Tonight I went to Barnes and Noble. Usually, at least one night out of the weekend, I used to go to Borders and then Siesta Key beach before I left on my big adventure. Unfortunately, Borders in Sarasota has now closed so I'm forced to go to Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble isn't necessarily bad, I just had a love affair of sorts with Borders that is now over. At least I got a lot of great deals during their last week of operations. There is something about a bookstore which has always entranced me. Looking over a wide selection of books, my mind grows numb as to the endless thoughts written in their pages and the endless possibilities to be inspired to try something new. Lately, I've also been into magazines a lot more for some reason. Over my 8 month adventure I read the Economist on an almost weekly basis to keep up with international news. My hostess was gracious enough to offer some airline miles to get a subscription to the Economist so now I just have to wait for that to start arriving, which they told me would be 6-12 weeks. 6-12 weeks? Why does it take so long I wonder.
I've always had a love for books, ever since I was little. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that my parents always placed an emphasis on getting a good education and undoubtedly read to me when I was an infant and toddler. Also, I see reading as a productive way to pass the time, you may not be producing anything necessarily but at least you're challenging yourself to think rather than just veg out and watch TV. Fiction has never held much appeal to me as an adult for some reason. If I can't gain any insight into how the world operates than I usually don't want anything to do with it. A variety of non-fiction books captivate my attention on an on-going basis. New ways of thinking intrigue me and call me to open my mind to different possibilities than the standard paradigms that I've grown accustomed to. It's fun to be challenged to think differently I think. Also, to help sharpen your intellect and reasoning capabilities.
In addition to books, I've picked up listening to podcasts on my trip and have kept that up since I've been home. Now I can just plug my iPhone into my stereo of my car thanks to a tape adapter (yes, my car is old enough that I still have a tape adapter) and listen to podcasts whenever I go anywhere.
The latest one today was a Dave Ramsey podcast where he discussed with listeners ideas on how they would remedy the deficit. There were some really interesting ideas that people shared and the vast majority weren't political which was really nice. The ideas definitely stimulated my thinking and gave me new ideas on how to balance the budget, not that it's up to me but it is interesting to discuss and think about. Everyone wants to balance the budget, as long as you don't cut the programs that are near and dear to them. Cut it from other parts of the budget, not my special interests. A few days ago I had read a couple of articles on Relevant magazine's website discussing a Christian view of the national budget. What was nice is that it presented both sides of the usual arguments; one arguing not to cut programs to the poor and the other arguing reform in most areas.
In a previous blog I mentioned how I'd like the Church to take the lead in taking care of the poor; but when churches open up $20 million campuses in the middle of a recession it doesn't make me think we have a lot of hope. I would love for churches to start businesses within their buildings and campuses. People need jobs right now and what if we, as the Church, stepped up and created tons of jobs for people? A while back I would spend time praying for everyone to get a job. That is obviously not going to happen, but I truly believe that if we're going to get back on the right track in job creation it's going to start with prayer. Now we just need Christians with business minds to take some risks, start businesses, and provide people with jobs; both here and abroad.
Well, that's all for now, I'm going to go read a little and then go to bed.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Home???
"Home is where the heart is." "Home is where you hang your hat." There are these and several other sayings to try and capture just what a home really is. Songs are sung about it, poems are written about it, and it means something different to everyone. Is home a place, or a state of mind?
This past weekend I went up to Chicago to spend time with my extended family on my mom's side of the family. For the weekend, my Uncle Mark's was home. Kind of ironic since I lived there for my student teaching so it was like coming home again. Last weekend my church threw a homecoming party for me at my current location here in Florida, so that was home. When I visited a good friend and his wife in Auckland, New Zealand, that was home. When I go overseas and spend a summer, that place is home for me for a couple months.
Since I've lived in Sarasota 6 years I've moved at least 6 times and probably more; especially if you count when I'm overseas. For the past 8 months I lived out of a backpack, was that my home? What makes a home? Is it the familiarity of it? The people who you share it with? The feeling of belonging that you have when you're in a house around loved ones? I'd argue that home has a lot more to do with a feeling than a place. In 2006, I went to Kenya with a group of about 10 of us. Though I was halfway around the world, I've never felt such a sense of true belonging. In addition to being so many other things, that was a perfect example of being home to me. Where people know you and you know them and it breeds familiarity and community. It's a beautiful thing really. I wonder how many people feel lonely on a continual basis and are not at peace but have a house that's not a home? I wonder how many homeless people have found community amongst themselves and though they don't have a physical house have found a home?
Is a country one's home? No doubt people are often most at ease when they're in their own culture. I don't think that necessarily means that a country is one's home though. Several of my friends are living overseas and they consider that to be their new home. Home is where you make it, not where you're from. Quincy, Illinois was my home for several years, but if I go back there I wouldn't consider it to be 'coming home.' My parents don't live there and my best friends from there have all moved far away so I don't really know anyone from there. Florida is my current home, I've made some lifelong friends here and have settled down for the last 6 years, minus the past 8 months when I was overseas on my round the world trip.
All this talk reminds me of a parable that Jesus taught about who our neighbor is. Someone had asked Him who his neighbor was and he gave the parable of the good Samaritan. No matter where we find ourselves in this world, we are called to love our neighbor, both near and far. What would the world look like if we took that commandment seriously? What would it look like to love your neighbor as yourself? Would there be any homelessness? Would there be any poverty? Would there be enough resources to go around? We are an incredibly selfish species. What if we took Jesus at His Word and loved God with everything we had and loved our neighbor as ourselves? Even if we have a family we usually just worry about our own family and not the world around us. I'm guilty of this just as much as the next person. I wonder just how differently we'd live our lives if we truly loved our neighbors as ourselves. Just an interesting thought to ponder and try to make a reality. Let's make the kingdom of God a reality on this earth as it is in heaven, shall we?
This past weekend I went up to Chicago to spend time with my extended family on my mom's side of the family. For the weekend, my Uncle Mark's was home. Kind of ironic since I lived there for my student teaching so it was like coming home again. Last weekend my church threw a homecoming party for me at my current location here in Florida, so that was home. When I visited a good friend and his wife in Auckland, New Zealand, that was home. When I go overseas and spend a summer, that place is home for me for a couple months.
Since I've lived in Sarasota 6 years I've moved at least 6 times and probably more; especially if you count when I'm overseas. For the past 8 months I lived out of a backpack, was that my home? What makes a home? Is it the familiarity of it? The people who you share it with? The feeling of belonging that you have when you're in a house around loved ones? I'd argue that home has a lot more to do with a feeling than a place. In 2006, I went to Kenya with a group of about 10 of us. Though I was halfway around the world, I've never felt such a sense of true belonging. In addition to being so many other things, that was a perfect example of being home to me. Where people know you and you know them and it breeds familiarity and community. It's a beautiful thing really. I wonder how many people feel lonely on a continual basis and are not at peace but have a house that's not a home? I wonder how many homeless people have found community amongst themselves and though they don't have a physical house have found a home?
Is a country one's home? No doubt people are often most at ease when they're in their own culture. I don't think that necessarily means that a country is one's home though. Several of my friends are living overseas and they consider that to be their new home. Home is where you make it, not where you're from. Quincy, Illinois was my home for several years, but if I go back there I wouldn't consider it to be 'coming home.' My parents don't live there and my best friends from there have all moved far away so I don't really know anyone from there. Florida is my current home, I've made some lifelong friends here and have settled down for the last 6 years, minus the past 8 months when I was overseas on my round the world trip.
