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!  

Hellos and Good-byes

These 12 days in Argentina have flown by, while at the same time I feel like I've been here forever. It's been really good to be here and it's always a bit sad to leave, but at the same time I leave with a sense of peace and gratitude for this time and ready for the next phase of my summer. Last night, Ecclesiastes 3:1 came to mind: For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. I feel like this is the theme of my summer this year- an ending to seasons in Bangkok as friends leave, connecting with the season I spent in Buenos Aires, preparing for the seasons ahead in Bangkok and in life. There is a time and place for each one and as even good seasons pass, we have to let them go. I am grateful for friendships that extend beyond place and time zone, and for technology that keeps us close despite the distance. 

Feeling at home

I am enjoying these days in Buenos Aires so much, especially now that my brain has adjusted and things just feel familiar and comfortable. I am watching the World Cup with friends, going to favorite restaurants and cafés, taking walks and talking, and just being around town and feeling at home. The weather, though maybe a bit cool when the sun is down, has been pretty cooperative and I have enjoyed being outside and not sweating. It's awesome to be able to walk places- both in terms of a neighborhood that is walkable and a climate that allows me to walk without freezing or melting.

One of my friends from Bangkok is returning to the US this month after 5 years in Thailand and recently wrote this blog post about how leaving is so much more than people and places, but is the end of an era of life.  I've been thinking about that this week as I've been here, and that mixed in with missing so many people and places here, I also miss who I am when I am among them. I miss the parts of my personality that come out when I speak Spanish or walk these cobbled street or spend time with these friends. That, perhaps, is the hardest part to let go of. And the idea is true no matter where I am, that I miss the parts of me that come out most in the US or Thailand or wherever. It's part, I suppose, of being a third culture adult and learning to adapt to different cultures and communities.  It's a blessing too, to discover these other facets of who we are and to know in very real ways that no matter where we go, God goes with us, that he is the prime constant in all the moving and changing. 

These next few days will be a joy and challenge as I say good bye again to friends here, some of whom are moving this week or in the next year or so, and won't be here if/when I come back. But we say good bye with another set of laughter and memories and days when we were able to just be there. 

Not my best picture, but yes, my best restaurant! 

Back to Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina. A city, place, people who will always have a place in my heart. As I sat in on the last day of school at BAICA and the staff farewell that followed, I was reminded of everything and everyone here that I love. In some ways it was like ripping my heart out all over again, and I was practically in tears throughout it, but at the same time it was good. I got to see all the ways the school has grown and changed, I was able to reconnect with beloved students, and I was reminded of a part of my life that was so good and healing for me in many ways. It is equal parts hard and wonderful to be here and I am truly blessed and grateful that I can make the trip. And, it's always good for me to continue to process this place and it's role in my life. Four years later there are many things that are different and many that haven't changed at all, making everything feel at once foreign and familiar. I understand most of the Spanish coming at me, but feel very shy to respond- the words don't roll off the tongue anymore, vocab escapes me, and any shot I had at verb tense before is completely gone. But still, in brave moments, I try. The first three days here have been full of hugs and laughter and catching up and adventures. As my brain adjusts to being back I feel more and more at peace with having come, and look forward to the days ahead. 

At school with students 

Horse riding at the estancia 

Parrilla lunch at the estancia. 

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! 

End of the school year

I don't have a lot of words today; my head is too full of emotions and too low on sleep to put many coherent thoughts together. This week we will wrap up the school year and 18 hours later I will board a plane bound for Tokyo, and then on to Detroit. While I am ready for my alarm to stop ringing at 5am, I am not ready for the departures that the end of this school year brings.  When I come back at the end of July, there will be too many faces missing. These are precious days as we celebrate friendship even in the midst of heartache and rely on our God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

End of the year staff banquet with a great group of ladies! 

I finished!

