Summer highlights

If I had to sum up my summer in one phrase, it would be quality time.  The last three consecutive years I've had major summer events of some sort that kept me pretty busy (Argentina, Meg's wedding, then Argentina again), making this summer feel a bit low key. Somehow though, it was still jam packed, and as always, there were things I hoped to do that didn't happen. 

The highlight for sure was the quality time that I got with so many different people.  

One definite highlight of any trip to Michigan is my time with my friends Katie and Cora and their families. If anyone wants tips on how to keep their kids connected to relatives who live far away, these ladies are great models.  It brings me so much joy to see the kids' little faces at the front window when I drive up. Despite the fact that I've lived out of the country for most or all of their short lives, their moms make sure that they know me. I am so thankful for the time I had with them this summer! 

Making and then playing our own board game with Cora and her kids. 

Another highlight was the time I got to spend with my brother Matt. Between my five days in New York and his three in Michigan, I felt like I had more time with him than I have in years.  I also loved that I got to enjoy both of my brothers' cooking this summer. I don't know many (or any!) other expats who return home looking forward to the dinner their brother is going to make for them! 

A rather unexpected highlight was that by the end of the summer, I had managed to see, at least briefly, every single one of my aunts and uncles on both sides of the family.  I think there are 20 of them, and with so many people out of town during the summer months, it was a remarkable feat.  It also meant that I got a lot of time with my family and extended family in general, and that is always awesome.  They are the roots that give me the wings to fly here.  Within the aunt and uncle highlight was the particular time I got with my aunt and uncle in San Jose.  It was really special to get that one-on-one (or two) time with them and I can't wait to go back. 

In California with Aunt Leona and Uncle Dave

A long awaited highlight was the time I got with my friend Holly in Central California.  Ever since she made the decision to leave Bangkok we've were planning this trip and it did not disappoint.  I love that we had hours and hours to talk and that I got to see a little snipet of her life in California.  

With Holly :)

My final weekend in the States brought several great highlights of food and company. My friends Katie and Amy, who I skated with many years ago and both live out of state now, we're both in Ann Arbor visiting family. We had a chance to catch up over a long dinner at Bigalora Friday night. I'm not sure the last time that all three of us were together, but I think it was in the ballpark of five years ago. Then Saturday I went out for a farewell dinner with my mom  and siblings (we missed you Matt and Andrew!) at Bacco, which was amazing. Every single course was just perfect. Then on Sunday we had a bridal shower for my cousin at Bigalora Royal Oak and I wrapped up the weekend with breakfast with Katie and Amy on Monday before a Tuesday morning departure. Whew! 

The most anticipated highlight (and it lived up to its billing) was the quality time I got with my nephew.  I got time with him at family events, time with him at his house, one-on-one time babysitting him, and time with him at Aunts and Elliot Day. It was awesome to be there to see him roll over for the first time and watch him grow and develop over the course of the six weeks.  He was definitely longer and gigglier by the time I left, and he had just learned to sit up and had started eating cereal.  He is just absolutely delightful and I miss him terribly!  In addition to the joy of meeting him, I also really liked seeing my sister and brother-in-law as parents.  They're doing a great job :)  

The day we first met. Yes, I bought him that onesie :) 

What a great mom she is! 

Too cute! 

Our last day together- sitting up like a big boy! 

There were so many other quality time moments sprinkled throughout my summer that made it a lot of fun to be back.  It's never easy to leave everyone and the adjustment back can be a bit rough, but somehow the working crazy hours has made it a bit easier in that at least I don't feel the quiet quite so much.  I'm thankful for all the quality time that God blessed me with on my trip!  

California Dreamin

This past week I had the privilege to spend some time with family and friends in Central and Northern California. I had a few days with my friend Holly and then a few days with my Aunt Leona and Uncle Dave. Holly and I taught together at ICS before she moved to Central California a year ago. We started our trip in San Jose, traveling down the coast through Monterey, Carmel, and the Big Sur area, before catching the sunset in Cambria and finishing our drive at her home in Paso Robles. The drive was absolutely stunning, as was the company. We had a great breakfast with Holly's family the next morning and then we spent Friday in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo and had oceanside apps and cocktails at Avila Beach before another beautiful sunset. It was so good to spend time with Holly after just talking via Skype for the last year!

