I know you are all sad as my time in Macau draws to a close because that means my lively and entertaining blog that approximately two people (including Justin) read will end.
Have no fear.
I am vacating Macau, but this girl's story is not ending. I'll write as long as I have something to say, which we all know is unlikely to ever change.
I got things to say.
I may change my blog site when I get home and rework some things in my free time, edit entries to include pictures of the things about which I speak and have spoken.
As long as Justin keeps reading, I will write!
Plus, I'm sure readjusting to life post-Macau will have its own adventures relevant to expat living!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Random Acts
I am preparing to leave Macau. My bags are in the process of being packed, my room is looking like someone tossed it and my first box has already arrived in Mandeville.
Reflecting on my time here: there's been a lot of bad and a lot of tears.
But it's so hard to leave because there has been so much good. I came here to work and instead, I learned how to live.
Life is not about the bad moments, I'm taking away all the good instead.
Macau is not taxi drivers passing me by on the street, but instead the taxi drivers who love when a Westerner gets into their cab so that they can practice their English.
It's not the dreary weather and omnipresent rain clouds; it's the bus attendant on the street who held an umbrella over my head when it was raining and the bus was late and all I had was my raincoat.
Instead of throwing away old clothes or clothes I've never worn, it's giving them to our cleaner from the Philippines who's supporting her family back home on a salary I remember struggling on to provide for myself alone.
It's not the people who can never have enough name brand things; it's the people who go on a diving trip to Indonesia and leave behind everything because the boys on the boat wore the same clothes every day and their gear was worn and we didn't need our's because of closets full of namebrand clothes from Macau and our gear was samples from vendors.
It truly doesn't take much, does it? This life has been so fruitful and so good to me. I am so grateful and so blessed for everything.
Reflecting on my time here: there's been a lot of bad and a lot of tears.
But it's so hard to leave because there has been so much good. I came here to work and instead, I learned how to live.
Life is not about the bad moments, I'm taking away all the good instead.
Macau is not taxi drivers passing me by on the street, but instead the taxi drivers who love when a Westerner gets into their cab so that they can practice their English.
It's not the dreary weather and omnipresent rain clouds; it's the bus attendant on the street who held an umbrella over my head when it was raining and the bus was late and all I had was my raincoat.
Instead of throwing away old clothes or clothes I've never worn, it's giving them to our cleaner from the Philippines who's supporting her family back home on a salary I remember struggling on to provide for myself alone.
It's not the people who can never have enough name brand things; it's the people who go on a diving trip to Indonesia and leave behind everything because the boys on the boat wore the same clothes every day and their gear was worn and we didn't need our's because of closets full of namebrand clothes from Macau and our gear was samples from vendors.
It truly doesn't take much, does it? This life has been so fruitful and so good to me. I am so grateful and so blessed for everything.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I'm On (Was On...) a Boat...
I just got back from spending 10 days sailing around Indonesia. I know, my life is so hard. I thought this many times as I was lounging on a deck chair wrapped in a fresh towel after a dive with a cold bottle of water in my hand sailing across the most beautiful water I have ever seen. Try to picture it, if you will.
After a hellish week, I wasn't sure I wanted to go. And let me clear the air, this trip has been planned and paid for since April. I have been looking forward to this since I started diving lessons 15 months ago. Raja Ampat is an awesome dive area. But with Robert and everything going on in life, it took every ounce of will in my body to drag myself 24 hours to Sorong, Indonesia - AKA the middle of nowhere - to get on a boat and forget everything for a while.
Never looked back.
I love the water, I always have. I like floating in it, on it, being on a boat, sea spray in my face. I like skipping my feet in the wake of a boat. I like listening to it, seeing it, watching it. I like the feeling of being weightless and being underwater for an hour at a time is the best way I could think of to spend my time. Diving is like yoga, once I get underwater, I don't think about anything but what I see and breathing. I can't, it's just not possible.