All this talk reminds me of a parable that Jesus taught about who our neighbor is. Someone had asked Him who his neighbor was and he gave the parable of the good Samaritan. No matter where we find ourselves in this world, we are called to love our neighbor, both near and far. What would the world look like if we took that commandment seriously? What would it look like to love your neighbor as yourself? Would there be any homelessness? Would there be any poverty? Would there be enough resources to go around? We are an incredibly selfish species. What if we took Jesus at His Word and loved God with everything we had and loved our neighbor as ourselves? Even if we have a family we usually just worry about our own family and not the world around us. I'm guilty of this just as much as the next person. I wonder just how differently we'd live our lives if we truly loved our neighbors as ourselves. Just an interesting thought to ponder and try to make a reality. Let's make the kingdom of God a reality on this earth as it is in heaven, shall we?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Reentering American culture
This weekend I came up to Chicago to spend time with my mom's side of the family. We had a wonderful time and my cousin's three little ones stole the show as usual. They're all really good kids so it's easy to let them wrap you around their little fingers. Their latest addition is a boy who just turned 1 year old the other day and is about the best natured little guy I've ever met. We all had a great time and I was very grateful for the time I got to spend with everyone.
After everyone else left Uncle Mark, Aunt Paula and I all took naps followed by a dinner consisting of lunch meat and leftovers. We had a really interesting discussion about cell phones and technology in general that made me think about how effected we are everyday by different new technologies that didn't exist as little as a decade ago and now are so mainstream that many people can't seem to live without the latest gadget. Technology moves forward so quickly it's difficult if not impossible to keep up.
Something I've realized since being home is that all my friends have gone the way of texting over calling each other. Well, almost everyone; I have a couple of guy friends who still insist on calling and that's kind of a nice relief from all the texting I've found myself receiving and sending. Last week I got a new 3GS iPhone because I needed a new phone and they were only $50. Instantly, I'm obsessed with the thing and always playing with it. There are so many cool apps and it's hugely addictive as I'm finding out. One of the high schoolers in youth group commented on how I was Mr. Simplicity and now I had a smart phone?
It's interesting how all this texting and social media is really taking away from actually socializing in person. Now it's too easy to cancel plans by just texting someone without offering any explanation. Or the people who text to one another while sitting in the same room. It is certainly a cause for concern, and one I am sure schools are going to be expected to fix before too long along with everything else we're supposed to fix that goes wrong in society. Don't get me wrong, I love facebook and it really helped me stay in touch while being gone and to show pictures to people; but I think so many times people use it as a reason not to get together. If I can just chat with them it will be much easier than actually meeting in person. Sometimes it's not feasible to meet with someone like a lot of my friends who live in other parts of the country or overseas. But many times people live in the same town and will chat or text for an hour or so. Why not just make your way over to that person's house or meet somewhere halfway? Is it that much of an inconvenience? We already live in a disconnected society where everyone pulls into their garages, closes the door, and then goes inside without having to interact with the world around them whatsoever if they choose not to.
So it just really struck me as odd that I left for 8 months and now the majority of my friends prefer to text as opposed to calling on the phone or meeting up in person. And I'm definitely not guiltless in this texting/smart phone addiction thing. I caught myself several times this weekend either texting or playing words with friends on my iPhone rather than talking to my family who was in the same room. That's another thing, it's no longer considered rude to take a phone call when you're with someone else. It still bugs me but I guess I'll just have to adjust to the times. Maybe I'll make it a policy to turn my phone off whenever I'm with other people. We're built for community and socializing and all this social media is actually taking away from the social aspect of our lives.
For me personally, another thing has just been interacting with people on a regular basis again. On my trip, I kept myself pretty well entertained between my I-pod, Kindle, and mini laptop. Now I have people to talk to and catch up with. It's almost stimulation overload on my senses. Ever since high school I've been a fairly social person so I've been lapping it up. Every once in a while though, I find myself just wanting to get away and read or something by myself. There is certainly a balance to be found I'm sure.
For a few months on this trip, I was open to the idea of a relationship. Now I think that was just because I got lonely. Lately I'm back to my old ways of not wanting to touch a relationship with a 10 foot pole. Maybe that will change some fine day but I'm perfectly content being on my own as long as I have friends to hang out with. There's a lot of talk in Christian circles about there being a crisis among young men who don't want to grow up. Usually what is meant by this is that they marry and start a family. When did marrying someone make you a grown-up? I sure am glad Jesus and Paul didn't have that definition of adulthood. It's yet another example of people being slow to adapt to cultural changes. People are getting married later and later and for some reason people think that's a crisis. Why is it a crisis if you want to start your career and establish yourself a little before you take the giant step into a serious relationship?
When I was fresh out of college I had several people tell me to not even think about marrying someone until I was 30 years old. For that reason I haven't even dated because most of the girls I'm typically interested in want to head down the path towards marriage some fine day in the way too near future. That and the fact that I'm bipolar. Being bipolar really effects the way I view relationships. Ever since high school and college I've always been at a place where I didn't want to share that with anyone in a committed relationship. A support system is enough in my opinion. Plus I don't want to ever ask anyone to deal with that. I know everyone has their baggage or whatever but mental illness is a pretty serious thing to consider bringing into a relationship. That being said, I know people who have mental illness and are in committed relationships and seem to do just fine. I don't know though, it just seems like it's too much to ask someone to help you carry.
After everyone else left Uncle Mark, Aunt Paula and I all took naps followed by a dinner consisting of lunch meat and leftovers. We had a really interesting discussion about cell phones and technology in general that made me think about how effected we are everyday by different new technologies that didn't exist as little as a decade ago and now are so mainstream that many people can't seem to live without the latest gadget. Technology moves forward so quickly it's difficult if not impossible to keep up.
Something I've realized since being home is that all my friends have gone the way of texting over calling each other. Well, almost everyone; I have a couple of guy friends who still insist on calling and that's kind of a nice relief from all the texting I've found myself receiving and sending. Last week I got a new 3GS iPhone because I needed a new phone and they were only $50. Instantly, I'm obsessed with the thing and always playing with it. There are so many cool apps and it's hugely addictive as I'm finding out. One of the high schoolers in youth group commented on how I was Mr. Simplicity and now I had a smart phone?
It's interesting how all this texting and social media is really taking away from actually socializing in person. Now it's too easy to cancel plans by just texting someone without offering any explanation. Or the people who text to one another while sitting in the same room. It is certainly a cause for concern, and one I am sure schools are going to be expected to fix before too long along with everything else we're supposed to fix that goes wrong in society. Don't get me wrong, I love facebook and it really helped me stay in touch while being gone and to show pictures to people; but I think so many times people use it as a reason not to get together. If I can just chat with them it will be much easier than actually meeting in person. Sometimes it's not feasible to meet with someone like a lot of my friends who live in other parts of the country or overseas. But many times people live in the same town and will chat or text for an hour or so. Why not just make your way over to that person's house or meet somewhere halfway? Is it that much of an inconvenience? We already live in a disconnected society where everyone pulls into their garages, closes the door, and then goes inside without having to interact with the world around them whatsoever if they choose not to.
So it just really struck me as odd that I left for 8 months and now the majority of my friends prefer to text as opposed to calling on the phone or meeting up in person. And I'm definitely not guiltless in this texting/smart phone addiction thing. I caught myself several times this weekend either texting or playing words with friends on my iPhone rather than talking to my family who was in the same room. That's another thing, it's no longer considered rude to take a phone call when you're with someone else. It still bugs me but I guess I'll just have to adjust to the times. Maybe I'll make it a policy to turn my phone off whenever I'm with other people. We're built for community and socializing and all this social media is actually taking away from the social aspect of our lives.
