A First Time for Everything!

Well I just finished celebrating my first birthday in Japan. Through out all of my celebrating I realized I was having a lot of first time experiences.

Friday I went to dinner with my sister, my two fabulous co-workers/roommates, and a friend who came down from Mito. After dinner I had my first 3 HOUR experience at karaoke!! I had been to karaoke before, but usually only for an hour or an hour and a half. LEt me just say, 3 hours STILl isn't enough! Maybe the group made it exceptionally fun, but if we hadn't of all been so tired I could have gone even longer.

THEN Saturday the real fun began! I woke up and got ready for the day, and my sister and Kendon came over to cook me breakfast. It was amazing! Rachel had gotten bacon, and cinnamon rolls from a friend on base. (Normally you can't find these delicacies in Japan.) After a great breakfast we cleaned up, watched a movie, and then headed to meet more friends at the station. After letting breakfast digest we then went and had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe.

This was my FIRST time to eat a Hard Rock cafe, and in JAPAN! I was really excited, and the food didn't disappoint. I was able to get me an American sized hamburger!

After lunch we then walked over to the BLUE MAN BUILDING!! Where the BLUE MAN GROUP was performing. This was my first time to see them. The show was not what I expected...it was SOO MUCH BETTER! I laughed so much, in fact there were times I think I was the only person laughing just because of how ridiculous these guys look! The guys don't say anything, but their eyes and facial expressions are PRICELESS!

Then the best is yet to come. After the show the show everyone cleared out, except our group and a couple other smaller groups. After seeing the show, and what they did with some of the people in the audience I was beginning to get a little nervous. ESPECIALLY since I was the birthday girl! As it turned out there was no need to be nervous. One of the members came out to take a picture with us.



After we finished taking our group picture with him we left and visited outside the studio while some people took potty breaks. While we were waiting and visiting the Blue Man came outside. It was really great because it was just our group and a lot of us were able to take pictures with him. I was watching him interact and take pictures with everyone when he came over and stared at me. It was quite freaky at first. The guys NEVER smile, and look at you like they've NEVER seen a white person before. SO here is the sequence of pictures of him coming up to me....then he looks at me....and then...wait for it....he leans in....AND KISSES ME ON THE CHEEK! It was SOOO crazy! I think I am still in a little shock.



Then I rode the rest of the HOUR train ride home with a BIG BLUE KISS on my cheek. It was actually a lot of fun! I almost didn't want to wash it, but the paint was really nasty and oily, and I knew it would stain whatever it touched. So to preserve my momentus occasion I have pictures and my ticket stub, which I pressed against my cheek to document the kiss yet again. So that was the last of my first...MY FIRST KISS! If you want to get SUPER technical it wouldn't be my first kiss, but from someone other than family, truth or dare, then I think it qualifies as a first kiss.




Alright, well I hope that will tide you over for now. I will try to post again soon. I have a lot of other pictures and stories to share.

Matane! (that means see you later!)

Blessed to be back!

I really don't know where to begin this blog. While today was actually very uneventful, it has heightened many emotions. Today we didn't have classes, so it was just a lot of sitting at my desk. Thankfully I had things to do. Next Monday I speak in chapel, so I worked on typing up my chapel speech so I could give it to my translator. They prefer to have them at least a week in advance. While doing so I started thinking about what I felt I should share. For those who know me, know what a daunting task that can be for me. I am never good at making decisions, especially ones that effect a significant amount of people. I started thinking of my time at home, and some of the wonderful time I spent outside admiring God's beautiful creation. This reminded me of the story about geese that I had heard years ago. So I talked about how the geese fly in a "V" formation and all the benefits it has for the whole group. Here are the main highlights about the geese...


*By flying in the “V” formation the geese use the uplift from others to make flying 71% easier.
*If one goose leaves the “V” the resistance and drag is so great, he hurriedly returns to the group.
*When the lead goose gets tired he falls back into the “V” and lets another goose take the lead.
*If a goose gets sick or wounded at anytime, two geese will go down with it until it heals, and then they fly back to the group together.
*The geese constantly honk to encourage each other to press on and keep flying.

With that said, I talked about how we should be like the geese. How we should encourage each other and share each other's burdens. Although as I write this I am thinking of all the people who are currently encouraging and uplifting me, even though they probably have NOO idea that they are doing it. I have the MOST amazing family. I'm not just talking immediate family, but also extended.


