Adventure...a few things I've learned

I often find myself amazed by the adventures God has invited me on. He could have easily asked someone else but He asked me. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way….

Saying YES to adventure can be scary but totally worth it. 

-          I realized a while ago that when certain situations present themselves I must say yes no matter                    how uncomfortable it may be or how much it may freak me out. Paragliding? YES! Safari? YES!   Sleeping in the loft of a barn in a village? Um…ok…yes.

Adventure often involves spontaneity

If you keep saying “I wanna do that one day” chances are “one day” will never come. Be prepared to go. This will also keep you from thinking things through too much.

Adventure is even better when you experience it with a friend.

Sometimes I think the main reason for getting married is so that I could have a permanent adventure buddy. For now, I have a few friends that I know, should I ask, they will join me in a heartbeat.

Adventure brings strangers together.

-       I saw this a lot when I trekked through the Himalayas. Strangers staying at the same teahouse often became friends running into one another along the trail. I truly experienced this with the other foreigners that I worked with overseas. The life we lived was far from normal and it created a bond that I can’t explain.

The definition of adventure is in the eye of the beholder.

A lot people think of adventure as bungee bungeejumping, paragliding, zip lining or going on a safari. For some people it’s as simple as spontaneously hopping in the car and driving someplace new. This past mother’s day I realized motherhood may very well be the ultimate adventure.

A lot of my adventures in Nepal involved crazy bus rides, hiking through remote villages and sleeping in the homes of new friends. At the time, I had no desire to take long bus rides or sleep on the hard ground but thankfully I can look back and recognize it was an adventure.

There is one more thing that you should know about adventure, it’s important so pay attention.

Adventure, it’s not going to wait around for you. You’ve got to rise up and meet it.

-I see Americans working so much and packing their schedules full of stuff. Free time is a myth and vacation eludes most. Americans have totally ignored the possibilities of adventure. They miss out  because they are too busy.

I am currently on the cusp of my next adventure. I have absolutely no idea what is next but I want to be ready to go at a moment’s notice….I hope you will be too.

Adjusting to America

Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country. I may look and sound like an American but most of the time, I have no idea what’s going on. Not only has my world view been drastically altered but I’ve failed to keep up with what’s been happening in the good ol US of A.

I find myself asking “Really? Is this a thing?”

A few things that continue to elude me ….

Kim Kardashian… Kim who? Why do people care about Kim K? ...and why is the media is talking about her pregnancy weight? Shouldn’t we all be super concerned over the father of her child? Did the media miss the memo that said“Kanye is a big D bag and may very well be creating the spawn of Satan”. I mean, if we are gonna talk, then let's priorities the crazy talk. 

Big eye glasses….been there, did that in the third grade, and made a vow to NEVER do that again.

Gluten Free…was there some sort of epidemic that caused a large majority of Americans to be allergic to gluten while I was gone?

I’m pretty convinced that if the zombie apocalypse happens gluten free will have played a role in it…and that hipsters will be the first ones to go.

…don’t even get me started on my hipster zombie conspiracy theory. …

Pinterest, Instagram, Tweets, texting rather than talking and hashtags…Five years ago, never once did a friend call me up to talk about the delicious meal they were in the process of having. Now, my friends can find a recipe on Pinterest, cook something, take a picture of what the finished project looks like, tweet a clever quip regarding their food with the #amazefood.

I kind of miss the days when I did not know so much about my friends lives. 

Every day there is something that usually throws me off. I try to play it cool but usually fail. Should you see me freak out in public or just look lost feel free to pat me on the shoulder and give me a "knowing look". You know the kind of look that says "bless your heart your going through culture shock". 

Here's the skinny

Leaving the KTM airport

Here's the skinny,

I’m living in America…for now.

I would love to sit down and write a thoughtful and meaningfull post about the process and journey God has taken me on to get me to America but I can’t. To write such a post would require thought, introspection and coming to terms with the fact that I have indeed left Nepal. To be honest with you I’m not ready to do that just yet. Yes, I’m avoiding the floodgate of emotions that will open. Right now, I’m just trying to deal with entering back into America….trust me when I tell you reverse culture shock has me dealing with enough emotion as it is.

So here is the skinny,

I have officially taken a leave of absence with the company that I was working for. Basically what that means is that I have two years to decide to continue working for them. I’ve not been fired nor did I quit. I’m sort of somewhere in-between.

My current plan is to complete my Masters of Theology degree.

Because I only took a leave of absence the company I worked for gave me two months of insurance. The past four weeks have been spent going to the DR, the dentist, the chiropractor, and a few others. Incase you were wondering I am cavity free and when I fell off my table trying to change a light bulb last year I managed to fracture my pelvis. I knew my lower back hurt for a reason!

Although I have some tentative plans I feel like God is currently telling me to wait and be quite. I wish I knew the next move, but I don’t. I wish I could give easy answers to easy questions such as “how long will you be in America?” but I can’t. I’m trying my best to be patient and allow God to show me the next step.