I rode the bus home from salsa lessons with a heart gaping for companionship and a man to rub his hand on my back and kiss my forehead as I lay my head on his shoulder. It wasn't an unusual feeling as the lonely bug had been riding me for weeks like a first-place surfer at the Quicksilver Jaws Big Wave Challenge. Unlike Atlanta, London unfolds like a living romance novel—lovers with fingers intertwined like delicate vines, parents guiding wobbling bicycles while children's laughter dances on the wind, and couples stealing kisses that linger in the misty air as you navigate the brisk cement sidewalks.

In this raw and intimate reflection, Charlene shares her transformative journey from Atlanta to London - a path that began with emptying her closet and led to emptying herself. After a divine encounter at a spiritual retreat in 2022, her life took unexpected turns: scaling down her business, moving from a house to a studio apartment, and navigating changes in motherhood. Through each surrender - from designer blazers to client contracts - she discovers that God's greatest transformations often begin with letting go. As she prepares to trade Atlanta's blue skies for London's fog, Charlene reflects on how packing light became about much more than just luggage; it became a testament to trusting God's plan and embarking on a divine adventure with nothing more than an empty closet and a willing heart.

Valentine's Day wasn't always my reality of love. As a child, I saw it through rose-tinted glasses - a magical day when cupid's arrows brought together souls from all walks of life. But years of empty doorsteps taught me a different story. Now, watching masked delivery men carry bouquets through city streets, I understand how love arrives unexpectedly, often through unlikely messengers. My journey from childhood fantasy to deep understanding came not through romance, but through friendship, faith, and finally learning to stay present with both beauty and imperfection. This is a story about discovering that love isn't just about waiting at the doorstep - it's about recognizing it in its simplest forms, even in the very air filling your lungs.