My Letter to Future Goers
Dear future Goers, You are about to embark on quite the adventure. You may "know" what you're getting into - teaching English, running a business, or working with a church - but you won't really know what you're getting into until you get there. Some of you may fall in love with your work or your host culture. Others of you may struggle to love it. You may feel lonely, outcast, and confused, but that's okay. Wherever you land on the spectrum, your journey is your journey and no one else's. As hard as it may be at times, cherish every moment and make the most of what you've been given. Don't… Read more >>
The Thing About Two Years
Before I left for Thailand, two years seemed like a long time. As a young 20-something, it’s hard to imagine committing two years of your life to anything. Still, many assured me two years wasn’t that long, which I agreed to, even if just intellectually. My time in Thailand only affirmed my initial thoughts. At times, homesickness made the two years seem even longer. As time went on, time and distance made home seem increasingly further away, both in retrospect and in looking forward. It took all I had to be present there, made even more difficult by my future-mindedness. I even remember… Read more >>
Transitioning Home
I’ve been back in the States for a little over two weeks now. Coming back from Thailand, we first landed in L.A., after which we had a four-day debrief retreat and our internship officially ended. Since my alma mater, many friends, and old mentors are all in the area I extended my stay before finally going home to the Northwest. My time in L.A. was full, both schedule-wise and emotionally. Seeing so many people who love and support me was an incredible blessing, something I needed upon returning home. Still, it was a relief finally flying home, because I was finally able to catch my breath… Read more >>
A Wind of Change
As most if not all of us know (though hopefully all of us have learned this by now), life doesn't always turn out like we plan. That's been especially true for me lately as things have taken a pretty significant turn. For a variety of reasons, my supervisors decided to end the internship early, meaning I'm less than three weeks away from going home... for good. I would not have anticipated that two years ago, heck, even two months ago, but like I said, life doesn't always turn out like we plan. About a month ago now, I was posed with the question, "If Jesus was standing right in front of… Read more >>