Expect the Unexpected

HOW GOD "TRICKED" ME INTO ATTENDING WYD


Yes, I feel like I got tricked. But it was a good trick. More like a surprise that grows with time.

At this point, it's around April 2010 and I am discerning heavily about going to Madrid. I did some research and found out that World Youth Day is a very misleading title. WYD is actually for Young Adults (ages 18-39), not Youth (Jr. and Sr. High School). It also lasts about a week, not one day. Interesting, no?

I also found out about a program called Days in the Diocese where one diocese in the world is paired with a diocese in Spain and have a pre-WYD program full of cultural activities in a small intimate environment. This sounded like an excellent opportunity to me and I read everything I could about it. This option was not available in Austin, or if Ashley and I tried to travel with a random national group as individuals. Then I found the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

San Antonio is about 70 miles south of where I live in Austin. They were offering the DID program and had very affordable plans. I would be able to go to Spain for 2 weeks for less than all the other options I had found. True, the conditions were "simple" (i.e. no hotel) but I was ready for a pilgrimage, not a vacation. Plus after my traveling experiences I was not afraid of roughing it. I'm young, right?

At the same time, I was offered two freelance graphic design jobs. Both would have helped me pay for the Spain payments. After talking with Ashley about San Antonio's travel plan and prices, we decided to sign up for WYD. Hooray! I was stoked because I had the extra money that was going to come in and help pay for it, we got a good deal, and we were going to Spain! Hip Hip Hooray!

About a month after we signed up and paid our deposit (August 2010) God threw me a curveball and BOTH graphic design jobs fell through before I could get started -- or paid. I already had committed to WYD and had been graciously given permission to miss 2.5 weeks of work. I was stuck.

I prayed about it a lot. After a lookover of my budget, I realized that if I gave up shopping and other extra luxuries like going out to eat, coffee at Starbucks and Jamba Juice runs, that I could afford the monthly payments. 10 monthly payments. I can do this. My boss even asked if I was looking for sponsors or doing any fund raising. After I thought about it, I told him that I wasn't planning on it. I figured that if I had a full-time job, I would be able to sacrifice what I didn't need in order to save up for this trip.

This was part of God's plan. Now that it's July 2011 and I am leaving in one month, I can honestly say that I have been preparing for this trip for over a year. Not only have I been sacrificing financially, I have been doing it for the preparation of this trip. I think once August comes and goes that I will have a much better experience knowing that I worked hard to be able to get to where I am.

Isn't that what life is all about?

fbt&<3
Sabrina