For me personally, another thing has just been interacting with people on a regular basis again. On my trip, I kept myself pretty well entertained between my I-pod, Kindle, and mini laptop. Now I have people to talk to and catch up with. It's almost stimulation overload on my senses. Ever since high school I've been a fairly social person so I've been lapping it up. Every once in a while though, I find myself just wanting to get away and read or something by myself. There is certainly a balance to be found I'm sure.
For a few months on this trip, I was open to the idea of a relationship. Now I think that was just because I got lonely. Lately I'm back to my old ways of not wanting to touch a relationship with a 10 foot pole. Maybe that will change some fine day but I'm perfectly content being on my own as long as I have friends to hang out with. There's a lot of talk in Christian circles about there being a crisis among young men who don't want to grow up. Usually what is meant by this is that they marry and start a family. When did marrying someone make you a grown-up? I sure am glad Jesus and Paul didn't have that definition of adulthood. It's yet another example of people being slow to adapt to cultural changes. People are getting married later and later and for some reason people think that's a crisis. Why is it a crisis if you want to start your career and establish yourself a little before you take the giant step into a serious relationship?
When I was fresh out of college I had several people tell me to not even think about marrying someone until I was 30 years old. For that reason I haven't even dated because most of the girls I'm typically interested in want to head down the path towards marriage some fine day in the way too near future. That and the fact that I'm bipolar. Being bipolar really effects the way I view relationships. Ever since high school and college I've always been at a place where I didn't want to share that with anyone in a committed relationship. A support system is enough in my opinion. Plus I don't want to ever ask anyone to deal with that. I know everyone has their baggage or whatever but mental illness is a pretty serious thing to consider bringing into a relationship. That being said, I know people who have mental illness and are in committed relationships and seem to do just fine. I don't know though, it just seems like it's too much to ask someone to help you carry.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Good Friday
Those of you who celebrate Christ's resurrection probably went to a Good Friday service tonight or will surely go to an Easter service this Sunday. Tonight, I went to a Good Friday service at my aunt and uncle's church in the south south suburbs of Chicago, about 45 minutes out of the city by train. It was a really nice service, different than ones I've been to before so that made it more engaging. Sometimes I think I've heard the story so many times that I can't possibly learn anything new from it. There is always something new to be learned though. It's simply a matter of whether one's heart is attuned to receiving instruction from God's Word as to whether they will learn anything new. Tonight it occurred to me just how wild it must have been to witness Jesus' miracles while He walked around on the earth. You hear the same stories told in church, the same parables and miracles, and forget just how marvelous they must have been. The miracles especially are what cause a lot of skepticism I think. Even myself here lately have had moments of unbelief where I have to repeat the centurion's prayer in the gospels of "I believe, help my unbelief." Let's face it, belief and faith are difficult things. We're raised in a culture that has taught us to question everything because usually someone is trying to sell us something. In regards to Christian teaching, it makes one wonder if people are just trying to sell you a good story in order to get you to behave. At least that's what someone might come away with if they came in and observed a typical church family's behavior and lifestyle. Is Christianity simply a moral code to live by? Or is there something more to it? Every time I read the Bible I end up with more questions than answers. This used to be especially true of the Old Testament but anymore it's just as true of the gospel accounts of Jesus' time on earth. There were so many facets to his humanness that are so intriguing to me. He said His yoke was easy and His burden was light, but in another place He says we are to lay down our lives for Him. What is supposed to be easy about that exactly? His way is so counter-cultural and upside-down that we often miss the point. How often do we try to protect ourselves or our children by pulling out of culture? We are not called to come out of culture but rather to be in the world but not of the world. That means living counter-culturally and having a different mindset than the people around you. We read stories of disciples and forget they were ordinary men, and not even educated for the most part. We tend to put them on a pedastool right alongside Jesus and miss the point entirely. They were broken human beings, just like us, but they were available to be used by God in mighty ways. Are we availing ourselves to the God of the universe? What does it look like to follow in the way of Christ in 21st century America? I was on a short trip the other day with someone who said they weren't a Christian, they were a disciple of Christ. Even myself, on my facebook page I put that I'm a follower of Christ. What do we really mean by making these distinctions? Is it simply that words lose their meanings once they're overused? Or that we don't want to be associated with something whose past and present have so many moral failings and sin committed in the name of God that we are ashamed to be called a Christian along with the rest of the believers? I imagine those outside the Christian religion just shake their heads when they hear us make these distinctions. In their minds those meanings are all the same and typically have a negative connotation. This is particularly true as you go with younger and younger generations, as described in the book unChristian which I finished about 3 chapters and then couldn't read anymore because I was just so disgusted. How do we change people's minds about who Christians are and how they act? So many people have been burned by the Church at large or an individual church in their community. If someone were to look at your life from the outside, would they want what you have? Are we living any differently than the culture around us? Are we concerned about people outside of our social class? Or do we just want to pay lower taxes at all costs and claim the private sector will take care of the poor when that has clearly not been the case? I was reading in Romans today and came across a verse that mentioned that the law is summed up by loving your neighbor as yourself. Oftentimes we read over that and it doesn't mean anything to us. After Kenya in 2006 though, I have always looked at that verse differently. We learn from the parable about the Good Samaritan that everyone is our neighbor. So it struck me that if I am to truly love my neighbor as myself than I should spend as much money on my neighbor as I do on myself. It's more than that though. It's making sure the oppressed get justice and that we care for the widow and orphan. It is incredibly difficult not to put myself at the center of my universe. Being single, I usually don't think about other people's needs ahead of my own. It simply doesn't come naturally to my selfish nature. To love your neighbor as yourself isn't some lovey dovey command, it takes real and sustained effort and thought.
Good Friday marks the day when Jesus was crucified. His body was broken and His blood was shed to wipe away our sin and present us as blameless before the Father. I've read a book that commented on this and said we needed to live Eucharistic lives, broken and poured out. Are we living for others or for ourselves? My friends recently became parents while I was gone and I had dinner with them this past week to catch up and meet their new son. My friend mentioned that he didn't realize just how selfish he was until he had a kid. A lot of people have asked me why I travel alone and the answer is really simple. I always reply that it's the ultimate bachelor's dream; you get to do what you want when you want to do it. That's probably not the best practice for if I ever get into a relationship though. So how does a single person practice putting others first? Any suggestions out there? What are some practical ways to love your neighbor as yourself? What do you do to put others first?
Good Friday marks the day when Jesus was crucified. His body was broken and His blood was shed to wipe away our sin and present us as blameless before the Father. I've read a book that commented on this and said we needed to live Eucharistic lives, broken and poured out. Are we living for others or for ourselves? My friends recently became parents while I was gone and I had dinner with them this past week to catch up and meet their new son. My friend mentioned that he didn't realize just how selfish he was until he had a kid. A lot of people have asked me why I travel alone and the answer is really simple. I always reply that it's the ultimate bachelor's dream; you get to do what you want when you want to do it. That's probably not the best practice for if I ever get into a relationship though. So how does a single person practice putting others first? Any suggestions out there? What are some practical ways to love your neighbor as yourself? What do you do to put others first?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Chicago Symphony Orchestra and ceviche
Yesterday I flew into Chicago and was picked up by my Uncle Mark from the airport. Door to door from Sarasota is about 3.5 hours, which is pretty crazy since that's halfway across the nation. After flying in I decided to take a nap, for some reason I have a hard time sleeping on the nights before I fly; it must be an excitement for the trip or something. It's always been exciting for me to be on a plane; it means I'm either going somewhere new (or a place I've been to before and loved, such as Chicago) or I'm coming home. Both of those things I love.