We were flying out of HK in the early afternoon, so I woke up early to finish checking my packing and my kit and to run up to the theater to print my ferry ticket which I booked, but neglected to print. It had been a tough week. The journey wasn't easy. Much like Boracay, if you want to get to the good places, you have to be motivated.
Taxi from apartment to ferry terminal. Ferry from Taipa to HK. One plane from HK to Jakarta. Shuttle from International to Domestic. One plane from Jakarta to Makassar. Run to connection because plane was delayed. Pray your bags made it with you. One plane from Makassar to Sorong. 20 hours since you left home and you've arrived. Gone is the dark, dreary wintry weather Macau/HK were showering your way. Hello to BLUE skies, white puffy clouds, warm breezes, and the smell of the ocean. I couldn't make this stuff up, it really just writes itself!
Take no notice of the fact that the Sorong arrival area is - ahem - lacking in facilities. That's a clue that you might be in the right place. Who cares if the luggage conveyor belt appears to be moving at the speed of a gentleman peddling a bike out back to operate it? And if your luggage appears dead last, minutes behind everyone elses that is the least of your worries, because you made it, your gear made it, and guess what. One more taxi ride to go, then get on a speed boat. That liveaboard and a dream await!
After a hellish week, I wasn't sure I wanted to go. And let me clear the air, this trip has been planned and paid for since April. I have been looking forward to this since I started diving lessons 15 months ago. Raja Ampat is an awesome dive area. But with Robert and everything going on in life, it took every ounce of will in my body to drag myself 24 hours to Sorong, Indonesia - AKA the middle of nowhere - to get on a boat and forget everything for a while.
Never looked back.
I love the water, I always have. I like floating in it, on it, being on a boat, sea spray in my face. I like skipping my feet in the wake of a boat. I like listening to it, seeing it, watching it. I like the feeling of being weightless and being underwater for an hour at a time is the best way I could think of to spend my time. Diving is like yoga, once I get underwater, I don't think about anything but what I see and breathing. I can't, it's just not possible.
We were flying out of HK in the early afternoon, so I woke up early to finish checking my packing and my kit and to run up to the theater to print my ferry ticket which I booked, but neglected to print. It had been a tough week. The journey wasn't easy. Much like Boracay, if you want to get to the good places, you have to be motivated.
Taxi from apartment to ferry terminal. Ferry from Taipa to HK. One plane from HK to Jakarta. Shuttle from International to Domestic. One plane from Jakarta to Makassar. Run to connection because plane was delayed. Pray your bags made it with you. One plane from Makassar to Sorong. 20 hours since you left home and you've arrived. Gone is the dark, dreary wintry weather Macau/HK were showering your way. Hello to BLUE skies, white puffy clouds, warm breezes, and the smell of the ocean. I couldn't make this stuff up, it really just writes itself!
Take no notice of the fact that the Sorong arrival area is - ahem - lacking in facilities. That's a clue that you might be in the right place. Who cares if the luggage conveyor belt appears to be moving at the speed of a gentleman peddling a bike out back to operate it? And if your luggage appears dead last, minutes behind everyone elses that is the least of your worries, because you made it, your gear made it, and guess what. One more taxi ride to go, then get on a speed boat. That liveaboard and a dream await!
Friday, November 30, 2012
A Letter for Dominick and Natalie
Dear Dominick,
You have never met me and you probably never will, but I think it is important that you hear about what a wonderful man your grandfather was. I had trouble writing this and it took me a couple of days to get through because I just do not want to admit that he is gone.
I do not have a specific story to tell you, or even a specific memory of him. But if ever there was a beacon of God's grace, it was Robert Chance.
I know he always went out of his way to greet me when I made it to church after a time away because he missed me. Even if it meant we were the last two people standing in a congregation of 700 people. He always made me feel important. I know that I always went out of my way to stand in his receiving line at the end of service for one of his hugs, even in high school, because I knew he cared and I have rarely felt such unconditional love as he freely gave. I cannot emphasize how much he and his friendship mean to me.
