted because after so many nights of crying to God asking why he sent this southern Carolina girl to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I finally heard him, after three years, tell me that it was because Pittsburgh needed me just as much as I needed Pittsburgh. That went for any place, city, stage, or country He decides to send me.

What I am trying to say is that you can’t help where God sends you on this journey in life. Sure, the idea of a new start is fun, but when you’re separated from your family and everything that is familiar to you, it can be hard. It can be especially difficult to remain true to yourself while allowing God to serve as your guide. However, whether it is to France or the Miss Pennsylvania stage, it doesn’t really matter because the mission God has given me does not change.

Finding that mission is definitely for another blog post but for me, I know it is using my talents and skills to serve other people in whatever capacity I can.

Every year I grow just a little bit more. I take a couple more hits and I cry a little bit more, but that is just such a small percentage of my journey. After those tears dry, I laugh, smile, and decide to pick myself up and make memories with amazing people because I fight for my peace and happiness. I have to. So do you.  I just know that God has bigger plans for me and being negative is not going to help accomplish anything.

So, if you have ever felt any fear, worry, disappointment, or maybe even hate your current situation because of some not so great things that have happened, focus on the mission and bloom where you have been planted. Stay positive and live the best life you can. Don’t forget how blessed you are to have the opportunities you were granted. Trust me, it gets better. The sun will come out tomorrow. Don’t give up on that.

Love you guys and remember, you are blessed, brilliant, and beautiful!

P.S. Thanks to the Miss Pennsylvania Class of 2018 for helping me hear God’s word a little clearer. Thank you for helping me bloom. I love you girls so much! See you soon!

<3TD