It has been the most MARVELOUS winter vacation, and I'm going to try to share it with you in the most enjoyable, readable, and efficient way possible for all that I have packed in.
First, I did want to show you a bit about the whirlwind trip to the U.S. I'd like to thank everyone who played a part in making me feel like a princess and catering to my short lived schedule. Everyone I saw was a delightful addition to my trip. Thanks! Here are some pictures that sum up a small selection of the main ingredient in what Christmas break was this year.
A Nashville hot dog stand, rainy day, Belmont campus tour, sam-ich sharing, old bookstore, and long post office lines
An hour drive, 72 acres, freezing weather, a not so stray stray dog deemed smodge, a misplaced instant spare tire can, a tree, a .22 revolver, hummus, and Big Red
A kitchen table, a seat that hadn't been warmed in a while, fresh pillows, a mattress of legitimate mattress worth, long hot showers (which really only meant like 15 minutes), tacos, Tripoli, spinach burgers, and Dang! That's Good Root Beer (no, really, that's what it's called)
4 people stuck together on this earth with really similar blood and fortunately really similar desires to laugh, central heating, birthday clothes (though my birthday hasn't arrived yet), vegetable soup, Panera bread, cinnamon rolls, molasses cookies, hugs! hugs! hugs!, celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and perhaps taking a little something that I've learned here back to share.
...but the biggest thing I think I got from my trip was the realization of presence and presents, and the present of the present. You see, I'd made up a long list of things that I was longing for (with cheese at the top of the list). When I was back in the states briefly and had these things, they were good, but they weren't all what I dreamed them up in my mind to be. That is NOT to say that I didn't enjoy myself--I flat out loved my short stay. What it is to say is that it became more apparent to me the nostalgic value I place on things. While all of the things I love and experience from home are great, they are not what makes a place and I can thrive without them. It was so great to be able to experience all these things once again, but cheese isn't why I love the commonwealth; Margie and Kayla, Vickie and Vicki, Joan and Annie and Sis and sooo many others are what makes a place like that actually a green pasture. Shooting guns, eating cheese, going to the theatre and playing tripoli are not nearly any fun without people. This is a lesson God is teaching me. He says--go where I lead you, and make the most of it. I have pathways for you that you cannot fathom. I have experiences coming that you aren't yet ready for. All I need you to do is look for what I have in it for you, what I need you to do, and to ultimately make the most of it.--that's what He's teaching me. I have to constantly be reminded that, like Lot's wife, looking back and off the path won't get me far or leave me very happy. So thank you to each of you that are a piece of that green pasture so many time zones away.
Talking about pastures...I realized that when I was at home I talked a lot about my roommates and coworkers here in Macau. They're the stars of my show over here, and they have been quite wonderful to live with, deal with and smart off with. Although my connection with them does not have the same strong 20something year deep roots as my family does, there was an excitement about being back with them here again--especially since it is now more apparent how quickly my time left with them will fly.
After a long journey back to Macau, I lugged my suitcase up to the apartment door at 1a.m. to hear, "Shrekkkk?" Haha. That's Ray's endearing name for me--apparently I embody a grumbly ogre in multiple ways. In it's own little odd way, hearing that name and seeing all my Macau clan chilling in the living room at 1a.m. happy to see me was a perfect welcome back. :)
Adventures onward!
3 comments:
Glad to see you back Chels. AMc
i concur that cutting and eating cheese are fun....dll
love you
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