When I was in Byron Bay in Australia, I had set up for a couple tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra over Skype. First off, how amazing is technology that I can book tickets over the phone from Australia for a concert in Chicago? Man, I love living in today's world. It's especially conducive to keeping in touch when you're overseas as I found out from my trip. You can Skype with other people or call their cell phones from Skype which is only 2.3 cents a minute I believe to call someone in America; very affordable if you ask me.
The best part about the concert was that it was free. Almost not believing my eyes when I saw it on the website, I had to take a double look to make sure I wasn't wrong. I believe I've paid as much as $50 a ticket to see this orchestra before. Granted, it was only 4 instruments but they're still world class players so I was more than satisfied with the chamber quartet. It was located in a side hall; and I meant to show my date the main hall afterwards but simply forgot to. The main hall is of course more impressive but for being a side hall it wasn't too bad either and had really good acoustics. The musicians were all very talented and several times I found myself closing my eyes to heighten my sense of hearing. Soaking it all in, there might have been even a few moments of bliss last night. It certainly helped that I had a beautiful woman on my side.
This woman is one of the few women who is not afraid to get in my face about stuff, which I love. She even went so far as to tell me I had a strong personality. Can you believe that?! Of course, those of you who know me at all know she's absolutely right. She admitted to having a strong personality as well so it would be interesting to see who would win those battles. So far I think I'm ahead. haha She looked stunning last night and I was beaming for having a beautiful woman on my arm. I've often wanted a cultural buddy I've told people; someone to go to cultural events with and not have any pressure about who likes who and whether it's going to get serious or not. Last night was a taste of that, and I loved it. Although I have to admit if I did that too many times with this particular woman I'd probably fall head over heels in love with her. We had a simply marvelous time, at least I hope she did as well because I certainly enjoyed myself.
Afterwards, we went to a restaurant that served ceviche, or seviche as it was spelled there. I'm learning certain words in Spanish are spelled differently depending on what dialect you're using. It didn't take me long to decide what I wanted as I had specifically asked her to find a restaurant that served ceviche. I first had this dish in Lima, Peru a couple weeks ago and loved it. This one was good but I dare say there's just something about being in a different culture that makes the food taste better, provided you like the food to begin with. My date had sushi and said her's was tasty as well. In addition to ceviche, I had a side dish of asparagus with sesame seeds that was really good too.
Lately, I've been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet so it's going well so far. My main problem is sweets though. Whenever I'm in the presence of them I just chow down on them and go way overboard. I've been tracking my calorie count with my new I-phone and my main problem seems to be snacking. I do it way too much and consume way too many calories while doing it.
Anyways, back to the restaurant. When the food came, I of course chowed down like I always do. She responded by saying, "You must be hungry." To which I replied, "I always eat food too fast." I think it's because I almost see food as a function more than as an art. For this reason I need to take cues from the French about how to thoroughly enjoy a good cuisine. They, and other cultures too of course, will eat meals that last for hours. My date was great about not shoving food in her mouth and making conversation. Don't get me wrong, I love making conversation too, but for some reason I like to finish my meal first before that. It's probably because I have a hard time doing two things at once. That's definitely something I need to work on, putting my fork down every once in a while. My mom has witnessed this little act my whole life and to her credit tried to raise me better but ever since high school I have pretty much inhaled food. My date asked me what Kobe beef was and I explained to the best of my limited knowledge. All the time I was hoping she wouldn't order it because it was $22 an ounce with a 4 ounce minimum; that would have hurt the old budget quite a bit. Dinner was more expensive than I'm used to paying, but sometimes you need to go out somewhere nice and have a good time and blow the money. Especially if your date is worth it, which she was in this case. After finishing our meals, we just sat and talked for quite a while, until we felt like they were about to close the restaurant. All in all, a very enjoyable and pleasant evening, except the weather.
Yesterday I went from 85 degrees in Sarasota down to around 40 or 35 after the concert let out. That is way too cold for a Florida boy; I may have been raised in Illinois but my blood has long since thinned out. My friends and family always tease me about how much of a pansy I am in the cold but I just prefer heat to cold on about a 9 to 1 ratio. Good thing I live in Florida.
When I was in Byron Bay in Australia, I had set up for a couple tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra over Skype. First off, how amazing is technology that I can book tickets over the phone from Australia for a concert in Chicago? Man, I love living in today's world. It's especially conducive to keeping in touch when you're overseas as I found out from my trip. You can Skype with other people or call their cell phones from Skype which is only 2.3 cents a minute I believe to call someone in America; very affordable if you ask me.
The best part about the concert was that it was free. Almost not believing my eyes when I saw it on the website, I had to take a double look to make sure I wasn't wrong. I believe I've paid as much as $50 a ticket to see this orchestra before. Granted, it was only 4 instruments but they're still world class players so I was more than satisfied with the chamber quartet. It was located in a side hall; and I meant to show my date the main hall afterwards but simply forgot to. The main hall is of course more impressive but for being a side hall it wasn't too bad either and had really good acoustics. The musicians were all very talented and several times I found myself closing my eyes to heighten my sense of hearing. Soaking it all in, there might have been even a few moments of bliss last night. It certainly helped that I had a beautiful woman on my side.
This woman is one of the few women who is not afraid to get in my face about stuff, which I love. She even went so far as to tell me I had a strong personality. Can you believe that?! Of course, those of you who know me at all know she's absolutely right. She admitted to having a strong personality as well so it would be interesting to see who would win those battles. So far I think I'm ahead. haha She looked stunning last night and I was beaming for having a beautiful woman on my arm. I've often wanted a cultural buddy I've told people; someone to go to cultural events with and not have any pressure about who likes who and whether it's going to get serious or not. Last night was a taste of that, and I loved it. Although I have to admit if I did that too many times with this particular woman I'd probably fall head over heels in love with her. We had a simply marvelous time, at least I hope she did as well because I certainly enjoyed myself.
Afterwards, we went to a restaurant that served ceviche, or seviche as it was spelled there. I'm learning certain words in Spanish are spelled differently depending on what dialect you're using. It didn't take me long to decide what I wanted as I had specifically asked her to find a restaurant that served ceviche. I first had this dish in Lima, Peru a couple weeks ago and loved it. This one was good but I dare say there's just something about being in a different culture that makes the food taste better, provided you like the food to begin with. My date had sushi and said her's was tasty as well. In addition to ceviche, I had a side dish of asparagus with sesame seeds that was really good too.
Lately, I've been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet so it's going well so far. My main problem is sweets though. Whenever I'm in the presence of them I just chow down on them and go way overboard. I've been tracking my calorie count with my new I-phone and my main problem seems to be snacking. I do it way too much and consume way too many calories while doing it.