He wrote me a couple months ago to ask me to join him in Israel, a trip my family was taking with him. I had to decline because I had already paid for a diving trip to Raja Ampat, but I promised I would see him in December and I asked him to take me next time they journey to the Holy Land. I am filled with regret at not taking the journey to Israel with him. I will never stop regretting that choice. Because it would have meant seeing my friend again, getting another hug, receiving more words of encouragement in an way that only he knows how to give.
My mom said it perfectly: "He had a way of making everyone feel like they had a special relationship with them, that they were his favorite." But every relationship he cultivatedwas special, because he truly cared.
Robert, along with Sherri and Don MacMasters, walked me through two or three years of Disciple while I was in high school. I learned fellowship there. I learned how important small groups are. Those three taught me that adults could be cool, they can be trusted, but most of all, they taught me that adults can be your friends and that is an awe-inspiring thing when you are a teenager. I had a rough time in high school and these three kept me grounded and sane at a time I needed them the most. They inspired faith in me and taught me how to lead a life that would never be easy, but would always be grounded in faith. They taught me that when I needed a light to my path all I had to do was come home and they would provide it, my support network would always be there even if I was not. I was devastated to leave them behind when I graduated, though I think my heart never really did leave them completely. Robert understood kids most of all and I think the people you will come to see he affected most are the kids he mentored all along his path.
Through all of my travels, my time away from home, Robert has always encouraged me. He knew my heart and knew that all I have ever wanted to do is go home. One day. He understands needing to fly before coming home to build a nest. He emailed me to say he was thinking about me and that he was praying for me and it is funny how those emails always seem to come on a day when I needed them the most.
Robert Chance was St. Timothy's UMC to me and I am gutted at the idea of stepping back into that church and knowing I will not see his face. To be honest, I don't know if I can do it. I may not be strong enough. There were times when I doubted the church and I still do because I am human and the church is human and I know enough to know just how fallible a church can be. But Robert was different. He had a gift for people and he was magnetic. His laugh, which I can hear clear as a bell even though it has been almost a year since we last saw each other, his kind eyes, his hugs, his smell - he ALWAYS smelled so good. I can remember many conversations with my friends about his hugs and how good he always smelled. The ubiquitous bow tie. The epitome of a gentleman. The likes of which the world may never know again.
The last couple of times I spoke to Robert, we were emailing back and forth. I had decided to come home from Macau, where I have been working for 2.5 years and he was encouraging. As always. He never stopped believing in me. He promised I would get work and wrote how happy he was to be slowing down. He loved his work and he was good at it, but he was over the moon about his new grandson (you) and wanted to have plenty of time to watch you grow up. I'm sorry he will not get that opportunity.
He was understanding and empathetic. He was practical, honest, and gentle. He was not afraid to cry and sometimes he did, because he felt that much. It made him that much more human, that much stronger in my eyes. He was so fond of his hospital ministry, when he would visit others in the hospital while they were sick, and I can only imagine the countless numbers of people he brought comfort to. His passion for the Lord and for Israel I can remember even back then. I always wanted to take that trip to Israel with him.
But I'm lucky: my mom visited him in the hospital before she left Israel and she was able to tell him I love him. I am so glad he knew how I felt, because he never missed an opportunity to tell me he loved me. She says his work on this earth must have been done for him to be called home so soon, I have to trust that because losing him hurts.
So Robert, if there is anyone waiting for me when my time comes, I would hope it is you. I could do with another one of those hugs right now and I can't wait to see what bow tie they have prepared for you there. I hope it's shiny!
Through all of the deep sadness and tears I and so many others feel right now, I am confident in a few things. Robert Chance was a man of God. Your grandfather loved you. He loved your mom so much. He was incredibly proud of Natalie and she was always the apple of his eye. I can remember him talking about her even when I was much younger and being in awe of how much love he had for his child. He was thrilled when she got married and when he told me that she was expecting you, I could hear the excitement and pride in his email. And I am confident that when we retire from this world and join your Pops in Heaven, he will greet us with a bow tie, a hug, a smile, and maybe even a tear in his eye because he is so proud of us. Don't ever forget how much he loved you.