My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. (on both sides, sorry just a pic of the Denton side) are all Christians and can show you love like you've never experienced. On top of my blood family I have multiple church families. The nearest and dearest to my heart are the members of Vanderveer St. Church of Christ in Burnet TX. I know so many of them pray for me and let me know they're thinking of me by saying hello on Facebook. The love and support they have and continue to show my family is overwhelming, and humbling. Next I have amazing friends scattered all around the world, with most of them residing in OK, TX, or now here in Japan. Saturday it was so great to meet fellow English teachers in Japan whom are also Christians. Thank you all! Your Christian examples, and lives of faith are an inspiration to me, and a big part of the reason I am in Japan teaching/ministering. (Forgive me if I offend anyone for saying ministering)

Thinking about all the incredible people in my life makes me realize how ridiculously blessed I am. I don't understand it. Why has God chosen me to bless this much? I feel like I should be doing so much more than I am. Thank you God for this opportunity, and PLEASE help me share the love and blessings you have SOO richly poured on me!

ROOMATES

I know I have mentioned a few things about my roommates, but I don't think I have mentioned how blessed I am to have two AMAZING roommates. Both are very different in several ways, and God is teaching me things through both of them.

Amber Andrusak is not only my newest roommate, but also my newest friend. We quickly became friends on the way home from the airport and the few days we shared getting over our jet-lag. We share many mutual friends, because her hometown (Salina, Kansas), is my birthplace. We determined our family left a year before her family moved there. So we just missed each other, but have had fun talking about some of the same people we know, which is actually how she found out about the teaching position at YJG. We get along great because we share some of the same mentalities, and we are only 2 years apart in age. We both remind each other of good friends, which we both see as a good sign. We also share the LOVE of COFFEE, and on most mornings share a cup of Joe together!

Bridgette Jones is special because she has been here for 4 years so she has become a mentor, advisor, and most of all friend. I had met Bridgette the Christmas I came to visit my sister in Japan, which made things really nice for when I had to make my quick transition from the states to Japan in May. Bridgette is from North Carolina and is great with Southern hospitality! We have had many dinner parties with friends, co-workers, and students. Bridgette and I also share the love of musicals. In the few months we've been in Japan together we've seen the Sound of Music, and DreamGirls together. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of us together because I didn't have my new camera then, so she has them on hers.

You will be hearing and seeing more of them throughout the year!

Students + Fireworks + Beach = AMAZING DAY

Thursday we had two students, Saria and Mana come to the house for lunch. I made chicken, spaghetti, and a salad. Oishi des! After the food was put away and dishes cleaned we played Uno attack, Doubto (the Japanese name for B.S.) and Cranium!

They were SOOO much fun! I love having students over, and I think it was fun for Amber to meet some students.



After the games Amber and I didn't know how to nicely tell the students we had plans to go to Zushi beach for a firework show, so we invited them to come with us. The fireworks were AMAZING! As always pictures can't do them justice. On the way home Amber and I were hungry so we stopped at a convenient store to grab some "traditional" Japanese specialties. I introduced Amber to bento boxes (like a TV dinner only not frozen and with fresh fried rice, and a shrimp stir fry type thing. , onigiri (triangular ball of rice with fish inside), and tofu rice rolls.

I'm BACK!

So as some of you know, I have been in the US for my summer vacation. I am now back in Japan, and happy to be here. I am working on getting unpacked and settled in. First thing this morning is going to the grocery store. Last night when we got home all we had in the house was rice, tuna, and some condiments.

After some scrambled eggs, grapefruit, and apple juice my new roomate, Amber, and I headed out for a mini tour. While we were out shopping we began to get hungry so I took her to a Japanese restaurant for her first Japanese meal. Here is what I ordered...

After eating our jet lag was starting to kick in, so what better way to solve jet lag than a massage. There is a REALLY GREAT Thai Massage place near our school and house so I took here there and we got massages. They were SOO great! After the massages we came back to the house to do a little more unpacking and then we both turned in early.

Back in the States

Gomenisai...that's I'm sorry. Which I am for not posting in such a long time. Needless to say the weeks leading up to me leaving Japan were rather busy, and I neglected posting things. While I'm home I will try to back track and share some stories from while I was there. I will be back in the states until August 23rd. It's been a great visit so far, but I am already ready to go back.

My last 3 weeks...