We ran the 10.5k except, this is Thailand, so it turns out it was 11.7k instead. Ha. No wonder it felt SO long. I can't believe I ran nearly 20% farther than any other time in my life! If you had told me at the starting line, I don't know if I I would have started, but hey, I finished anyway. And today, I took the elevator.  

Before the race...

Crossing the finish line! 

Yes, we ran with the antlers for the most part. A few spots where it was windy so I took them off, but they didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. Also, I have no idea why I have to turn sooo red when I run! 

Many thanks for my friend Karly for the pictures! (And for encouraging me so much the past two months of training!) 

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. 

Symbiosis: Life in our community

Symbiosis.  A word we all learned in Bio class.  A word that has come to mean so much to me lately. 

Last September my friends had twins.  I used to think third-child babies were awesome (their mamas are alwasy so willing to hand them over to me) but twins are even better: there is always someone to hold.  I've always loved babies.  I remember having my arm propped up on a pilliow in the house on Thayler to learn how to feed a baby a bottle. And we moved from there when I was 6. 

So when the twins, O-man and E-girl, were born, I was so excited.  What's even better is the symbiotic relationship that has developed over the past 7 months of their little lives. 

When you're living away from your family- be it across the state or across the world- it's always nice to have a home away from home, a place where you can go anytime, where you are fully comfortable and able to be yourself.  In college I always had my Aunt Mo's house.  In Buenos Aires I had my friend Jeannette.  But nothing in Bangkok had really filled that- a place to be and 'do nothing' and be with people, not home alone. For me, it's a critical component to feeling settled and at home in a place.  So as wonderful as our community is here, I was still lacking that. 

I needed a safe place, where I didn't have to be "on" in any way.  They needed an extra set of hands for the twinks.  It's been a match made in heaven.  I love the time I get to spend talking with their mom and dad, watching some Downton Abbey or March Madness too. I love that they don't feel any need to clean the place up before I come over, and I once went over practically in my pajamas.  I love that I wear the same old t-shirts anytime I go over- the probability of being drooled/spit/puked on is 100%.  And perhaps most of all, I love that I can be useful, that my being there not only benefits me, but their family as well. It's really blossomed into a beautiful symbiotic relationship, and certainly blesses me abundantly. 

I would be remiss if I did not also point out that I benefit from my friend's amazing cooking as well.  I don't cook a lot here- teaching full time just does not afford me much time or energy for groceries and cooking.  My grocery delivery came two days late this week and one night I ate frozen peas and Pringles for dinner. It's that bad.  So while I certainly don't go just for the food, it sure is an added bonus that baby bedtime coincides with dinner.  

These two little people have stolen my heart. Nothing cures a stressful day quicker than a grin from E or a belly laugh from O.  I love watching their personalities emerge and getting to be part of their first days and months of life.  Seriously, nothing beats a bedtime snuggle from O!

(sorry- have some issues with blogger and it won't size the pictures right, but that's okay since they are so darn cute!)

O and E's early days.





We took this when I was over one day and the toy pile around them was just ridiculous. 




She is going to die of extreme cuteness.



Such a happy, content baby!

Shanghai

Shanghai was not what I expected.  I hadn't exactly heard bad things about it, but certainly not anything good, and mostly along the lines of "just another big city without character".  Boy were they wrong!  I found it walkable, pleasant, pretty, easy to navigate, and modern.  The lovely spring weather definitely helped in all that :) 

With Jessica

Perhaps the highlight for me in Shanghai was having dinner with my uncle and his wife and my little 4 year old cousin Jessica, whom I had never had a chance to meet.  She oozed personality, moving and playing and chatting her way through dinner- holding my hand all the way.  I loved it! 

Beautiful leafy street in the French Concession area where we were staying.

 Another highlight of Shanghai is also people related- Holly has friends who are living there for a year and we were able to stay with them.  Ken and Jeanie were awesome hosts and we had a great time with them.  Jeanie constantly impressed us with her Mandarin skills and knowledge of great local spots. 

