lessons learning

i think it's time for a more personal, reflective post. my philosophy of travel requires not just that a person see things but that they learn things, so i'll make an attempt to demonstrate that my brain is being engaged by these months abroad. here's what i (and sometimes we) have been thinking about lately:

we miss going to church. this morning as i refilled the coffee jar, the usually unenticing scent of cheap church-foyer coffee made me wish i was back with the preschoolers at oak hills church, where we were starting to get comfortable in our roles and in our friendships. our experience there was unlike our past church experiences - we didn't attend every church event, we weren't known by all that many people, we didn't serve in very public roles - but we were taught and taught others and genuinely looked forward to being there. not being burned out by your church is a beautiful thing. (i should clarify here that the coffee found at oak hills is quality stuff, not the crap alluded to above).

though not even 3 months into our trip, we're concerned that we won't be ready to settle back down when this year is over and are exploring opportunities to keep travelling for a while longer. much of the fun for me is in planning the trip, whether it's a year-long adventure or a weekend of camping, so i'm not surprised to find myself already longing to pull out the maps and budget sheets for the next stop. i'm quite familiar with grief and disappointment at the beginning of a trip, as this beginning really signals the end of a long process that's consumed me for weeks or months. terribly depressing, isn't it?

one of my biggest concerns before we left, which i shared with a few of you back at home, is that a natural shyness would prevent me from meeting others, leading to a lack of the great chance encounters that form the heart of international travel. i am pleased to report that this concern, as so many of you assured me, was quite unfounded and we've enjoyed many friendly and interesting conversations along the way. at the same time, not needing the constant presence of others allows us to enjoy the solitude of hiking, so we've been striking a nice balance with our travels so far.

that's enough self-disclosure for now. sorry if it felt like this was taken straight from a tearful session with my diary :)

-rachel