I am SOO sorry I haven't blogged in a while I have been rather busy with school. It is crazy how much work it is to be a teacher in a culture that thinks you should work 60 hours a week. Thankfully being a foreigner I am not held the 12 hour work days.

So here are the last three weeks in a nut shell.

Three weeks ago:
I missed a day of school because my little headaches that I had been having all week turned into a migraine. :( I contributed it to culture shock. A day with my sister helped cure me of that.

Two weeks ago:
Thursday and Friday (the 10 & 11) our school had a sports festival. It was absolutely incredible!!! I took video with my sister's camera and when I figure out how to load video (and when I get her camera) I will load pictures and video of some of the girls events.

Saturday I went to acupuncture with my sister which was AMAZING and helped with the migraines. Then we had a FANTASIC lunch at California Pizza Kitchen for my roomates birthday. A whole lot of friends came to celebrate, and it was great getting to meet more of her friends, which are becoming our friends. (Pictures of this are on Facebook)
After lunch we went to coldstone and enjoyed some desert. Can you tell my roomate DOESN't like Japanese food??? Then most of the group left and my roomate, sister, co-worker and I went to The Sound of Music. The musical was great, except for the fact that is was ALL in Japanese. Thankfully it was a story line I knew, so I wasn't too confused. I actually think the Japanese kids were cuter than the American kids in the movie.

Sunday
Great day at church! A singing group from California Baptist College came to the church my sister goes to, which I also placed membership, so I guess now I can say our church. After church i came back and cleaned and relaxed till my sister came over for dinner and a movie. :)

It is SUCH a blessing having her here. It is great making up for all the time we were apart during college, and her first 3 years in Japan.

Last week:
The California singing group came to our school. The girls LOVED them! They also came and sang a song at the end of one of my classes, which was so great to see and hear the group in such a small little room. I also had a pretty rough week at school. The weather has been this hot humid mixture, which is worse than I have ever experienced in my life. By the time I have walked the 15 minuted to school my shirt is wet with sweat, and any make-up I was stupid enough to put on is now GONE!! Hopefully my hair and body will get used to all of it soon. Oh I also got to experience the disappointment of students NOT behaving or doing assignments. I don't feel like going into huge detail, but lets just say I had 12 students not turn in a MAJOR assignment so the got detention. Of the 12, 8 came to detention the first day. Then we told the other's if they didn't come Friday they would have detention ALL next week. Guess how many came!?!?! ONE, so 3 girls will get to be with me EVERY day after school this week. I really think it is more punishment for me than for them, but such is life as a teacher.

Saturday I cleaned and got ready for a barbeque we had for one of my classes. Apparently before I came these girls invited themselves over to our house to eat, so when I did arrive I helped plan a day Bridgette (my roomate, and co-worker) and I could have them over. It turned out to be SOOO much fun! Even though some of the girls don't speak a lot of English they all TRIED to speak English. Just the time to get together outside of school, when we are all more relaxed and able to have fun and joke around was SO nice. When I walked them to the station to head home they all gave me a big hug bye, and thanked me and told me they loved me. For those who may not know...that is HUGE in Japan. Most of the Japanese people are not affectionate, and most of them don't even tell their parents they love them. So I went to bed with a heavy and thankful heart, because I know why God has brought me here.

Well that is all I feel up to tonight. I will tell about my day today another time. Have a Happy Fathers day! Blessings and Love to all.

Sinus Infection

After a week of sniffles, coughing and sneezing I decided to go see the doctor. Turns out I am not just allergic to things in OK, and TX. I'm also allergic to things in Japan, AND I have a sinus infection to go with it. This usually happens to me around christmas and or Thanksgiving when I switch back and forth from OK allergies to TX allergies. So now I have had my welcome to Japan sinus infection. Now lets just hope I don't get another one when I come back in August after being home for summer break. It sure stinks getting bad genes. For someone who loves nature and being outdoors it is awful being allergic to so much of it. Although God's natural creation makes happy and feel closer to him, so bring on the sniffles and possible sinus infections. The nature is worth it.

I don't know where all this is going...

This was a great weekend. It's so humbling the way God uses people to inspire, and convict us. The lesson at Church this afternoon was about dreams. What we dreamed when we were younger, and then turned it into what are God's dreams for your life. There were so many great things the guy said. THEN, on the train and on my walk home I was listening to my ipod and these are the lyrics to the song I was listening to.