On Saturday, Dave and Leona joined us for wine tasting in the Paso Robles region. With most of my wine tasting experience coming in deep Argentine reds and Malbecs, it was a lot of fun to taste a variety of wines from small vineyards in the area. At the end of the day, We ended the day at my uncle's favorite brewery, and then I head back to San Jose with them

After a lazy Sunday morning, Dave, Leona, and I went for a beach walk and tide pool exploration in Carmel. The sunny weather was perfect and it was a refreshing change to be on a gorgeous beach that wasn't 95 degrees and humid! We explored the charming town of Carmel a bit before heading to the Monterey Aquarium for their summer live music evening. The aquarium itself was amazing, and that much more fun for the evening atmosphere (and lack of hoards of children). For my last day we drove north to Napa for a couple of tours and tastings, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine to visit Napa Valley. It lived up to everything I imagined, and more. We had a special dinner at home that night before I flew out the next morning. 

It was a wonderful week that left me asking, can I do this every year? 

New York!

This past weekend I got to go to New York to visit my brother.  I love NYC, but I've been several times in the last few years so we decided to spend some time outside the city and rented an Airbnb in the Catskills for two nights.  I got some time in lower Manhattan on Friday before while Matt worked and then we drove north with his girlfriend, his dog, and his roommate's dog.  It was a crowded car, but it worked.  Like any good up north trip, our activities primarily consisted of hiking and discussing, planning, preparing, and eating great meals.  Our cabin was next to a pond near the small town of Walden, NY.  Almost like being at Walden Pond, almost.  The cabin had a screened in porch overlooking the pond that we found was the perfect breakfast spot. And appetizer spot. And dinner spot. 

Saturday was cold and a bit wet so our hike got cut a bit short and we had a nice big lunch in town before heading back and going for a long walk in the woods behind the cabin.  On Sunday afternoon we hiked in Harriman State Park on our way back to the city.  It was a beautiful day, gorgeous hike in the hills, and perfect ending to the trip.  On Monday I got my city fix with a visit to the Tenement Museum, Central Park, the MET, and a cafe while Matt worked and then a great evening with dinner and drinks in the Lower East Side.  Tuesday I got time in Matt's neighborhood, Ridgewood, which I really enjoy, before flying back to Detroit.  I can't wait to go back next year!  

Saturday hike to the waterfall in Minnewaska State Park 

Wildflowers and woods behind the cabin. 

Start of the Sunday hike in Harriman State Park 

Lunch in Central Park 

Michigan Adventures

Following my time in New York, I've spent the last two weeks bouncing around Michigan, some time in Detroit/Ann Arbor, then Grand Rapids, some time Up North, and now back to Detroit/Ann Arbor. I've had a great time and have had good quality time with so many people. It's hard to believe that my summer is quickly coming to an end. I fly back on Thursday and start work next Monday! 

Clockwise from top left: an evening on Portage Lake, sisters overlooking the 18th green of Arcadia Bluffs, dune climb (I did not make it to the top), Mike putting on the 18th, and Lake Michigan view at the end of my run. 

Clockwise from top left: lunch at the new brewery in Frankfort, the Portage Lake channel into the big lake, view from wine tasting in Leelenau, boat ride on Lake Michigan, Thai spicy steak salad made by Mike as part of our Thai diner. 

Our trip Up North was in honor of my mom's birthday, which isn't until August but this is when we could all be there. We had a great birthday dinner on the last night and got a family picture that even has me in it :) 

Last night I had a chance to see most of the Collins women one last time for a fun evening with lots of laughter. 

New York weekend

Like many people, I love New York. Luckily, my brother moved there 3 years ago :) This past weekend I got to go visit and spend a few days with him and enjoy one of my favorite cities. One thing I really enjoy when I travel is exploring neighborhoods, so we spent some time walking and biking around Queens and Brooklyn. We took the dog for a walk, played catch in the park, visited Matt's plot at the community garden, and ate at some favorite local spots. I got to eat Mexican, Dominican, Korean, Argentine, and Italian food, as well as fish and veggies on the grill. On Sunday afternoon we biked across Brooklyn to the New York Transport Musuem and Prospect Park. It was also really fun to be there during the World Cup and watch a few of those games. The highlight for me of any trip to New York is seeing a play, so on Saturday night we went to see The Cripple of Inishmaan. It was a fantastic play (hilarious dialogue but also deep and thoughtful) and great evening. Of course, the best part of the weekend was getting to do all these things with my brother :) 

Off again!