Holly, Jeanie, and I in the Old Town area



Went to the beautiful Yu Gardens

  

Walking the Bund, with Pudong skyscrappers in the background

We were able to go to a few museums, get the world's best dumplings, visit People's Square, watch Shanghai Calling, and enjoy various other noodles, activities, pots of tea, and fun times.   
 

Pudong at night



Last night- a glass of wine at the bar on the 32nd floor

  After just over 2 days we boarded a bullet train bound for Beijing.  We were impressed with the rail system- a new, clean, fast (300km/hr) and punctual train that far outshone Amtrak (not that it's difficult to do so). 


Countryside from the train



My Other Sister

My friend, who is Thai, teaches a ballet class after school for elementary students.  I have been helping her the past few weeks because she has a lot of students this semester.  Last week, one girl, a fourth grader, asked her if she and I were sisters.  "Do we look alike?" my friend asked her.  And according to her, yes, yes we do. I'm used to having a tall thin sister, but I don't think I've had an Asian one before :)

My sister-friend and I at the riverfront a few weeks ago.

An Argentine Winter

Wow, my time in Argentina has been brilliant, but busy. I have had the opportunity to spend time with many dear friends, to revisit my favorite places, and to be at my friends' wedding.  I've had the chance to see many of my former students as well.  I really can't express in words the love that has been poured out on me over the past few weeks.  It has been incredibly overwhelming.  I have about three more days to enjoy myself to the fullest before I head back to Bangkok and start work next Monday.  What a summer it has been! 

Bowling with students- they're so grown up now!

Spent a fantastic day with my Spanish teacher and her sweet kids.

Awesome day at the zoo with my friend and her girls. 

Got to stop by the botanical gardens, one of my favorite places in the city.

Lunch with students at one of the best restaurants in the world.

Tea with a friend- a frequent occurrence- and a good few hours of Spanish practice for me!

A cost to everything

Flight to Buenos Aires: $1,100
10 year Argentine Visa: $160
Inflation in the last 2 years: 200%
3 weeks worth of abrazos: Priceless

All circumstances: thoughts on contentment

Funny how sometimes being home makes me homesick.  It's like a big giant reminder of what I miss when I'm gone.  Yesterday I got to hang out with one of my dearest friends, meet her newborn, and spend time with her older two kids.  I'd never gotten to hear the two year old speak a complete sentence before, but as I walked in the door cradling a warm loaf of blueberry bread wrapped in a tea towel he looked at me quizzically and asked, "You have a new baby too?"  I miss watching him grow up, and I feel that all the more keenly when I do get to spend time with him.  His older sister told me at dinner that maybe when she got a little bigger she could come with me to Thailand :)  And it amazed me how sad I felt leaving their house after a lovely few hours. It wasn't sadness over this visit so much as sadness at all the visits I don't get to have. 

Paul writes about being content in all circumstances- as in having plenty or being in want.  For me, content in all circumstances means content in all locations.  It means that when I am in Thailand, I live in Thailand, and that when I am in the States I am fully present with those here.  And when I have special times, like next month in Argentina, to be fully there and enjoy the company of friends that I don't often get to see.

I don't foresee this tension between places ever going away.  I cannot be in all three places at once and no matter where I am, I miss someone's wedding or someone's birth, someone's grief or growing vocabulary.  So instead I find a way to live in that tension- to celebrate the weddings I do get to attend, the newborns (in several countries) that I do get to snuggle, the lives that I do get to walk alongside.  I live in that tension because I know that God has called me to be content even in the sadness of the things I miss.  I can be content because it grows out of the core foundation on my being in Christ.  So whether I'm sipping tea in Michigan, mate in Buenos Aires, or cha yen in Bangkok, I know that it is not culture or location that defines my contentment.  That lies much deeper, in doing what God has called me to and walking beside him each day. 

