Brave?

Brave [breyv]: 1) possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance. 2) to meet or face courageously: to brave misfortunes. 3) to defy; challenge; dare.

Since the moment I announced that I was packing my bags, leaving everyone and everything I knew behind, and moving to the beautiful Appalachian region, I’ve had so many people look at me in shock and say, “Wow! That’s brave!”

I’ve never thought of it as a particularly “brave” thing to do. A little crazy nuts maybe, a little impulsive maybe, but not brave. But each of these people have used exactly that word.

I don’t know if I fully agree but I liked the last definition I found:

To defy; challenge; dare.

I agree with that wholeheartedly.  I defied everyone who didn’t believe I could or should go.  I challenged myself to be something different.  And I dared to believe that I was meant for something more.

I will take that word and wear it with a smile because I’ve learned something about myself… I learned to be brave.