After five great days in Michigan, I leave in a few hours for a two week stop in Buenos Aires to visit with dear friends and former students. The past few days have been full of family and friends and good food, and luckily a fair amount of sleep too. From family dinners with a backyard bonfire to my Grandpa's birthday party and dinner with friends to being Godmother to a delightful baby girl, it has been a wonderful whirlwind start to my summer. Tomorrow morning, just in time for the start of the World Cup, I will be in winter for the first time in two years. While I will relish the chance to bundle up and drink tea, I am sure there will be plenty of complaining to go with those cooler temps. My goal for this summer as I pinball from place to place constantly? Just be there. Wherever I am, be fully there. 

So happy to be there with these dear friends for Josephine's big day! 

Home on the range: initial impressions in America

You would think after so many years and trips back to the US that these sorts of things wouldn't surprise me anymore, but I still get a good chuckle, every time. 

- It's cold at night. I'm not used to the temperature dropping much overnight or thinking to bring warmer clothes if I will be out in the evening. Last night, I ended up in my dress and cardigan plus my sister-in-law's pants, socks, and jacket. With a cup of tea. I was quite a picture. 

- Meijer. I usually try to avoid big box stores for a few days, but I wound up at Meijer twice within the first day and a half. I was completely overwhelmed by the juice aisle. Not the juice section or shelf or whatever, but an entire massive aisle of juice and juice-like beverages. Crazy. 

- Americans. This country is full of em. Never ceases to amaze me. 

- Green. And not just in the countryside. But green and space and large patches of grass. Everywhere. 

- Running into a friend from high school in the produce section at Meijer. Since I don't come "home" to my hometown, I don't really expect that. It was so out of context that I was blanking out on her name for half the conversation, but definitely even weirder for her- at least I knew that I was in the country! 

- Food. So much of it. So delicious. 

- Being outside. In Bangkok, due to many factors like space, heat, pollution, noise, etc. people rarely have outdoor entertaining spaces, but yesterday I got to spend most of the day enjoying beautiful decks and backyards at my aunt and uncle's house, and then at my brother and sister-in-laws. We even had a bonfire after dinner! 

Seattle area visit

Last week I had the chance to fly out to the Seattle area for a few days to visit my friend and and her family. It was my first trip to the Pacific Northwest and I love it, even if it was a bit cool out. My friends live in Poulsbo, a small town across Puget Sound from Seattle. It was an ideal base for exploring, and it was also nice to just have some down time with them, especially their three month old, Jack, whose life is a little miracle. Like many trips to new places, I have now added about ten more places to my list of places to go and things to do.

Setting off on our hike on Hurricane Ridge

Doesn't it just make you want to bust out with The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music? 

Flowers at Pike Place Market- huge bouquets for $5 or $10! 

Seattle from the ferry

Happy smiling baby Jack

Poulsbo marina as we walked into town

I tried to capture the charm of downtown Poulsbo but cars kept getting in the way! I loved all the unique shops, cares, and restaurants- not a chain store to be had. 

Unwind and recharge Up North

For most English speakers, up north is a direction. For Michiganders, it is a place. The day after the wedding my mom and I went Up North to relax and unwind after the craziness. My friends, their munchkins, and their mom were able to join us for the first few days at Lorien. I loved having ample downtime with them, and Lorien is an ideal place to give kids lots of freedom. The days were a bit chilly, but the kids swam and we sprinkled our days with the playground, walks, happy hour, and campfires. The kids were really into roasting marshmallows (i.e. setting them in fire and trying to blow them out) before proudly presenting them to one of the adults, who in turn tossed it in the fire. You can only eat so many marshmallows. Cheap entertainment. On Tuesday night my brother and sister in law joined us, which means my brother took over the grilling and made us slow smoked ribs. Yum. On the fourth we went and visited my aunt, uncle, cousins, and Grampa who were staying about an hour away. At my uncle's hunting lodge, I celebrated America by shooting a gun for the first time, actually, two guns. Petty fun. 

We had great weather the entire week and I loved the lazy mornings (and afternoons) and a chance to be Up North n the summer for the first time in quite a number of years. 

Beautiful lazy afternoon to sit and read

The boys playing on the slide

I shot some sort of rifle thingy, and this revolver 

Once upon a time in Michigan

I have several half finished blog posts just sitting here right now, none of them quite hitting the mark of a heart bursting with emotions. So happy to be here, so enjoying awesome moments, so full of God, yet recognizing the bits of sorrow that often get intertwined. The life of an expat is many things, but it's never simple.

