The top of my dashboard says “Howdy,” so I’m really tempted to do the same.
Resist! Resist!
Don’t succumb to it!
Deny the pressure!
Don’t do it!
Don’t!
No!
Nooooooo!
Howdy, everyone!
My name is Kristen McKell. I’m a recent
graduate from Ohio Northern University with a degree in political science (international relations), criminal justice, and sociology. I grew up in a small town in southern Ohio with my parents and five younger sisters. Yep, I’m the oldest of six girls, two of whom are adopted from China. My interests include: reading, knitting, Netflix bingeing, romantic dinners, and long walks on the beach. Okay… I was kidding about those last two. I’m cool with a burger, fries, and a milkshake. Also, I’m too lazy to walk on the beach; I’d rather just lay on my blanket and read a good book.
Since I can remember, traveling and adventures have been a part of my life. Both of my parents loved to take family trips and encouraged my sisters and I to explore the world for ourselves. As such, I started traveling overseas at the ripe old age of 11. Since then, I have travelled to 16 countries and gained many amazing experiences. This next year, I have the wonderful opportunity to live in Beijing, China and teach English with the company English First. This is the first time that I am living overseas for an extended period. Not only that, but I’ll also be living on my own *yippee*. (Almost) Every time I’ve traveled out of the country, I’ve kept a blog. So, here we go again.
I’m keeping this blog for a few reasons.
- To keep everyone back home updated on my goings on over here. For those of you that don’t know, I have a HUGE family back home, and now they’re spread all over the country (hello Seattle, Memphis, and Erie, PA). Additionally, many friends have asked to be kept updated. It’s a lot easier and takes a lot less time to update a blog than to tell each of them everything that happens while I’m over here.
- To help other people. I spent a lot of time online looking for packing lists, advice about housing, and answers to many other burning questions. For those who are looking for a great site about China, I strongly recommend the blog Beijing Expat Guide. It has a lot of stuff for you to check out. The (hopeful) appeal of my blog is that it has more specific details.
- To be an ally for others. I’m a recent college grad trying to figure out where Abba is taking me next. As of right now, it’s China, but who knows what lays ahead of me. If you’re another girl in her 20s trying to figure out her way, I hope this is a place where you can seek comfort, or at least commiserate. Some details may be different — you can probably communicate with your grocery store clerk fairly easily — but maybe you can see a bit of yourself in my story. Maybe this blog will bring you some comfort.
This blog is real! I’m not going to lie or pretend to be anything I’m not. I don’t want to sugar-coat this experience. Believe me, I know this journey isn’t going to be easy. There are going to be some hard times and probably many teary nights. Yet, I believe that Abba wants me to take this leap of faith. He wants me here for something. So through it all, I am going to trust in Him. I pray that the Me you see in this blog is a good representation of that, but be aware that I’m going to struggle.
Wow, that took a little bit of a solemn turn. Oops. And on that note, I hope that you enjoy your stay here. Some of my posts are funny and witty, or at least I think so. I promise, not everything is super heavy. Actually, most is simply talking about touristy trips with a lot of pictures and gushing about history. Anyway, feel free to simply poke around or find out some more about me. Leave me a comment or message if you want.
待会儿见,
Kristen
Disclaimer: The devotional I use to set my “words to remember” and “challenge” is The Message: Solo – An Uncommon Devotional by Eugene H. Peterson. If you would like to follow along with the actual devotional, I encourage you to purchase the book (mine is the year long version). If you click on the title, it has the link for Amazon Smile, which donates a portion of your payment to the charity of your choosing. I would also encourage you to try to find it in your local Ch—stian bookstore (always support locally if possible). I also use other devotionals depending on the season. The information and links are listed below.
Advent Devotional: Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado