A girl named Chuck

There is a story behind the name "Chuck". That's not really my name... it's not anywhere near my real name (which is Nicole). I just recently returned home from serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's where I got the nickname "Chuck" from. My family doesn't even call me Chuck. Only a handful of people even know me as Chuck. However, I like it and I think it makes for a fun blog title- whose story I am getting around to telling.

First the story of how I got the name Chuck. As I write, I realize that the story isn't even that interesting but I think it'll help explain the title so I'm going to share it. As missionaries, we go by "Elder or Sister [insert last name]". Our identity become tied into our last name and that's who we are for 18 months to 2 years. My first three months of my mission, I served with a companion, Sister B, who liked nicknames. She searched in vain for a nickname for me. Finally after our first 6 weeks together, she settled upon "Chuck". The reason being my love for Converse All Star sneakers which I dubbed, "Chuck". I became Chuck. There were only a handful of people who called me Chuck- there was a rule about having nicknames in the mission. I wasn't very obedient with that rule, I suppose.

I had another companion, Sister M, from a foreign country who preferred Chuck over my last name... easier to say. I would always be Chuck to her. Now for the story behind the name of this blog. Being a missionary is very hard. It has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my whole 24 years of life. Sometimes, I would get so discouraged. I would just feel like it wasn't worth it. Sister M, upon seeing my discouragement, would smile at me and say to me, "Smile always Chuck". Those words would help me break through the low points and press forward. As we continued to serve around each other at various times in the proceeding 12 months, we would say it to each other. "Smile always."

I wanted to start a new blog because I'm a new person. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a hopeless romantic... don't think that will ever change. But there is a difference in who I was before and who I am now. Don't we all deserve a fresh start? This is an experiment of sorts. I don't know if this blog is going to be much different than my old one but I like the idea of a clean slate.

So who is Chuck? Chuck is a mixture of The Hopeless Romantic, my real life counterpart: Nicole, and anything else I've become in the last 18 months. I don't have a clue who I am right now or what my future holds. I guess you could say that I'm on a journey to find myself and my purpose in this world.

This is a girl named Chuck.

Smile Always,

Chuck