Thanks for sharing him with us, Natalie. It could not have always been easy, but I hope you know how much he was loved and how many lives he touched!
Love,
Alex Manuel
PS. Bow ties are cool. They were always cool. Everyone can wear a tie, but only a really special person can wear a bow tie and make it look good, like your grandfather. Maybe that is the most important thing to remember: only an incredibly awesome person can rock a bow tie.
You have never met me and you probably never will, but I think it is important that you hear about what a wonderful man your grandfather was. I had trouble writing this and it took me a couple of days to get through because I just do not want to admit that he is gone.
I do not have a specific story to tell you, or even a specific memory of him. But if ever there was a beacon of God's grace, it was Robert Chance.
I know he always went out of his way to greet me when I made it to church after a time away because he missed me. Even if it meant we were the last two people standing in a congregation of 700 people. He always made me feel important. I know that I always went out of my way to stand in his receiving line at the end of service for one of his hugs, even in high school, because I knew he cared and I have rarely felt such unconditional love as he freely gave. I cannot emphasize how much he and his friendship mean to me.
He wrote me a couple months ago to ask me to join him in Israel, a trip my family was taking with him. I had to decline because I had already paid for a diving trip to Raja Ampat, but I promised I would see him in December and I asked him to take me next time they journey to the Holy Land. I am filled with regret at not taking the journey to Israel with him. I will never stop regretting that choice. Because it would have meant seeing my friend again, getting another hug, receiving more words of encouragement in an way that only he knows how to give.
My mom said it perfectly: "He had a way of making everyone feel like they had a special relationship with them, that they were his favorite." But every relationship he cultivatedwas special, because he truly cared.
Robert, along with Sherri and Don MacMasters, walked me through two or three years of Disciple while I was in high school. I learned fellowship there. I learned how important small groups are. Those three taught me that adults could be cool, they can be trusted, but most of all, they taught me that adults can be your friends and that is an awe-inspiring thing when you are a teenager. I had a rough time in high school and these three kept me grounded and sane at a time I needed them the most. They inspired faith in me and taught me how to lead a life that would never be easy, but would always be grounded in faith. They taught me that when I needed a light to my path all I had to do was come home and they would provide it, my support network would always be there even if I was not. I was devastated to leave them behind when I graduated, though I think my heart never really did leave them completely. Robert understood kids most of all and I think the people you will come to see he affected most are the kids he mentored all along his path.
Through all of my travels, my time away from home, Robert has always encouraged me. He knew my heart and knew that all I have ever wanted to do is go home. One day. He understands needing to fly before coming home to build a nest. He emailed me to say he was thinking about me and that he was praying for me and it is funny how those emails always seem to come on a day when I needed them the most.
Robert Chance was St. Timothy's UMC to me and I am gutted at the idea of stepping back into that church and knowing I will not see his face. To be honest, I don't know if I can do it. I may not be strong enough. There were times when I doubted the church and I still do because I am human and the church is human and I know enough to know just how fallible a church can be. But Robert was different. He had a gift for people and he was magnetic. His laugh, which I can hear clear as a bell even though it has been almost a year since we last saw each other, his kind eyes, his hugs, his smell - he ALWAYS smelled so good. I can remember many conversations with my friends about his hugs and how good he always smelled. The ubiquitous bow tie. The epitome of a gentleman. The likes of which the world may never know again.
The last couple of times I spoke to Robert, we were emailing back and forth. I had decided to come home from Macau, where I have been working for 2.5 years and he was encouraging. As always. He never stopped believing in me. He promised I would get work and wrote how happy he was to be slowing down. He loved his work and he was good at it, but he was over the moon about his new grandson (you) and wanted to have plenty of time to watch you grow up. I'm sorry he will not get that opportunity.