Anyways, back to the restaurant. When the food came, I of course chowed down like I always do. She responded by saying, "You must be hungry." To which I replied, "I always eat food too fast." I think it's because I almost see food as a function more than as an art. For this reason I need to take cues from the French about how to thoroughly enjoy a good cuisine. They, and other cultures too of course, will eat meals that last for hours. My date was great about not shoving food in her mouth and making conversation. Don't get me wrong, I love making conversation too, but for some reason I like to finish my meal first before that. It's probably because I have a hard time doing two things at once. That's definitely something I need to work on, putting my fork down every once in a while. My mom has witnessed this little act my whole life and to her credit tried to raise me better but ever since high school I have pretty much inhaled food. My date asked me what Kobe beef was and I explained to the best of my limited knowledge. All the time I was hoping she wouldn't order it because it was $22 an ounce with a 4 ounce minimum; that would have hurt the old budget quite a bit. Dinner was more expensive than I'm used to paying, but sometimes you need to go out somewhere nice and have a good time and blow the money. Especially if your date is worth it, which she was in this case. After finishing our meals, we just sat and talked for quite a while, until we felt like they were about to close the restaurant. All in all, a very enjoyable and pleasant evening, except the weather.
Yesterday I went from 85 degrees in Sarasota down to around 40 or 35 after the concert let out. That is way too cold for a Florida boy; I may have been raised in Illinois but my blood has long since thinned out. My friends and family always tease me about how much of a pansy I am in the cold but I just prefer heat to cold on about a 9 to 1 ratio. Good thing I live in Florida.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Belle Glade
Today, I had the privilege of going to Belle Glade with a friend named Dottie from an organization here in Sarasota called Angel's Attic. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Pastor Morales and some of the mentors and students that he takes care of in the mornings and after school. We brought some clothes and Easter baskets and the kids were more than grateful. Belle Glade is on the southeast side of Lake Okochobee and is a very poor town. People used to work in the sugar cane fields but now that's all mechanized so it put the people out of work. It really made me think some business people need to come in and start businesses so the people can have work. Even the hospital had to shut down. How sad is that? When no one can afford to pay for their medical care, they have to shut down the hospital. All of the people we came into contact with today were either from Haiti or their parents were from Haiti so that was pretty cool. Haiti has been on my heart a lot lately and I hope to do a lot there this summer and in the future. There is so much incredible need there. I've been reading up on international development and it seems to me the backbone of any economy is small business. They account for a large percentage of the jobs here in the USA as well as any economy that is off the ground and running, although our's seems to be running into the ground here lately. For some odd and unknown reason, I've gained an interest in the subject of economics over the last couple years and just absorb anything related to the subject that I can get my hands on. I'm definitely a novice and have a long way to go, but I really enjoy learning about the basis for it and how an economy works. Plus I love to read about personal financial stuff too; like how to budget and get out of debt and save for the future, those types of things. I'm hopefully going to start a class in the fall for my church on Financial Peace University; a class offered by Dave Ramsey that seems rock solid. My goal is two-fold with that. I want to help people get out of debt but I also really want them to get out of debt so they can put more of their resources towards the kingdom of God. What would it look like to put 10% of everyone's gross income towards the kingdom? A lot of people don't give because they don't have the money, when in reality it's usually a budgeting problem. I got back on a budget finally this month so that's kind of fun to look at and see just where my money is going. It also tells me I need a job. I'm going to start substitute tutoring for my after school program at my school but I'm also going to need to do something else to make more income. I'm going to see if I can also substitute teach at my school and possibly others but mainly at my school so I can be there for the after school program when I need to do that. Otherwise it wouldn't really work if I had to come from a different school afterwards and try to make it in time for my after school program. Thankfully, God has blessed me with income from a couple different sources but after that I really need to get out there and get a job. Tomorrow, I go to Chicago for 5 days so I'm planning on hitting the job trail when I return from that. If I can substitute teach as well as substitute tutor theoretically that should be enough to carry me through and help me pay for a couple trips to Haiti this summer like I'm hoping to do. One I want to go with some members from my church and the other one I want to go and help Pastor Morales with just on my own since he will be there for 2 weeks. Obviously, most people can't take off work for 2 weeks but I can so I hope to take advantage of that fact. This year I'll need to support raise which is always a humbling experience but I recently asked God for humility so maybe this is His way of answering that prayer. Well, that's all I can think of for now and it's getting rather late so I'm going to sign off here.
Monday, April 18, 2011
KIDS!!! and coming home
I've been home for one week now, and have had a great week! I've seen a ton of friends, been cooked for way more than I deserve, and played with my friends' kids a ton. What a great week! I've informed my friends that I almost missed their kids more than I missed them. Tuesday night was story time with my friends' little girl who just jumped the whole time because she was so excited (not because of the story, just because). Wednesday I swung by another friends' place and played with his kids and let them download a light saber app on my phone so they could play with that also. And yesterday my church threw a party for me and there were a ton of kids who wanted to be chased around the house which I was happy to oblige them for. Until we all realized Debbie's house isn't exactly kid proof. I don't know what it is about kids, I've always had a passion for them. They're usually so happy and don't have a care in the world. Kids live fully in the moment of wherever they are. "Chase me Mr. Justin!" and off they run. I love it! One of the best part about my friends' kids is that when they're not happy and all grumpy and crying because they didn't take a nap, I can just pass them off to my friends. Maybe someday I'll have my own, but for now I'm perfectly content to pass them off to my friends and to teach.
Teaching will start again in August, and I'm kind of excited about it. My emotions on this subject have changed completely over the course of my time off. At the beginning I was thinking I wanted to do anything else, but now I'm ready to try again. The last couple years were really difficult, but it was mainly due to my depression more than anything else. My depression effected my job performance, which is something I need to learn how to manage for future episodes if there are any. Hopefully I will get something in grades 3-5 although my principal said I'll probably have to do K-2 this year due to space. Maybe that won't be such a bad thing. I wouldn't have to worry about FCAT so it would be a lot less pressure. They still have standardized tests in those grades, but your school funding isn't based on the results so there's not as much pressure. There would still be some pressure to be sure as there always is with teaching or any other job for that matter, but FCAT's produce a whole new level of stress in my opinion. Of course, 20 or so 5 year olds isn't exactly my idea of a good time either. With teaching you have an opportunity to impact the future. That's one of the main reasons I went into teaching. I want to guide students into being agents of change in the world for the betterment of humanity. Maybe that sounds too esoteric but I truly believe that. Adults are already set in their ways and many times unteachable. A kid though is impressionable, which can be a good or bad thing depending on who's doing the impressing. Also, as a side note, I want to make a photo book about my trip and run it past a publisher to see if it has a chance at being published. Wouldn't that be cool?!
Coming home has been really good. The first few days especially it hit me bit by bit that I was home. If it happened all at once it would've been overwhelming so I'm attributing that to God's grace, the fact that it's come little by little. My friends always say I knock on America, which I do my fair share to be sure; but I do have to give us credit for one thing. When I first got home; I didn't have a phone, my luggage was lost, and my car didn't start. Within 24 hours all those things were fixed thankfully. As mentioned before, it has been so wonderful to see old friends. I told my pastor yesterday at my homecoming party that there was one point when I was sitting by the pool that I wanted to close my eyes and just have it stay that way. It was this sense of, "This is where I belong" that swept over me. I don't know that I've ever felt that way, maybe that's what a round the world trip does for you, shows you where you're the most comfortable and where you feel like you fit.
My next job will be just that, to get a job. I'm going to need something to do during the days or nights just to pass the time. The problem is that I'm used to being paid fairly well and will have a hard time settling for anything less. I've already talked to a coworker who's in charge of the tutoring after school program at my school to try and sub for tutoring as much as possible. I've also considered making flyers with my information on them to offer private tutoring sessions in home for an affordable rate. I need to do something; I just made a budget online and saw just how much it's going to take to live off of and it will require some type of income to be sure. Thankfully, I'm getting a rather large tax refund (at least for me, it's still less than $1,000 but is pretty close to that figure) and my old roommate from Australia told me he was going to pay me the rest of the deposit that I put down for an apartment while I was over there. I give God the glory for those two things. His Word proved true, where He says to test Him in the area of giving I did that and He has proved faithful. He doesn't always provide that blessing in terms of finances but sometimes He does and it is a welcomed relief when that happens.
