The Joy of Packing...

...if by "joy" you mean complete frustration. Packing for the next 3 years of your life seems seemingly impossible, especially when you're a chronic over packer like me. Here is the process in pictures:

           It starts out a little like this. Now it could be more organized, but that has never really been my tendency in my life...against popular belief...I can usually find anything I need in this environment. Believe it not the next stage actually gets messier...here begins the process of deciding what stays and what goes...

        This by far is the most frustrating stage. I would be lying if I said there was no tears involved in this stage. There were tears of confusion of not knowing what to take and what to leave...tears of frustration that not everything fits in the suitcase...and tears of humiliation that you are actually crying of insignificant things like packing.
      Because of the 50lbs weight limit on bags, I love to see numbers like this on the scale:

 

        And at this glorious point, I put like 12 more things in my bag...because of course all those things together weigh less than a pound (yeah...I know I'm dreaming). These guys pictured below are also helpful. The packing cube not only holds a lot, but allows people like me to feel organized for a least a few minutes.

      I would love to show a final picture of bags that are all underweight and have everything I need. Unfortunately, we are not down to the last hour so of course there are a few more things to do ( I work best under pressure). The good thing about the packing process is at some point past all the frustration, you start not to care what is packed....and you'll just learn to live with whatever makes it. Thanks to Mom and Brittany for helping in this process. They are magicians that make a crazy amount of stuff fit into small suitcases. Here's to really nice check in people at the airport that will hopefully look past an extra pound or two.

Leaving....on a jet plane

So I'm in the last days before I leave on the big adventure...the adventure that includes moving across the continent for a few months, and then moving across the world. I feel like that kind of adventure warrants an adjective like "big." The last few days at home include some stressful moments like packing (post about that to come soon) and saying goodbyes. It can get a little heavy...a little like "Am I really about to do this?"

I've left a few times in my life...all usually for good things like summer camp, college, a new job, living overseas, graduate school, etc. Donald Miller's book, Through Painted Deserts always gives me encouragement when I'm on the verge of leaving again. Here's what the intro has to say...

 "And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it? It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."

So here's to leaving again...and all the lessons that will come with it.

Painting Pictures with Sara

    So I'm in the middle of this big transition of leaving my home of 2 and a half years and heading back to training, and eventually overseas. This past week has been the first rounds of "lasts" and goodbyes. This week I'll have to say goodbye to church and small group and school friends. Since I've done this before the goodbyes are little different. Living overseas you get used to people, really awesome people, coming and going. Goodbyes don't get any easier, you just get used to them. I also  think since I've been too busy to really think about the transition and the finality of some things.

   Tonight I was driving back from Wilmington...one of my most favorite places on earth. I had just said goodbye to it and the good friends that still live there. I can remember the first time I said goodbye to that place after attending college there. I could barely see it in my rear view mirror because of all the tears. This time was different, but it still hurt a little.

   On the way back a familiar song came on my ipod. It was "Painting Pictures of Egypt" by Sara Groves. I love how songwriters can express thoughts in such a creative way. I'm always amazed because I would never think to say a sentence like that...or paint a picture with words like that. Maybe that is one of the many reasons I love music so much....because it can say things that I can't with words. Part of the chorus of the song goes like this:

But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned

  Wilmington used to be home...the place where I felt alive and loved and grew and learned. I am not saying that it isn't those things now, or that it will never be again...it's just different. The Lord has been faithful to make me more like Him over the years...even in spite of me at times. I know that Wilmington is not the place for me right now...it hasn't been that place since college, no matter how badly I've wanted it to be. The Dub and I used to be a perfect fit, but I'm different and praise the Lord that he has shown me for now a new place to follow Him.

  The Lord has allowed me to learn that home is wherever He is....it's wherever I'm being obedient to Him. That doesn't mean that I forget or don't miss my actual home and the people that come with it....it just makes me look forward to the new place I'll call home. The place that He has prepared before the beginning of time. The place where He will hopefully continue to grow me until I'm called to the ultimate Home.

You can take the girl out of Africa....

    So I'm starting this blog thing up again. I stopped after I got back from Northern Africa...it's hard for me to make "normal, mundane" life sound super interesting, so I took a break....a 2 year break. Why not? Wouldn't be nice if you could take a 2 year break from work...or a 2 year vacation...sounds like a good idea to me.
    Well I'm staring all this back up again because I'm in this "let's go overseas" thing again. It's not really a thing...it's my life...a life that I've been called to and a life that I love. It works out since the thought of settling in one place forever has always been super scarey to me. I admire people who do that...who invest their whole lives in one space. There are people who do it so well, but I tend to get restless. That's why people are different though I guess...so we can be ok doing different things...Praise the Lord for that. 
    It's been over 2 years since I got back from Africa which is crazy! There are times when I can't even remember the last 2 years because it's gone by so fast, and there are other times when that restless spirit of mine gets the best of me and I feel super trapped in the grad school bubble. In all of the transition of the past 2 years, I think back and realize that I'm still African in many ways which makes me laugh most of the time. Here are a few examples:

1. I'm cold-natured. Growing up I never thought that term would be used to describe me, but two years in the intense desert of Chad changed everything. I start putting on the jackets and cardigans if the temp. hits mid-70s. The first thing that happens when I hit my air conditioned apartment is put on a hoodie and sweatpants...and sometimes hop under the covers if my roommates are extra hot that day and the A/C is set a little lower. I know where blankets are stored at most of my friends houses...it's gotten pretty comical actually.