He was understanding and empathetic. He was practical, honest, and gentle. He was not afraid to cry and sometimes he did, because he felt that much. It made him that much more human, that much stronger in my eyes. He was so fond of his hospital ministry, when he would visit others in the hospital while they were sick, and I can only imagine the countless numbers of people he brought comfort to. His passion for the Lord and for Israel I can remember even back then. I always wanted to take that trip to Israel with him.
But I'm lucky: my mom visited him in the hospital before she left Israel and she was able to tell him I love him. I am so glad he knew how I felt, because he never missed an opportunity to tell me he loved me. She says his work on this earth must have been done for him to be called home so soon, I have to trust that because losing him hurts.
So Robert, if there is anyone waiting for me when my time comes, I would hope it is you. I could do with another one of those hugs right now and I can't wait to see what bow tie they have prepared for you there. I hope it's shiny!
Through all of the deep sadness and tears I and so many others feel right now, I am confident in a few things. Robert Chance was a man of God. Your grandfather loved you. He loved your mom so much. He was incredibly proud of Natalie and she was always the apple of his eye. I can remember him talking about her even when I was much younger and being in awe of how much love he had for his child. He was thrilled when she got married and when he told me that she was expecting you, I could hear the excitement and pride in his email. And I am confident that when we retire from this world and join your Pops in Heaven, he will greet us with a bow tie, a hug, a smile, and maybe even a tear in his eye because he is so proud of us. Don't ever forget how much he loved you.
Thanks for sharing him with us, Natalie. It could not have always been easy, but I hope you know how much he was loved and how many lives he touched!
Love,
Alex Manuel
PS. Bow ties are cool. They were always cool. Everyone can wear a tie, but only a really special person can wear a bow tie and make it look good, like your grandfather. Maybe that is the most important thing to remember: only an incredibly awesome person can rock a bow tie.
Bowties and Hugs
Today, my heart is truly broken.
I had trouble writing this post and it took me a couple of days to get through because I just do not want to admit he's gone.
My dear friend Robert has moved on from this world and gone to be with the Lord. I cannot emphasize how much this man and his friendship mean to me.
I am filled with regret at not taking the journey to Israel with him. I will never stop regretting that choice. Because it would have meant seeing my friend again, getting another hug, receiving more words of encouragement in an way that only he knows how to give.
If ever there was a beacon of God's grace, it was Robert Chance.
My mom said it perfectly: "He had a way of making everyone feel like they had a special relationship with them, that they were his favorite." But every relationship he cultivated was special, because he truly cared.
The last couple of times I spoke to Robert, we were emailing back and forth. I had decided to come home from Macau and he was encouraging. As always. He never stopped believing in me. He promised I would get work and wrote how happy he was to be slowing down. He loved his work, but he was over the moon about his new grandson and wanted to have plenty of time to watch him grow up.
I can't tell you a special story about him, or anything that stands out right now. He was just always there. He guided me through my confirmation, he taught all of my disciple classes with Sherri and Don, he was always there when I came home to give me a hug and went out of his way to greet me when I made it to church after a time away because he missed me. Even if it meant we were the last two people standing. He always made me feel important.
Robert Chance was St. Timothy's UMC to me and I am gutted at the idea of stepping back into that church and knowing I will not see his face. I don't know if I can do it. I may not be strong enough. There were times when I doubted the church and I still do because the church is human and I know enough to know just how fallible a church can be. But Robert was different. He had a gift for people and he was magnetic. His laugh, which I can hear clear as a bell even though it's been almost a year since we last saw each other, his kind eyes, his hugs, his smell. The ubiquitous bow tie. The epitome of a gentleman. The likes of which the world may never know again.
When I was in high school, and having a particularly rough time, Robert made me feel comfortable around adults. He and the MacMasters made me realize that adults can be pretty cool. He was understanding and empathetic. He was practical, honest, and gentle. His passion for the Lord and for Israel I can remember even back then. I always wanted to take that trip to Israel with him and now I'll never have the chance.
But I'm lucky: my mom visited him in the hospital before she left Israel and she told him I loved him. I'm just glad he knew how I felt, because he never missed an opportunity to tell me he loved me.