Things have been going really well lately, and I feel very blessed to have been given the chance to travel around the world and to come home to people who love me. On Wednesday I go up to Chicago to see family and friends and can't wait till I go up there. It will be so good to see everyone; in particular my grandma whose husband passed away this past October or November when I was gone. I've been trying to call her and keep her updated but it does the soul good to see someone face to face.
Teaching will start again in August, and I'm kind of excited about it. My emotions on this subject have changed completely over the course of my time off. At the beginning I was thinking I wanted to do anything else, but now I'm ready to try again. The last couple years were really difficult, but it was mainly due to my depression more than anything else. My depression effected my job performance, which is something I need to learn how to manage for future episodes if there are any. Hopefully I will get something in grades 3-5 although my principal said I'll probably have to do K-2 this year due to space. Maybe that won't be such a bad thing. I wouldn't have to worry about FCAT so it would be a lot less pressure. They still have standardized tests in those grades, but your school funding isn't based on the results so there's not as much pressure. There would still be some pressure to be sure as there always is with teaching or any other job for that matter, but FCAT's produce a whole new level of stress in my opinion. Of course, 20 or so 5 year olds isn't exactly my idea of a good time either. With teaching you have an opportunity to impact the future. That's one of the main reasons I went into teaching. I want to guide students into being agents of change in the world for the betterment of humanity. Maybe that sounds too esoteric but I truly believe that. Adults are already set in their ways and many times unteachable. A kid though is impressionable, which can be a good or bad thing depending on who's doing the impressing. Also, as a side note, I want to make a photo book about my trip and run it past a publisher to see if it has a chance at being published. Wouldn't that be cool?!
Coming home has been really good. The first few days especially it hit me bit by bit that I was home. If it happened all at once it would've been overwhelming so I'm attributing that to God's grace, the fact that it's come little by little. My friends always say I knock on America, which I do my fair share to be sure; but I do have to give us credit for one thing. When I first got home; I didn't have a phone, my luggage was lost, and my car didn't start. Within 24 hours all those things were fixed thankfully. As mentioned before, it has been so wonderful to see old friends. I told my pastor yesterday at my homecoming party that there was one point when I was sitting by the pool that I wanted to close my eyes and just have it stay that way. It was this sense of, "This is where I belong" that swept over me. I don't know that I've ever felt that way, maybe that's what a round the world trip does for you, shows you where you're the most comfortable and where you feel like you fit.
My next job will be just that, to get a job. I'm going to need something to do during the days or nights just to pass the time. The problem is that I'm used to being paid fairly well and will have a hard time settling for anything less. I've already talked to a coworker who's in charge of the tutoring after school program at my school to try and sub for tutoring as much as possible. I've also considered making flyers with my information on them to offer private tutoring sessions in home for an affordable rate. I need to do something; I just made a budget online and saw just how much it's going to take to live off of and it will require some type of income to be sure. Thankfully, I'm getting a rather large tax refund (at least for me, it's still less than $1,000 but is pretty close to that figure) and my old roommate from Australia told me he was going to pay me the rest of the deposit that I put down for an apartment while I was over there. I give God the glory for those two things. His Word proved true, where He says to test Him in the area of giving I did that and He has proved faithful. He doesn't always provide that blessing in terms of finances but sometimes He does and it is a welcomed relief when that happens.
Things have been going really well lately, and I feel very blessed to have been given the chance to travel around the world and to come home to people who love me. On Wednesday I go up to Chicago to see family and friends and can't wait till I go up there. It will be so good to see everyone; in particular my grandma whose husband passed away this past October or November when I was gone. I've been trying to call her and keep her updated but it does the soul good to see someone face to face.
Friday, April 8, 2011
What I learned from Machu Picchu
Over the course of the past 4 days I hiked the Inca Trail on my way to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is an amazing sight that should be visited by everyone who can at least once in a lifetime. On the trail there were 14 other hikers/customers, 2 guides, 20 porters, and 1 chef. Porters are the people who took the tents ahead of us and set them up and got everything ready. They carried as much as 45 kilograms on their backs at a time. It was a simply incredible display of strength that put the rest of us to shame. These were not big men either, most of them were about 5 feet tall I’d guess. We had the option of letting them carry an extra 6 kilograms which I gladly took the opportunity to do. I don’t think my backpack had enough room for everything anyways when you added a rented sleeping bag and a sleeping mat to the mix. The sleeping bag alone took up most of the backpack since it was a really nice and thick one that kept me warm on the cold nights in the mountains.
The other 14 hikers and I became quick friends as you can probably imagine. When you spend 4 days with people you don’t know but don’t have access to TV or internet you get to know one another very quickly. Some people had I-pods but they didn’t seem to get in the way of socializing. There is something about sharing a common goal, whether it is a common mission for a mission trip or to hike something much larger than you, which can bring participants together like most other things can’t. This is true for organizations, sports teams, churches, and even corporations. If people are on the same page and determined enough there is little that can stand in the way of them accomplishing their goal. In our case our goal was to get to Machu Picchu. Even the woman who admitted to not really have exercised in the last 8 years made it. On the website when you sign up for the trip they specifically say you should be fit to go on this trip. I am happy to report I was not the only one that didn’t follow this advice and yet made it.
Being mentally tough is often more important than having the physical abilities to do something. I’ve seen people at an Ironman event who were definitely not that fit but were determined enough to finish an extremely grueling sporting event. For me the thing that seemed to work was having a mantra. I had read about it in a Runner’s World magazine a couple months ago and was able to put it into practice. The first time I used a mantra was when I hiked Mt. Fyffe in New Zealand. The morning of the hike I saw a water bottle that had the saying ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ pasted across the front of it. When I had negative thoughts about not being able to make it or that there was no way I would make the Inca Trail I’d say that in my head. There were several mantras that I repeated both on the hike to Mt. Fyffe and the hike to Machu Picchu. “Keep Calm and Carry On,” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” were all mantras that went through my mind as I hiked the Inca Trail. That probably sounds silly but I’m telling you it really works. If nothing else it gets your mind off your sore muscles for a little while. This new mental toughness was a welcomed advancement for me. In the past I’ve tended to be mentally weak in my opinion. I have let little things get to me and let things that are beyond my control overwhelm me at times. Hiking the Inca Trail was different though, mainly due to the mantras. They’re a good reminder to stay positive and not let the negative thoughts control your mind.
In addition to saying mantras during the difficult parts, I found I had much more time and opportunity to pray to God during this trip. The second day it rained right after we finished hiking and rained for pretty much the whole night and into the next morning. I don’t exactly enjoy walking around in the rain if I can avoid it so I spent much of that time in my tent. I didn’t have anything to distract me so I spent the time either praying or napping. Before the trip I decided against taking my Kindle and I’m glad I did because it probably would’ve been ruined because of the rain. Anyways, it was really good to connect with God in his creation and just remember how much he has blessed my life through my family and friends and as a result pray blessings upon my family and friends. Gratitude was found where it had been missing in my heart for quite some time. It’s easy to forget about God in the everyday living that we find ourselves in, isn’t it? Anyone else have that problem? Prayer reconnects us with our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. When most other things in life serve to distract and disconnect us from our relationship with God, prayer brings us back into the realm of the Holy One. As happens many times, I ran out of stuff to pray about rather quickly. This time, though, I just repeated the prayers I had already uttered over and over again until I either fell asleep or it was time for afternoon tea or dinner.