I want to do better at this.  I want to rest more easily in this contentment, in this struggle that so many of us face, not just the ones who move overseas.  The world challenges our contentment in so many ways.  So I do what I can to fix my eyes on Christ- the only way we're ever going to escape the tensions of having and wanting and of being and not being- so that we too can say, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am (Philippians 4:11).

This is Thailand

In Argentina, when stuff happened that was crazy or frustrating or "just how things are" in Argentina, we always just said well, "Bienvenidos a Argentina", which means welcome to Argentina.  Here, when that stuff happens we say well, "This is Thailand".  And yes, there have been several moments like that lately. But there have also been moments that are just as much Thailand to me, and way more positive.

• It takes 8 days and bazillions of phone calls to get the internet working in the apartment. This is Thailand. 
• When you call the internet company call center instead of getting an operator on the operator line you get a chance to leave your name and number for them to call you back. Maybe. This is Thailand. 
• You come down with nasty food poisoning and you're not sure what it was that you ate that caused it- there are several good candidates.  This is Thailand. 
• Your apartment doesn't have a stove, so you get a counter-top hot plate.  After a week of using it only for the tea kettle, you go to heat up some leftover rice soup and it doesn't work.  Try the tea kettle. Works. Put the saucepan back on. Turns itself off.  Kettle. Heats up. Saucepan. Turns off.  Over and over and over.  Turns out that the saucepan doesn't have a stainless bottom, so it won't work on the hot plate. Have to replace one or the other (going to replace the hotplate I think, since someone just gave it to me and I specially chose this nice saucepan). This is Thailand. 
• Laying at home on the couch recovering from said food poisoning without any internet so your only communication with the outside world is the cell phone. Which promptly runs out of minutes due to use and your friend has to buy and deliver phone cards for you. This is Thailand.  
• Your friends spend their time and energy battling the internet problem with you, translating for the service technician, sitting on hold with the Thai call center line, giving them their number to call back, and fiddling with the modem for you.  This is my Thailand. 
• Friends who deliver Gatorade, carbon tablets, rice soup, phone cards, and later bread and bananas to your home on the couch when you are sick.  This is my Thailand.
• Colleagues who cover for your classes and follow the sketched out plans you wrote for yourself when you couldn't send in sub plans.  This is my Thailand.
• A friend who lets you use their US phone card since you can't skype your mother to tell her you're sick, not that she can do anything but simply because when one is sick you must tell mom.  This is my Thailand. 

Yes, this is Thailand, and I'm quite happy to be here and to be feeling much better and be back online at home.

Moved In

I am writing this post from my new couch (that my friend and I assembled today) in my new apartment.  I’m typing here, though I’ll have to go back to the old place later to paste it into blogger and post it.  No internet here yet, which will probably be the most trying bit of the first week here (perhaps I should mentally prepare myself for a two week process…).  But this post is not about problems, not about struggles or overcoming.  This post is about God’s awesome provision.  

Two weeks ago I had my personal retreat at the Tree House, the main theme of which was “Do not worry.  Seek the One Thing and God will take care of the many things.”  Of course, it’s one thing to do that when you are in a Tree House. It’s quite another when you’re in the thick of moving.

One evening this past week I had a little moment of panic.  I was definitely freaking out about all the things I needed to do and buy for this move, and was worrying about the money, worrying about the time and energy, worrying about doing all these things on my own.  After a short time of panic, I finally wised up and lay down and prayed and handed it all over to God.  All the money, all the details, all the help I needed and didn’t want to ask for.  

A friend had already offered to bring the pick-up truck from her ministry and help me take the stuff in that so I didn’t have to walk or get a taxi to take it.  And then, without my asking, another friend just pulls out her calendar and asks, when are you moving?  I’ll come help.  Wow!  One of the things that had made me panic was realizing there are things that houses just come with in the States, that they don’t here, that I need to buy- in particular, a stove top or hot plate type item.  And so I was all wondering where I buy one or what kind to get or how much they cost… The next day, I was telling a friend about how I had completely forgotten about that bit when she tells me that she has an extra hot plate that she doesn’t use and would I like it?  Practically brand new.  And she won’t take any money for it, though she is going to let me take her for a massage on Monday. 