So Robert, if there is anyone waiting for me when my time comes, I would hope it is you. I could do with another one of those hugs right now and I can't wait to see what bow tie they have prepared for you there. I hope it's shiny!
I thought we had more time. Yet again, time made a fool of me and I am just a hair too late.
It makes me so desperately sad.
I had trouble writing this post and it took me a couple of days to get through because I just do not want to admit he's gone.
My dear friend Robert has moved on from this world and gone to be with the Lord. I cannot emphasize how much this man and his friendship mean to me.
I am filled with regret at not taking the journey to Israel with him. I will never stop regretting that choice. Because it would have meant seeing my friend again, getting another hug, receiving more words of encouragement in an way that only he knows how to give.
If ever there was a beacon of God's grace, it was Robert Chance.
My mom said it perfectly: "He had a way of making everyone feel like they had a special relationship with them, that they were his favorite." But every relationship he cultivated was special, because he truly cared.
The last couple of times I spoke to Robert, we were emailing back and forth. I had decided to come home from Macau and he was encouraging. As always. He never stopped believing in me. He promised I would get work and wrote how happy he was to be slowing down. He loved his work, but he was over the moon about his new grandson and wanted to have plenty of time to watch him grow up.
I can't tell you a special story about him, or anything that stands out right now. He was just always there. He guided me through my confirmation, he taught all of my disciple classes with Sherri and Don, he was always there when I came home to give me a hug and went out of his way to greet me when I made it to church after a time away because he missed me. Even if it meant we were the last two people standing. He always made me feel important.
Robert Chance was St. Timothy's UMC to me and I am gutted at the idea of stepping back into that church and knowing I will not see his face. I don't know if I can do it. I may not be strong enough. There were times when I doubted the church and I still do because the church is human and I know enough to know just how fallible a church can be. But Robert was different. He had a gift for people and he was magnetic. His laugh, which I can hear clear as a bell even though it's been almost a year since we last saw each other, his kind eyes, his hugs, his smell. The ubiquitous bow tie. The epitome of a gentleman. The likes of which the world may never know again.
When I was in high school, and having a particularly rough time, Robert made me feel comfortable around adults. He and the MacMasters made me realize that adults can be pretty cool. He was understanding and empathetic. He was practical, honest, and gentle. His passion for the Lord and for Israel I can remember even back then. I always wanted to take that trip to Israel with him and now I'll never have the chance.
But I'm lucky: my mom visited him in the hospital before she left Israel and she told him I loved him. I'm just glad he knew how I felt, because he never missed an opportunity to tell me he loved me.
So Robert, if there is anyone waiting for me when my time comes, I would hope it is you. I could do with another one of those hugs right now and I can't wait to see what bow tie they have prepared for you there. I hope it's shiny!
I thought we had more time. Yet again, time made a fool of me and I am just a hair too late.
It makes me so desperately sad.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Relentless Year
Since August, I have lost two friends to motorcycle accidents and another was taken seriously ill.
When life gets going, sometimes it just doesn't know how to let up.
Today's friend spotlight is on someone who is very dear to me.
My friend Robert is an amazing man. I've known him since I was young, I can't really remember a time when Robert was not around. He's the associate pastor at our church and has always been there for me. He's always thrilled to see me, asks my parents about me, gives the greatest hugs and the firmest handshakes. He ALWAYS wears a bow tie - which is the ultimate gentleman. Plus, he always smells so good!
Robert, along with Sherri and Don, walked me through two or three years of Disciple while I was in high school. I learned fellowship here. I learned how important small groups are. Those three taught me that adults could be cool, they can be trusted, but most of all, they taught me that adults can be your friends and that is an awe-inspiring thing when you're a teenager. I had a rough time in high school and these three kept me grounded and sane at a time I needed them the most. I was devastated to leave them behind, though I think I never really did.
Through all of my travels, my time away from home, Robert has always encouraged me. He knows my heart and knows that all I have ever wanted to do is go home. One day. He understands needing to fly before coming home to build a nest. He emails me to say he's thinking about me and that he's praying for me and it's funny how those emails always seem to come on a day when I need them the most.