2. I am a refrigerator regulator....like an out of control one. In Africa (if our frig was actually working), we would open the frig minimal times a day to keep the coolness in, and we would have to know exactly what we were getting out to minimize "door open" time. I am constantly closing the frig door if one of my friends keeps it open to long. It's like I have radar and know it's being open too long. It doesn't matter that America has awesome electricity and it would be perfectly ok if the frig door stay open for a few extra seconds....but I usually can't handle it. I do it to myself too...if I think I'm taking too long to find something...I make myself close the door until I figure out what I need...it's such a weird quirk...but it has definitely stuck with me.

3. People look down all the time....at their phones. I can't handle it....talk to me....look at my face....don't keep checking your phone. It was just weird to me at first. Africa is such a relational culture and no one is concerned with who has commented on their facebook status. I like technology as much as the next person...its just something I still notice being really different from when I lived in the desert.

4. I love rain! In the land of the desert I used to long for rain. I would go out and play in it. The Africans would always look at me like I'm crazy, but I never cared. It hasn't changed since I've gotten back. Give me a gray, rainy day and I'm a happy girl.

5. I turn lights off. Throughout my childhood, my parents did their best to make me turn off lights when I left a room...but nothing ever really worked. I would just forget, or didn't care, or maybe it was my rebellious teenager attitude. My dad would joke that he could always tell what I had been doing by looking at the lights. I took for granted electricity plain and simple. Now...I'm always cutting lights off. I cut lights off on behalf of others...even if they're not ready for them to be off yet. I get out of my bed at night to make sure all the lights are off. Congrats mom and dad...Africa finally made the lesson stick.

So I'm still African in some ways, and despite loving America...there are times when it's painful because I miss Africa so much. I wish I could just walk down the street and be there. Here's to another culture becoming ingrained in my heart. 

Rafting the Nile

By far, one of the coolest things I've ever done is rafting the Nile. It was awesome! The rafting company (Nile River Explorers-awesome people) starts out be feeding you breakfast and then trucking you down to the river. You have a full day of rafting that includes lunch in your boat, and then you head back up the river for a nice cookout. It was one of the funnest days ever! It was by far the biggest rapids I've ever seen too. There were mostly class 4 and 5. Our boat flipped twice and on the last rapids of the day, I had to be rescued by a kayak....it was amazing!!! They are getting ready to build a dam on the river so the rapids will be no more....so you need to go do this soon!!


I'm in the middle holding on as our boat was flipping...

Africa Tour 2010

So I started out on the scenic route home by getting into Uganda 2 hours early. Yeah that has never happened on a flight before but I guess there's a first time for everything. The next day we headed down to Murchison Falls Game Park. We had lots of fun and got to see plenty of animals. A Cape Buffalo would even come by the window to our room every night....we would see the tracks in the morning. The trip included a river boat ride where I saw too many hippos to count.


Of course I had to get lots of pictures of my favorite animal....


Ok, we found this lion at the end of the second day. It was awesome and obviously we were really close. As we were watching her, she locked in on some antelope in a field near by, starting walking over there, and got in a crouch. I was flipping out because I just knew I was gonna see my first kill. I was so pumped....and I realize that this makes me sound heartless...but when you're right there in the moment...you want to see it happen. And I immediately began humming The Circle of Life. Well, she sat there for a minute, toying with my emotions and then decided she wasn't hungry and walked away. Come on!!! Eat already!

Things to Look Forward To

1. Seeing friends and family...obviously yall are the number one. Get
ready for me to get emotional and jump up and down
2. Fast Food!! I know it's not very good for me but I'm going to have to
say hey to Taco Bell, Sonic, Chic-fila, Zaxby's, Dairy Queen, and so
many more when I get back...it's gonna be amazing.
3. Grocery Stores....I'm probably going to tear up on the cereal aisle.
4. Constant electricity and running water WITHOUT a generator.
5. Driving...anyone want a road trip?
6. Sleeping in my bed with a lot of covers and not sweating or waking up
to an alarm...oh my goodness, it will be glorious
7. The beach.....one of the best things about living in Eastern NC
8. My puppy....ok he's more of a huge dog but I still miss him
9. Concerts....I used to go to them all the time.....Matt and Dave--here
I come!
10. Microwaves....rapidly heating food really is a beautiful thing
11. High Speed Internet!!! No more reading books while I wait for a page
to load.
12. Being cold....my first winter back is going to be awesome
13. Bring on the pants....I'm not wearing skirts for a very long time.
14. The NC State Fair...all I'm saying is ears of corn and deep fried
snickers!
15. Cable TV...no more watching the same seasons of TV over and over on
my computer.
16. iTunes...I need some new music.

The list could go on and on but here are the first things that come to
mind. See you in 37 days!!!