I rejoice at all the little luxuries available to me, from an abundance of cheese to driving a car to dealing with customer service reps in my up-front fix-it-now American way. And I get flustered when I can't ever quite get the directions right to get places, when the culture of stuff makes me cringe, when being an one event reminds me of all the others I have missed.

It has been a fantastic ten days since I landed at Metro, jam packed with family, friends, celebration, good food, and lots of just being there. Michigan is beautiful in summer, even if I do need my cardigan a lot, and I have enjoyed being outside instead of hibernating in the air con of Bangkok. In some ways there is everything to blog about- a trip to Grand Rapids, a year's worth of shopping, throwing the bridal shower, meeting my six week old cousin, hanging out with friends- and in other ways there is nothing to blog about because it's all been so blissfully easy and fun and normal.

As always when I travel back and forth, I am struck by God's consistency and faithfulness, how his presence gives me a foundation that doesn't shift or change no matter where I am. As I lose my routine (which is really so good for me to do, lest I become tooooo attached to it) and struggle at times to find consistent time with God, he never fails to show up, never fails to provide, even in my wishy-washyness. His love continues to surround me, but it's up to me to lean on it.

Toto, we're not in Thailand anymore

Ten things that tell me this is not Thailand:

1. Sleeping with the window open, and cool, no cold, air coming in.
2. Leaving my breakfast plate on the table, crumbs and all, not having to wash it instantly and it won't be full of ants!
3. Eating lunch on the restaurant's patio and getting goosebumps in the breeze.
4. Streaming Pandora radio.
5. Eating steak. Real beef. On the grill.
6. Listening to the radio in the car and singing at the top of my lungs.
7. Buying pants that fit me. And dresses. And skirts. And shirts. And shorts. And a pair of shoes...
8. Wearing jeans outside, and cardigans.
9. Despite all the talk of "humidity", needing to apply lotion and chap stick every five minutes.
10. Seeing my sister nearly every day this week!

Cultural stress

Cultural stress is distinctly different from other kinds of stress. Cultural stress is what happens when you feel like an idiot because you didn't know the system and got in the wrong line. It is not being able to easily communicate what you need, or not being understood when you are doing so. It is walking past your favorite noodle stand only to have the smell make you crave grilled cheese and veggie sticks, and not noodles. Anything but noodles.  Cultural stress is what happens when you realize it is actually harder, longer, and more expensive to do something in your home country but you're going to wait anyhow because you just can't face another unknown, another thing to figure out. It is wanting to watch mindless television that you can actually understand. It is wanting to be able to understand your friends (culturally, not linguistically) and wishing they could understand you. It is being totally overwhelmed by the list of errands you have for the first few days you are home, and then realizing it is no big deal because you actually know where to get those items, or how to get them, or how to get yourself to that store. Cultural stress is being tired, not necessarily of anything in particular, but just tired, and feeling the weight of being an out of place foreigner in a very real way, even though nothing specific has happened.

By the time I land in Detroit on Saturday night, it will be 11 months and 2 days since I was last in my home culture, aside from a short overnight layover in Chicago last July. That's a long time for me, the longest I have ever been out of the US. And even though I am no longer in my first year here, the compounding factor of those 11 months and 2 days means that I am really feeling the cultural stress these days. Add to that the end of the school year stress and the stress of all the events that the month of June holds, and I am a bit of a wreck. Today, I managed to only dissolve into tears a few times and threaten my students with the firing squad once, or maybe twice.

I am so so blessed to be here, and I love my life in Thailand, but God Bless America, I can't wait to be on US soil!

Missings

I love my life- where I live and what I do- but I also really miss some things. Here are a few of them:

• Good inexpensive cheese. And Kraft Cheddar, that too. 
• Spring and fall.  Okay, I admit it, I'm looking forward to spring in China.  
• Being able to ask what kind of sauce comes on everything instead of automatically saying NO SAUCE. 
• Sunday family dinners.
• Watching Benji and Xander and all the other little people grow up. 
• My cousins. 
• Shopping at Jade. 
• The convenience of driving and having a car, especially in the rain.  
• Texting with my siblings. 
• Really amazing salads at restaurants, the ones with strawberries or walnuts or mandarin oranges or things like that. And real greens.  
• A big, fat, juicy, lean steak.  
• Swimming in fresh water lakes. 

At least I'll get to experience almost all of these when I'm home in June and July. Probably all of them except for the spring and fall part :) 

Election 2012: Why I don't really care

I'm not a big fan of politics.  Social justice, yes.  Political history, yes.  Current politics? Nah.  I do enjoy hearing my family discourse about it, but only because they are interested and educated and civil in their debates, I mean, discussions.  But I also really like what someone once said about my Gramma:  "(She) wasn't very political. She was more interested in people."