He wrote me a couple months ago to ask me to join him in Israel, a trip my family is on. I had to decline because I had already paid for a diving trip to Raja Ampat, but I promised I would see him in December and I made him promise to take me next time they journey to the Holy Land.
Life sure does know how to toss a mean curve ball, but I was one step ahead of it, for once. You see, when Robert is able to travel home to Louisiana, which I pray is so so soon, I will only be half a heartbeat behind him. Because I know that this is one man that I need to spend more time with.
Those reasons to get home as fast as possible continue to pile up. I will have the wings of Hermes on my feet when I get back from diving. Rarely have I been so eager to move on to the next adventure! And I am so fortunate to be able to spend time with the people in my life I love the most before having to worry about moving on to my next situation. Macau definitely has it's bonuses!
Robert, my bottom line for this post is this: I have been praying harder for you since the moment I found out than I think I ever have in my life. You mean the world to me and I will not stop praying for you until I can get one of those hugs from you. Or maybe this time, I can give you a hug because you have given me so many. I love you, I miss you, and I cannot wait to see you for Christmas!
When life gets going, sometimes it just doesn't know how to let up.
Today's friend spotlight is on someone who is very dear to me.
My friend Robert is an amazing man. I've known him since I was young, I can't really remember a time when Robert was not around. He's the associate pastor at our church and has always been there for me. He's always thrilled to see me, asks my parents about me, gives the greatest hugs and the firmest handshakes. He ALWAYS wears a bow tie - which is the ultimate gentleman. Plus, he always smells so good!
Robert, along with Sherri and Don, walked me through two or three years of Disciple while I was in high school. I learned fellowship here. I learned how important small groups are. Those three taught me that adults could be cool, they can be trusted, but most of all, they taught me that adults can be your friends and that is an awe-inspiring thing when you're a teenager. I had a rough time in high school and these three kept me grounded and sane at a time I needed them the most. I was devastated to leave them behind, though I think I never really did.
Through all of my travels, my time away from home, Robert has always encouraged me. He knows my heart and knows that all I have ever wanted to do is go home. One day. He understands needing to fly before coming home to build a nest. He emails me to say he's thinking about me and that he's praying for me and it's funny how those emails always seem to come on a day when I need them the most.
He wrote me a couple months ago to ask me to join him in Israel, a trip my family is on. I had to decline because I had already paid for a diving trip to Raja Ampat, but I promised I would see him in December and I made him promise to take me next time they journey to the Holy Land.
Life sure does know how to toss a mean curve ball, but I was one step ahead of it, for once. You see, when Robert is able to travel home to Louisiana, which I pray is so so soon, I will only be half a heartbeat behind him. Because I know that this is one man that I need to spend more time with.
Those reasons to get home as fast as possible continue to pile up. I will have the wings of Hermes on my feet when I get back from diving. Rarely have I been so eager to move on to the next adventure! And I am so fortunate to be able to spend time with the people in my life I love the most before having to worry about moving on to my next situation. Macau definitely has it's bonuses!
Robert, my bottom line for this post is this: I have been praying harder for you since the moment I found out than I think I ever have in my life. You mean the world to me and I will not stop praying for you until I can get one of those hugs from you. Or maybe this time, I can give you a hug because you have given me so many. I love you, I miss you, and I cannot wait to see you for Christmas!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thanksgiving 2012
Thanksgivings away from home are not fun.
Last year, I was able to skype with the family, but this year, the family is spread farther and wider than usual. So instead, I made jambalaya from a packet and watched Brothers and Sisters and spent the night crying while I'm packing because Kitty's going through cancer and those episodes were really hard to watch the first time and harder to watch now, when I just want to hug everyone I love. I mean, seriously, I wasn't even drinking.
On that note. Thanksgiving. I think it is such an important holiday. I try to keep a healthy perspective on my life all the time, but I know it's difficult for so many people and it is indeed quite easy to lose sight of the good in all the bad in the world.
