Hi, and welcome to my (new) blog! After discovering how much I loved blogging last year while on the World Race, I decided to create my own corner of the internet where I can continue to share about my life and what the Lord is teaching me. (If you’d like to check out my World Race site, click here.)
In case you missed the big news, I just recently stuffed (almost) all of my earthly belongings into my little gold Accord and moved halfway across the country to a place called Bentonville, Arkansas. Most people know of Bentonville as the birthplace of Walmart, but don’t be embarrassed if you didn’t already know that little tidbit of ‘common knowledge’ (I didn’t, until I decided to move here). I arrived here late Sunday evening with no furniture, no job, and knowing exactly one person – my housemate, Bailey. I shared a little about why I made this move in the last post on World Race blog, which you can read here, but I’ll likely talk more about this decision in future posts. The Lord has already been so, so faithful in this new season, and I can’t wait to celebrate His goodness with you!
For this first post, though, I’ll just share a few moments from my roadtrip and my first few days here in Bentonville!
I’ve said goodbye to this house many times, but it’s only ever been for a set amount of time. It sure felt strange to drive away not knowing when I’d be back again. There in the driveway is my little loaded-down Accord!
This is Billy the Roadtrip Buddy aka my World Race backpack topped by my small straw hat collection. Billy never said much, but was otherwise a great traveling companion!
Technically my first stop was in
Knoxville, TN, but I decided to meet up with some friends near Gatlinburg to go for a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains first.
It was a wonderful time of enjoying nature and wandering off the beaten path with some sweet friends from the CRU summer project I did in Charleston a few summers ago!
Day 2 of the roadtrip was a long one – I drove from Knoxville, TN to Bentonville, AR, making several stops for coffee and food along the way! Two of my favorite stops- Crema, a coffee shop in Nashville, and Huey’s Burger’s in Memphis! Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving when the burger selfie was taken (If you must know, I was sitting in the parking lot at Starbucks…)
I finally made it Bentonville late on Sunday evening, and enjoyed a happy reunion with Bailey as we relished the excitement of our first night together in our little cottage. We’d been dreaming about this day for what felt like forever, and suddenly here we were – a new season had begun!
After sleeping on the floor for the better part of 11 months on the Race, having some extra blankets to tuck around my inflatable sleeping pad feels like a luxury! It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll do until I’m able to get a real bedframe!
And here is my new home! We’re calling it The Cottage, and it is just the cutest little place. Luckily I snapped this picture early on my first morning, because it has rained here in Bentonville every single day since! This next week promises to be sunny and beautiful, so I’m looking forward to exploring the nearby trails and parks this week!
My first day or so was spent poring over brochures and relocation guides for the Northwest Arkansas region and creating my Bentonville Bucket List, which currently features items like, “Visit the Walmart museum and get ice cream from the famous soda fountain!” and “Go scuba-diving, spelunking, or stand-up paddleboarding at Beaver Lake” Here’s to a season of exploring and lots of new adventures!
That’s all for now, but stay tuned for an upcoming post where I’ll invite you to celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness in already providing a job for me here in Bentonville! I can’t wait to tell you all about it. As always,
with love and wanderlust,
Cassady