I don't pretend to understand the political and economic issues, and I certainly don't pretend that I'm going to have any idea how to solve them.  I don't really even like voting.  I hate staring at lists of candidates whose names I don't recognize for a post (such as University trustee) that I don't even care about.  I just leave those ones blank.  I figure a ballot is a bit like the SAT- if you haven't even got a guess or clue, it's probably best to not put anything at all.

I do pray that at some point in my lifetime I'll see a Presidential candidate that I can really get excited about.  I don't know who will win tomorrow/today.  And don't shoot me, but I don't really care that much.  I know that neither Obama or Romney will really be in control.  I know that every government on earth, both good and evil,communist and democratic, Democrat and Republican, is under the authority of the Supreme God, my God, and that in the end, he alone can and will judge each according to their actions.

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

I don't always give the US the credit it's due, so in honor of her birthday, these are some of the things I appreciate most about my home country:

• Diversity. It's often one of the first things I notice when I touch down in the US.  I love that we are a country that is full of diversity in our ethnicity, language, culture, landscape, climate, and opinions. 
• Generosity. For all the bad press about greedy banks and selfish attitudes, I think Americans are on the whole a very generous population. When crises arise- be it next door or across the world- we are quick to send aid or lend a helping hand. 
• Cleanliness. From tap water to city streets to daily showers, few nations have such a strong sense of cleanliness and I very much appreciate it. 
• Freedom. Having lived and traveled in countries where your words and actions are more closely monitored and regulated, where freedom of speech and freedom of the press are still not a reality, it's nice to know that here, while you may be fired or hated for saying certain things, you're not going to be arrested for it and while your political or religious views may be unpopular, they won't put you or your family in danger.  
• Organization.  If the USA had a Myers-Briggs personality type, she would be a J. Argentina and Thailand would be P's.  And my love for the US's J-ness is not just because I am a J. Try to accomplish anything, especially something official, in a P country and you too will love the smoothness with which many things can be accomplished here.  (Actually, now that I think about it, the US would probably be an ENTJ)

Happy Birthday, USA!

New York City: A Foreign Land

Ever since 9/11, I've felt like New York was at the very heart of American patriotism.  Big Apple, apple pie kind of thing.  Yet my weekend there sent many of my foreign country instincts into high gear.  I saw and heard Spanish at every turn.  There's a whole New York sub-culture with rules for traffic and pedestrians as well as how to dress, when and where to sit on the subway, and I'm sure many other things I can't pick up on in three days.  It felt a lot like the first few days in a new country when you're hanging back half a second trying to observe how the locals do things so that you can figure out the system without making so many mistakes.  The many cash only establishments just added to foreign feel all the more.  

I've been to NY before (pre-9/11) and had a chance to see many of the sites then, so this trip was more about enjoying and exploring the city with my brother.  I met a friend for brunch on the Lower East Side (I feel so sophisticated just saying that, ha!) and enjoyed catching up with her after 5 years.  After that fun and deliciousness, we walked the High Line, a beautiful elevated pathway that didn't even exist last time I was in town.  We made our way to Central Park, which I got to really wander and explore for the first time, before heading back to Brooklyn to grill in the backyard (yes, he actually has a back yard!).  Saturday morning found me in Prospect Park watching city league baseball for the first time in years before seeing some other areas of Brooklyn.  That evening we wandered a neighborhood of Manhattan and found a great Italian restaurant to enjoy dinner before going Uptown for a play.  The independent show Growing Up Gonzalez did not disappoint.  Sunday we got a chance to stroll around Brooklyn before an amazing brunch and a visit to the 9/11 memorial.  Afterward we wandered to Battery Park and then one of my favorite areas- the financial district, where we found a small Italian pizzeria to watch the second half of the Euro 12 final game.  The little old Italian owner was the best part.  Somehow, we also managed the energy to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and see the park beneath it before stopping for gelato and then heading home to crash. 

At the 9/11 memorial

Central Park

Appetizer Saturday evening

Brooklyn street

On the Brooklyn Bridge

View of the Manhattan Bridge from the Park

Evening light on the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline

The entire weekend reconfirmed to me how much I love New York, as well as how fun and easy it is to travel with my brother.  He and I always travel really well together.  So even though it didn't necessarily always feel like the US, it was a great way to spend some of my last days in the US.  Can't wait to go back!