You are the author of knowledge
You can redeem what's been done
You hold the present and all that's to come
Until your everlasting kingdom

Lord, I don't know where all this is going
Or how it all works out
Lead me to peace that is past understanding
A peace beyond all doubt

You are the God of tomorrow
Turning the darkness to dawn
Lifting the hopeless with hope to go on
You are the rock of all salvation

Lord, I don't know where all this is going
Or how it all works out
Lead me to peace that is past understanding
A peace beyond all doubt

Oh, Lord, you are the author
Redeeming what's been done
You hold us in the present
And all that is to come

Lord, we don't know where all this is going
Or how it all works out
Lead us to peace that is past understanding
A peace beyond all doubt
~ Newsboys, Lord (I don't know)

I never in my life dreamed I would be teaching and ministering in Japan. Yet, even though I have only been here a little bit, I don't feel like this is what God really has dreamed for my life. I am already blessed beyond belief to be here, and by the people I have already met. I know this is part of his plan and dream for my life. As they said this morning, God still has more chapters to my life's book.

My heart is so heavy right now. I can't really explain it. I feel so overwhelmed with blessings. I don't understand why God can so richly bless my life, when other people are struggling just to get by.

God I don't know where all this is going, or how it is going to all work out, lead us to peace that is past understanding. Thank you so much for all your blessings.

Dumb Blogger and Picture Perfect

So I tried to change my blog background, but it didn't really work. I am EXTREMELY un-educated in how to make it look better. SO if any of you reading this know how, I will gladly let you help me, or even just change it for me. ( I know I would have to give my user information).


So I just wanted to say that, not I will actually tell you something about my day in Nihon-land (Japan).

My roomate told me this morning as I was about to head out the door that she wasn't feeling well and if she began to feel better later she'd come to school. Well she didn't make it to school, but when I got home today the house smelled of pinesol, and the floors were spotless. I don't know about you, but when I'm sick i sure as heck don't get the urge to clean, much less mop the whole house! I should also tell you our ENTIRE house has to be swept and mopped, because it is all hard wood or tile.

OH and on top of that the school hired a professional photographer to come today and take pictures of the school for their yearbook, and pamphlets for the year. Guess who they wanted to take the pictures of??? Bridgette, my roomate, but she was at home "sick". So who was the lucky person who got to have their picture taken ALL over the school with students? Me! So I pretended to be talking to to students or telling them something important. They took pictures in my classroom, where we were re-doing a speaking part of the lesson, just to make it look good for the pictures. They also took pictures as I was leaving and posed students in the hall with me talking. Then I went to my desk and they had students take pictures there. Then we went outside to take more posed pictures. Needless to say I was the teacher model for the day. There have been some days in my life I have enjoyed taking pictures, but today was not one of them.

In some ways I can't wait to see the pictures, because I want to see if any of them actually turned out good, then the other part of me doesn't because I felt like I looked AWFUL today. Because it was cold and rainy. Not good weather for looking cute. Oh well, life goes on. Hopefully they will re-take pictures next year and choose a new model for their pictures.

Do I need to know this???

So today was our first teachers meeting. Need I remind you that since I'm in Japan it was ALL in Japanese. Thankfully they gave the english teachers a translator, but did she translate everything....NO!

I finally asked, what's he saying, and she would tell me one sentence for the last 5 minutes of talking. REALLY?!?!?

While the meeting was going on Bridgette, my roommate and co-worker was smart and brought papers to grade while sitting there. She was grading Dictionary quizzes that we decided to give every one of our classes. The purpose of the test was to make sure they all had dictionaries, and to make sure they knew how to use them. So for each word they had to write the Japanese word, and then write a sentence in English using the word they had to look up. One of the words was neck....want to know what the student put? My cat is necking me. When I read this I started laughing... IN the middle of the teacher's meeting. Also I should add that in Japanese culture, you have to be respectful of those talking. So I initially felt bad for laughing but I couldn't help it. To make matters worse the lady that was supposed to be translating tapped me and said shhh he's talking about how the students have been having bad behavior, you shouldn't be talking or laughing. After she said that I was a little annoyed because out of the 10 minutes this new TOP (what they call principles, and authority figures in the school) sensei (teacher) all she told me was that they had been talking about student behavior. Did they tell us how to handle it? (Not that I have really had any problems in my classes) Did they mention behaviors to be looking for? She didn't tell me a thing. I was clueless.

