“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.” - Maya Angelou

This blog is supposed to be about my travels and journeys, but there is no way I could pass up the chance to veer from the path for just a minute to shout out my fave girl.

All of Camryn's life, I made decisions with the thought that what lay ahead would always provide us with better than we had.  Each new job I took meant big changes for her, changes that, to a child, were life shattering.  She moved from school to school (9 in total) from the time she entered until she graduated last June.  She would make friends and then be forced to leave them shortly thereafter. She learned to be alone in a crowded room and be completely OK.  She had grown accustomed to being the new girl, and while many would have worn that badge like a scarlet A, she seemed to place it squarely on her chest more as a badge of honor that screamed, "You should get to know me.  It just might change your life." LOL  She grew more confident in herself with each passing year.  She is funny, smart, personable, sometimes moody and a bit mouthy, but always affectionate and extremely compassionate.

2017 Convocation

Over the years, she was thrown a lot of those proverbial curve balls.  With the death of Papa at the midpoint in her 9th grade year,  I worried about how she might find her footing again, but it was wasted worry.  She kept marching to the beat of her own drum and never took a misstep academically.   She landed each quarter of every year very safely on the honor roll, her resilience and motivation on constant display.    She finished high school as an honor graduate (earning a full scholarship along the way) and focused her sights on college.  Little did she know, the new curve ball coming would be the biggest yet and test the very strength of her being.

With my decision to move to Kuwait, she was forced to grow up in a way she probably never imagined.  She was essentially on her own at 16 and would have to become an adult, ready or not.  All I could do was pray that once again this change wouldn't be catastrophic for her, and as always, she keeps meeting and beating the challenges placed before her.

She tackled her first semester by taking on 18 hours and another 17 second semester.   Because of the credits she earned while in high school, in January she was classified as a sophomore and has earned her rightful place on the Freshman Honor Roll and the Dean's list. Her travels here to visit me during the holidays have opened up new ideas for her, and she is even considering studying abroad so she can continue to travel the world.

As we countdown to her 18th birthday this August, I am faced with accepting that my fave girl is definitely growing up.   I absolutely love watching who she is becoming and am super proud of all that she has accomplished.  She has definitely gone out and grabbed the world by the lapel, kicking ass and taking names along the way.  I can't wait to see what life has in store.   I just hope the world is ready for her because she is coming!!