No bad today. Only words of good and encouragement.
Today I am thankful for the opportunities I have been blessed with since the day I was told I no longer had a place somewhere I thought would always be there. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. That day opened my eyes to a world beyond the US and I stumbled across this job online as a direct result of that happenstance.
I am thankful that every step I have taken, every decision made in my life has brought me to my here and now.
I am thankful for the perspective I have gained from living over seas and the tolerance for other people's cultures and way of living that I have been blessed to experience.
I am grateful for every person I have met on my journeys near and far. You have all influenced me to be a more empathetic and understanding person.
The world is such a huge place and it can seem so daunting. But my travels have taught me that it is maybe not quite so large as we think. I can see the influence of foreign cultures everywhere and it is so important to understand just how small the internet has made the world.
Above all these things, I am thankful for my family. They are the people who have loved me since before the day I was born. My parents: who have put up with my whims and quibbles and tantrums and tears since way beyond the time it ceased being cute. My grandparents: who are the most amazing and strong people I know. My aunt and uncles: they, too, are so strong and have shown me that divorce is not the end of the world and how powerful life can be beyond something so devastating. My brother and sisters: I am not an easy person with whom to get along. I am headstrong and opionated. Bullish (an Ox, in fact). They have loved me through it all and I look forward to spending time with what I consider to be the world's best family when I get home. I have missed out on a lot since the day I left home four years ago to seek my "fortune" and I have finally realized my fortune was right in front of my face all along.
Today I am thankful to have realized that my true fortune in life was never money. Mine has always been my family and my friends and the people who have shaped me.
Today I am thankful to be going home to those people in such a short time, with the knowledge that my friends I leave behind here in Macau are never more than a heartbeat away.
Last year, I was able to skype with the family, but this year, the family is spread farther and wider than usual. So instead, I made jambalaya from a packet and watched Brothers and Sisters and spent the night crying while I'm packing because Kitty's going through cancer and those episodes were really hard to watch the first time and harder to watch now, when I just want to hug everyone I love. I mean, seriously, I wasn't even drinking.
On that note. Thanksgiving. I think it is such an important holiday. I try to keep a healthy perspective on my life all the time, but I know it's difficult for so many people and it is indeed quite easy to lose sight of the good in all the bad in the world.
No bad today. Only words of good and encouragement.
Today I am thankful for the opportunities I have been blessed with since the day I was told I no longer had a place somewhere I thought would always be there. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. That day opened my eyes to a world beyond the US and I stumbled across this job online as a direct result of that happenstance.
I am thankful that every step I have taken, every decision made in my life has brought me to my here and now.
I am thankful for the perspective I have gained from living over seas and the tolerance for other people's cultures and way of living that I have been blessed to experience.
I am grateful for every person I have met on my journeys near and far. You have all influenced me to be a more empathetic and understanding person.
The world is such a huge place and it can seem so daunting. But my travels have taught me that it is maybe not quite so large as we think. I can see the influence of foreign cultures everywhere and it is so important to understand just how small the internet has made the world.
Above all these things, I am thankful for my family. They are the people who have loved me since before the day I was born. My parents: who have put up with my whims and quibbles and tantrums and tears since way beyond the time it ceased being cute. My grandparents: who are the most amazing and strong people I know. My aunt and uncles: they, too, are so strong and have shown me that divorce is not the end of the world and how powerful life can be beyond something so devastating. My brother and sisters: I am not an easy person with whom to get along. I am headstrong and opionated. Bullish (an Ox, in fact). They have loved me through it all and I look forward to spending time with what I consider to be the world's best family when I get home. I have missed out on a lot since the day I left home four years ago to seek my "fortune" and I have finally realized my fortune was right in front of my face all along.
Today I am thankful to have realized that my true fortune in life was never money. Mine has always been my family and my friends and the people who have shaped me.
Today I am thankful to be going home to those people in such a short time, with the knowledge that my friends I leave behind here in Macau are never more than a heartbeat away.
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