THEN, after an hour I was thinking surely they have been saying more important things than, keep your desk clean, and watch for girls trying to fix there hair during class and chapel. So I asked the translator, "Is he saying anything we need to know?" She told me yes...and that was it. Not yes, he's telling us ..... She just said. "Yes" So at that point I completely quit listening and started counting ceiling tiles, or looking around the room to see how many teachers had fallen asleep, because Japanese people can sleep whenever and where ever they feel tired. When I looked around I could only see 3 sleeping, and I can't remember how far I got on the ceiling tiles before it was time to go. Afterwords my rommie and I decided we didn't feel like walking home in the rain and fixing dinner so we went out for Pasta, and got a cab for the ride home.

The Best and Worst of Costco

Yesterday was my first trip to Costco. It turned into quite the adventure, because you don't realize how heavy everything you buy gets. I also didn't keep in mind how far I would have to carry it home, and on and off trains.

So for the best- The food! I never thought I would enjoy hot dogs, pizza, and churro's as much as I did at Costco. part of the enjoyment could have been the fact that I hadn't had American food like that, and for that cheep in about 2 weeks. Which really doesn't seem like it's been that long.

The worst- Hands down having to carry a HUGE bag full of food on and off trains and about 2 1/2 miles home up a HUGE hill.

Also on the worst list, is a worst dress candidate. I wish I had gotten a picture because if this girl had been in America I would have thought this girl was a prostitute, but in Japan it is quite acceptable. Okay so she was wearing a mid-drif, TIGHT scoop neck pink shirt, with tight washed out jean capri's. Then to top it all off she was wearing 5 inch clear platform heels. However even though they were clear, the toe/ball of the foot platform area had flowers in it- like it was hollow almost. It was the most bazaar outfit I have ever seen. Oh I almost forgot to mention her long blond and brown spiral weave in her hair.

Anyway she looked quite interesting. At a later time I will have to share some more crazy things I have seen since being in Japan.

I did make it home safe, and the trip was well worth the block of cheese that I got for ONLY 800 yen ($8.00).

Last welcome surprise!

So upon arriving to Japan my sister has had all sorts of surprises. The first night I'm home my roomate cooked me dinner and had surprise guests. The following week we went out to dinner at a Shbu Shabu restaurant which is special to Japan. Then Saturday she surprised me with a massage. This past weekend (Friday) my sister surprised me once again with tickets to the musical Dreamgirls. It was the traveling group from New York. So it was in ENGLISH and it was SOO Amazing! I have officially decided I have the best sister in the world.

I surprisingly think I can get used to living in a city and having SO many great things to go and see all the time. The only problem is eventually my funds would run out.

Mommy WOW, I'm a big kid now!

So after this past week at school it has finally began to sink in, that I am fully employed and have big kid responsibilities.

I am actually a teacher. I have about 300 students in 17 classes, and 5 different grades that I see once a week for 50 minutes. Girls come to me during lunch and after school to ask me questions. I also have teacher meetings, and after school club activities that I help with.

I've now had two different teachers that translate for my 7th graders ask questions that flattered me. One asked me, "Have you had teacher training? Because you seem so confident, and speak loud and clearly." I would hope I was speaking clearly when I only say 3 words a minute. Okay so maybe I don't talk that slowly, but it feels like I do. The other teacher asked me, "Do you enjoy teaching? Because it looks like you are really having fun with the girls." My response, Yes I love teaching. (Why would I have spent 5 years of school trying to get a teaching degree if I didn't.)

I really am enjoying my life here thus far. I'm still adjusting, and my body is still trying to get used to the stressful, busy country of Japan. It's also great to be here with my sister, my best friend for almost my entire life. There were a few times I would have disowned her, but for the most part, we've been best friends.

One week down

So it is hard to believe it has been a whole week since I arrived in Japan. I am starting to get really frustrated at how distant I feel from the people I love. My laptop can't connect to the wireless for some reason, and the desktop computer doesn't have a microphone or speaker to call. SOOO I apologize for not being able to communicate with anyone.

Things are going well. I had a fantastic welcome dinner Friday night. My sister got a nice group together and we went to eat shabu shabu. THEN I went to Karaoke. It was SOOO much fun.

I am really enjoying being so close to my sister, because Saturday she surprised me with a massage and a fun day of sopping. Then I came back and rested before my roommate had a friend over dinner.