One of the women on the trip was particularly intriguing to me. She claimed to be Catholic but also didn’t believe in God. I assume this means she was raised Catholic but then turned away from the faith when she grew older. At one point on the bus trip home, she mentioned how she felt at one time that there was something bigger than herself and that feeling was amazing. So much of me wanted to share with her about Christ but as soon as she said that she got off the bus. Many of the hikers were doctors or in the medical field so that was pretty interesting. This particular woman was an internal medicine resident. Apparently that’s a doctor which I didn’t know. I thought residency was training but you also get your medical certificate before you start your residency so you can prescribe medication when you’re in your residency. Her and her husband or boyfriend, I never actually figured out which it was, were about as different as they could be. It was a true case of opposites attract. She was one of the bubbliest and outgoing personalities I’ve ever come across, especially considering she was 29. He was very quiet and reserved and didn’t really talk unless he was talked to. They were both intelligent, obviously she with her schooling and he was well-versed in political matters which I obviously appreciated. Something that confused me about the woman in particular though was on the train ride back from Machu Picchu she said she wanted to be like her mom because she was hot, a doctor, and liked to party. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be like your mom, except later she mentioned her grandma mainly raised her because her mom was absent for a lot of her childhood. Then she sat on another guy’s lap on the train while complaining about her significant other. He seemed to handle it well; I would’ve been pissed off pretty badly at that point. If I’m ever with a woman and she sits on some other guy’s lap while complaining about me that will probably be the end of the relationship. Everyone is different though, I just know I wouldn’t let something like that fly in a relationship that I was a part of. Maybe I’m just the jealous type but that would seriously upset me.
There were 3 brothers who were of Chinese descent I believe, along with three other Asians. Honestly, I’ve never been around or gotten close to any Asians for any significant amount of time; mainly due to not having the opportunity. Sarasota isn’t exactly known for a high Asian population, neither was my hometown or my college town. I enjoyed all 6 of them, especially the married couple. The guy was 38 and the woman was 28. My dad once asked me what I was going to do when the women my age started to be all divorced women and I responded smartly that I would simply date younger women. They were 10 years apart but really seemed to get along rather well. More importantly, they said they travelled more since they had been married which obviously appealed to me. I’ve always viewed marriage as an anchor that weighs a person down to where they never go anywhere after the honeymoon and especially nowhere outside the USA. Thankfully this couple proved my preconceived notion of marriage could be wrong.
That is something that has changed on this trip too. I no longer think marriage would be the worst thing in the world to go through with. There was even one point on this trip that I was open to the idea of a relationship, although that has now passed again. Right now I guess I’m just in no rush to make something happen but if I stumble upon it I won’t be as closed off to the idea as I was in the past. Some people might call that progress; I would call it a sad compromise of something I once held very dear, my singleness. It’s such a big part of my identity. I’ve been single for so long that I’m just used to handling things on my own, traveling on my own, doing things that I want to do when I want to do them, and having more free time to serve others, whether that’s at home or my mission trips abroad in the summer. Am I really ready to give all those things up just for the small possibility of a relationship working out that will most likely instead turn into another heartache that I don’t need? No, I don’t think so, at least not quite yet. I have a young couple as friends back home who told me about a single friend they want me to meet if she’s still single by the time I get home. While I’m flattered that they would think of me as a good ‘catch’ for this girl, friends that have known me for a long time know that I just prefer to not be introduced to potential significant others and don’t even bother trying anymore. I wonder when this young couple will reach that point, hopefully sooner rather than later. For some reason they don’t see the fact that if I wanted to be set up with someone than I would ask my friends to be on the lookout for me. As it stands now though, I’d rather just live my life and if something happens then it happens, otherwise I shouldn’t have to worry about it or waste time pursuing anything.
There was another couple on the trip who was really encouraging to me, except in an almost completely opposite way. They weren’t actually a couple, but just friends who did stuff like go to Peru for fun. For the past probably 4 or 5 years I’ve often told people I would really like a cultural buddy. What I mean by this is a woman to go to cultural events with. There are so many things going on in the arts especially in Sarasota and Tampa but I never go to them, mainly due to not having anyone to go with. A cultural buddy would fill that gap without having the headache of a romantic relationship. My friends who are women tell me that would never work, but I dare say I just saw it work on this trip, so there!
Another thing I learned was something about me. In the past I’ve been camping, and I never really enjoy it that much. This was reinforced on this trip. If I had to go camping though, this last trip is how I would prefer it; having meals cooked for you and tents set up. Even then though, I guess I just get bored with it. I love being in nature for day hikes or just hanging out for a day in it, but anything that requires overnight camping is really out of my desires. I’d much rather go couchsurfing and be in a nice and dry place and meet someone new. That’s merely a personal preference of course. I’ve always loved cities for some reason. Like I said before, I enjoy nature but only on a limited basis. There is probably a balance to be struck for everyone, and I prefer to be more on the city side of things for whatever reason.
It was pretty interesting learning about the Incan religion. It hit me about halfway through that as silly as some of that stuff sounded to my ears, my religion probably seems just as silly to people who don’t believe in Christ. I want to have more atheist friends; partly because I tend to get along better with them and partly to show them that Christians are not all religious nutcases who do things like burn Quran’s. Not to mention that light shines brightest in the darkness. It’s so easy to get lost in the Christian subculture bubble and never impact the world around you. We were commanded though to impact the world for Christ by making disciples. It’s hard to do that if you never get out of the bubble. We need to reach out and put ourselves in other people’s lives, not expect them to come to our turf. Something that seems to bring people together no matter the culture is alcohol. I do enjoy a glass of white wine every now and again; I just can’t have too much due to being bipolar. But if it helps me connect with others, than I need to embrace it more than before. Food and alcohol is such a big part of culture; to not embrace it is often considered an insult. In my campus ministry we were told not to drink alcohol because it would set a bad example. I no longer agree with that; it’s hard to connect with others if you can’t even share a drink with them.
The other 14 hikers and I became quick friends as you can probably imagine. When you spend 4 days with people you don’t know but don’t have access to TV or internet you get to know one another very quickly. Some people had I-pods but they didn’t seem to get in the way of socializing. There is something about sharing a common goal, whether it is a common mission for a mission trip or to hike something much larger than you, which can bring participants together like most other things can’t. This is true for organizations, sports teams, churches, and even corporations. If people are on the same page and determined enough there is little that can stand in the way of them accomplishing their goal. In our case our goal was to get to Machu Picchu. Even the woman who admitted to not really have exercised in the last 8 years made it. On the website when you sign up for the trip they specifically say you should be fit to go on this trip. I am happy to report I was not the only one that didn’t follow this advice and yet made it.
Being mentally tough is often more important than having the physical abilities to do something. I’ve seen people at an Ironman event who were definitely not that fit but were determined enough to finish an extremely grueling sporting event. For me the thing that seemed to work was having a mantra. I had read about it in a Runner’s World magazine a couple months ago and was able to put it into practice. The first time I used a mantra was when I hiked Mt. Fyffe in New Zealand. The morning of the hike I saw a water bottle that had the saying ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ pasted across the front of it. When I had negative thoughts about not being able to make it or that there was no way I would make the Inca Trail I’d say that in my head. There were several mantras that I repeated both on the hike to Mt. Fyffe and the hike to Machu Picchu. “Keep Calm and Carry On,” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” were all mantras that went through my mind as I hiked the Inca Trail. That probably sounds silly but I’m telling you it really works. If nothing else it gets your mind off your sore muscles for a little while. This new mental toughness was a welcomed advancement for me. In the past I’ve tended to be mentally weak in my opinion. I have let little things get to me and let things that are beyond my control overwhelm me at times. Hiking the Inca Trail was different though, mainly due to the mantras. They’re a good reminder to stay positive and not let the negative thoughts control your mind.