And the help just kept pouring in.  I needed a ride home from Ikea Friday evening to pick up the couch I wanted, so I asked two people at work that had vans/trucks, hoping one would be free. They both were, and were both willing to help!  And then M-Day arrived on Saturday morning and I get a text from another friend.  What time was a I moving my stuff, and did I want any help?  Yes, please!  And to put the icing on the cake, as my friend came with the pick-up truck, she had three teenage guys with her to help!  Needless to say, it then took less than an hour for us to get everything down the four flights of stairs, into the truck, driven to the complex next door, and hauled up the elevator to the 6^th floor.  

God is just so amazing in how he has provided for the many things this week.  There are more things to buy tomorrow, and unpacking to do, but he made “the worst of it” incredibly easy and fast and in many ways, even fun since I was with friends.  And in terms of unpacking, there’s actually a lot I can’t do right now. The new kitchen stuff is being installed next Friday, so I am going to wait until after that to unpack the kitchen stuff, and pretty much all I have are my clothes, a few books, and the kitchen stuff (okay okay, and my plants and lamps and rugs and pictures…). 

But today was definitely an illustration for me of the body of Christ at its best.  My family, who would normally help me in a situation like this, is far away.  But here in Bangna, God has provided brothers and sisters in Christ who have come alongside me and helped me. Where I had need, He provided through them.  A beautiful picture indeed. 

Everybody's Got Their Thing

This week I have been strongly reminded of a phrase that my friend and I coined in college: Everybody's got their thing.  We say this because we realized that each of us, every single one of us, have issues that we deal with in our lives.  We all have struggles or situations or events that can affect who we are and how we interact with the world around us.

We say this for several reasons. First, on the days or at the times when we have to deal with our "thing" and we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, we remember that everybody's got their thing.  And although another person may not have to deal with our exact situation- be it medical or familial or financial or emotional or whatever- we are not alone in dealing with something.  When you're the only one with a "thing" it's easy to fall into self pity.  But when everybody's got something, there's no wallowing. 

We also say this because remembering that whomever we are dealing with (or having trouble dealing with, as the case may be) mostly likely has a "thing" in their lives, makes it easier to deal with them. Maybe it's an underlying issue between them and God that they need to work out with him and we need to not let ourselves get dragged into it.  Or maybe it's a situation that for whatever reason has flared up in their life and beneath the surface they are dealing with more than we imagine.  Thinking this way helps me to give grace- to the grouchy cashier or the sassy student or sullen waitress or distant friend- when I would otherwise get irritated.  It also helps me when I'm in conflict with others to remember that their actions or reactions that may hurt me are often based in their own issues, and not based on me. 

And lastly, it helps me build friendships in community.  It's funny how God works- I'd been thinking about this a lot this week and then it was the topic of our morning devotional today.  I love having friendships where we can lean on each other- when the things I deal with flare up, I can talk to them or cry with them or pray together, and when they have bad days they can come to me to talk or pray.  But when we try to live in "island" worlds where we don't have struggles, don't have bad days, don't have "things" we deal with in our lives, true community isn't possible. I read a great Henri Nouwen quote this morning about how no one person is able to hold us up, but when we are able to fall back into a community they are able to support us.  What a testimony it would be if the Christian community were able to live that out! 

I'm sure as the years pass I'll come up with even more great applications for it- until then, just remember, everybody's got their thing.

Light in the Darkness

At the wedding on Saturday, there were extra lanterns (aka unity candles) so my friends and I grabbed one and took it down to the beach where we were soon joined by a host of other lantern lighters.  I love this shot because you can see the beauty of how it lights up the night, but also the act of sending it off, literally leaving the hands that held it.  A beautiful moment with sweet friends. 

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him everything was made.  Without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life and this life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5