Today, Sunday, I slept in till 8. After I got up I took a shower, made breakfast, and took my time getting ready for church. After church I went to my sisters apartment and hung out until I decided it was time for me to head back home for the evening.

Now I'm back, and getting ready to head to bead. Someday when I get Internet on my computer I will try to make this a little more entertaining.

That's all for now. God bless till next time.

Hi my name is...

So the past few days I have been introducing myself ALOT! I have 16 classes a week, ranging in grades 7-11. I am the only teacher that has at least 2 classes of each grade. In grades 8-11 they have had to ask me questions.

Here are the top 10 questions I have been getting ....

10. How tall are you? - 183 cm (they don't do ft / inches)
9. What is your blood type?
8. What is your favorite Japanese food?
7. What is your favorite Japanese artist? Do you really expect me to have a favorite or even know any after being in Japan 5 days.
6. What is your favorite season?
5. What is a difference between America, and Japan?
4. Do you like Japan?
3. Where do you shop?
2. Do you like your sister?

And for the hands down favorite, and top question ...
1. Do you have a boyfriend? Really??? Do they expect me to 1, have already gotten a boyfriend after 5 days of being in Japan, or 2. Leave a boyfriend in the US for 2 years.

Some things just don't seem to change.

I absolutely love my students, and I am looking forward to teaching next week by myself. I just hope I can remember where all the classes are. :-)

Funny Story of the day- Compliments to my sister....

So i am on my way home and am waiting for the signal to change so i can cross the street (this road is too busy to jaywalk in my opinion) but of course that doesn't stop the superior nihonjin! this one business man decides to sprint across the road in front of this car. As he begins running he trips over his own feet and face plants and then rolls on the road! thankfully the car is going slow and stops! the man TRIES to play it off (impossible hundreds saw) and attempts to get up fast and finish running across. As he begins to run he picks up his bag and spills it! the bag wasnt zipped! it was so ridiculous! he ruined his suit and maybe some papers and definitely took a MAJOR EGO BLOW and as you probably guessed the signal turned green as he was gathering his things! CRAZY! also he was running away from the station not to it!?

Day 2: Getting situated

1:00 am- wake up to use the bathroom
4:43 am- wake up to use the bathroom, and feeling reaady to start the day, until I check my itouch to realize what time it was. So inspite the fact that the sun was up, and I felt rested I attemped to fall back to sleep.

8:30am- wake up for real, change out of my p.j.'s and head downstairs to make breakfast which consisted of banannas, peanut butter, and COFFEE.

9-12- Checked e-mails, facebooked and chatted until my desktop computer froze up.
12-2:30pm- Cleaned, unpacked, and organized my room.

2:30pm finally got hungry, made a grilled cheese sandwich and ate leftover baked beans for lunch. Checked e-mails again to see if my sister had replyed to my previous e-mails with questions. She had so then I started laundry. and worked in my room some more.
4:30pm went for a little walk and then came back and wrote blogs until now.
6:10p.m. getting hungry, and expecing my roomate home. So...

Good bye until tomorrow!

Day 1: Welcome to Japan!

My arrival to Japan was delayed a day due to a wonderful stomach bug. Actually it was anything but wonderful (vomiting, diahea, fever etc). So I left Saturday morning at 4:00 am to make it for my 6:30 flight. Thankfully everything went smoothly and I arrived in Japan at 2:00pm on Sunday.

My sister, and Ida sensai, one of my principal's met me at the airport, and then my sister and I wnet by bus to Yokohama station. At Yokohama station one of our friends met us inher car to take my sister and I to my house.

Once I got to my house I had more people here to welocome me. My roomate Bridgette cooked an AMAZING feast of food for my first night here. She was worried I wouldn't be able to eat because I had ben sick, but this was the first meal that actually tasted good. Alright ready for the menu? We had jerk grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, grilled pineapple, mac and cheese, green beans, baked beans, garlic bread, and cream cheese fruit dip, with apples, mangos, and strawberries. It was delectable.

After dinner we cleaned up, my sister helped me unpack a little, and then we visited until I started falling asleep. Then they kindly let me go take a shower and crawl into bed.

New phase of life

So as I start planning for the next journey of life, I thought I would create a blog to record my travels, experiences, and spiritual growth. I also thought this would be a great way for those who wish to stay in contact with me to do so. Hope you enjoy!