In addition to saying mantras during the difficult parts, I found I had much more time and opportunity to pray to God during this trip. The second day it rained right after we finished hiking and rained for pretty much the whole night and into the next morning. I don’t exactly enjoy walking around in the rain if I can avoid it so I spent much of that time in my tent. I didn’t have anything to distract me so I spent the time either praying or napping. Before the trip I decided against taking my Kindle and I’m glad I did because it probably would’ve been ruined because of the rain. Anyways, it was really good to connect with God in his creation and just remember how much he has blessed my life through my family and friends and as a result pray blessings upon my family and friends. Gratitude was found where it had been missing in my heart for quite some time. It’s easy to forget about God in the everyday living that we find ourselves in, isn’t it? Anyone else have that problem? Prayer reconnects us with our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. When most other things in life serve to distract and disconnect us from our relationship with God, prayer brings us back into the realm of the Holy One. As happens many times, I ran out of stuff to pray about rather quickly. This time, though, I just repeated the prayers I had already uttered over and over again until I either fell asleep or it was time for afternoon tea or dinner.
One of the women on the trip was particularly intriguing to me. She claimed to be Catholic but also didn’t believe in God. I assume this means she was raised Catholic but then turned away from the faith when she grew older. At one point on the bus trip home, she mentioned how she felt at one time that there was something bigger than herself and that feeling was amazing. So much of me wanted to share with her about Christ but as soon as she said that she got off the bus. Many of the hikers were doctors or in the medical field so that was pretty interesting. This particular woman was an internal medicine resident. Apparently that’s a doctor which I didn’t know. I thought residency was training but you also get your medical certificate before you start your residency so you can prescribe medication when you’re in your residency. Her and her husband or boyfriend, I never actually figured out which it was, were about as different as they could be. It was a true case of opposites attract. She was one of the bubbliest and outgoing personalities I’ve ever come across, especially considering she was 29. He was very quiet and reserved and didn’t really talk unless he was talked to. They were both intelligent, obviously she with her schooling and he was well-versed in political matters which I obviously appreciated. Something that confused me about the woman in particular though was on the train ride back from Machu Picchu she said she wanted to be like her mom because she was hot, a doctor, and liked to party. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be like your mom, except later she mentioned her grandma mainly raised her because her mom was absent for a lot of her childhood. Then she sat on another guy’s lap on the train while complaining about her significant other. He seemed to handle it well; I would’ve been pissed off pretty badly at that point. If I’m ever with a woman and she sits on some other guy’s lap while complaining about me that will probably be the end of the relationship. Everyone is different though, I just know I wouldn’t let something like that fly in a relationship that I was a part of. Maybe I’m just the jealous type but that would seriously upset me.
There were 3 brothers who were of Chinese descent I believe, along with three other Asians. Honestly, I’ve never been around or gotten close to any Asians for any significant amount of time; mainly due to not having the opportunity. Sarasota isn’t exactly known for a high Asian population, neither was my hometown or my college town. I enjoyed all 6 of them, especially the married couple. The guy was 38 and the woman was 28. My dad once asked me what I was going to do when the women my age started to be all divorced women and I responded smartly that I would simply date younger women. They were 10 years apart but really seemed to get along rather well. More importantly, they said they travelled more since they had been married which obviously appealed to me. I’ve always viewed marriage as an anchor that weighs a person down to where they never go anywhere after the honeymoon and especially nowhere outside the USA. Thankfully this couple proved my preconceived notion of marriage could be wrong.
That is something that has changed on this trip too. I no longer think marriage would be the worst thing in the world to go through with. There was even one point on this trip that I was open to the idea of a relationship, although that has now passed again. Right now I guess I’m just in no rush to make something happen but if I stumble upon it I won’t be as closed off to the idea as I was in the past. Some people might call that progress; I would call it a sad compromise of something I once held very dear, my singleness. It’s such a big part of my identity. I’ve been single for so long that I’m just used to handling things on my own, traveling on my own, doing things that I want to do when I want to do them, and having more free time to serve others, whether that’s at home or my mission trips abroad in the summer. Am I really ready to give all those things up just for the small possibility of a relationship working out that will most likely instead turn into another heartache that I don’t need? No, I don’t think so, at least not quite yet. I have a young couple as friends back home who told me about a single friend they want me to meet if she’s still single by the time I get home. While I’m flattered that they would think of me as a good ‘catch’ for this girl, friends that have known me for a long time know that I just prefer to not be introduced to potential significant others and don’t even bother trying anymore. I wonder when this young couple will reach that point, hopefully sooner rather than later. For some reason they don’t see the fact that if I wanted to be set up with someone than I would ask my friends to be on the lookout for me. As it stands now though, I’d rather just live my life and if something happens then it happens, otherwise I shouldn’t have to worry about it or waste time pursuing anything.
There was another couple on the trip who was really encouraging to me, except in an almost completely opposite way. They weren’t actually a couple, but just friends who did stuff like go to Peru for fun. For the past probably 4 or 5 years I’ve often told people I would really like a cultural buddy. What I mean by this is a woman to go to cultural events with. There are so many things going on in the arts especially in Sarasota and Tampa but I never go to them, mainly due to not having anyone to go with. A cultural buddy would fill that gap without having the headache of a romantic relationship. My friends who are women tell me that would never work, but I dare say I just saw it work on this trip, so there!
Another thing I learned was something about me. In the past I’ve been camping, and I never really enjoy it that much. This was reinforced on this trip. If I had to go camping though, this last trip is how I would prefer it; having meals cooked for you and tents set up. Even then though, I guess I just get bored with it. I love being in nature for day hikes or just hanging out for a day in it, but anything that requires overnight camping is really out of my desires. I’d much rather go couchsurfing and be in a nice and dry place and meet someone new. That’s merely a personal preference of course. I’ve always loved cities for some reason. Like I said before, I enjoy nature but only on a limited basis. There is probably a balance to be struck for everyone, and I prefer to be more on the city side of things for whatever reason.
It was pretty interesting learning about the Incan religion. It hit me about halfway through that as silly as some of that stuff sounded to my ears, my religion probably seems just as silly to people who don’t believe in Christ. I want to have more atheist friends; partly because I tend to get along better with them and partly to show them that Christians are not all religious nutcases who do things like burn Quran’s. Not to mention that light shines brightest in the darkness. It’s so easy to get lost in the Christian subculture bubble and never impact the world around you. We were commanded though to impact the world for Christ by making disciples. It’s hard to do that if you never get out of the bubble. We need to reach out and put ourselves in other people’s lives, not expect them to come to our turf. Something that seems to bring people together no matter the culture is alcohol. I do enjoy a glass of white wine every now and again; I just can’t have too much due to being bipolar. But if it helps me connect with others, than I need to embrace it more than before. Food and alcohol is such a big part of culture; to not embrace it is often considered an insult. In my campus ministry we were told not to drink alcohol because it would set a bad example. I no longer agree with that; it’s hard to connect with others if you can’t even share a drink with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)