Today the story of a woman we new and cared for in Thailand. My hope is that it honors her as a person and shares some insight into the complexities of volunteer life and service to others.
Song Bird
Ambitious?
Just when I think I will be whisked away from you all by my busy life, I find myself unexpectedly sitting idle. In between moments of being present and with my family, I had some time to sit and reflect.
Simple Fears
Well - sooner than the last time, but still not good. I have been wanting to get another blog out there since the last one, but between getting called-in to work on my days off (not a choice), my dad spending over a week in the hospital (he is doing great), and preparing for a baby (which could come any day), it has been hard to center my thoughts and take the time for this.
Laryngitis
ooooweee - it has been a long time. I wrote this blog in April and then found myself going to ground again. In nursing school there was a terrifyingly common refrain “fake it till you make it.” I know what that means more than ever before. Oh and click UNSUBSCRIBE if you so desire. No judgement, each of our lives are busy and your time is precious.
9 Weeks.
Just another set of updates on where we are and what/how we are doing. Sorry for the long delay. I promise I continue to have every intention of regular blogging again.
Spring Thing
4 weeks in and it is time for a short update. My apologies for not writing sooner. I have every intention of returning to regular writing.
Check-in
Our travels were absolutely wonderful, and I apologize for not checking in sooner. I expect to be resume blogging more regularly as we learn to again navigate the busyness of life in America. In the meantime, I wrote a blog for Good Shepherd Volunteers. Please click the link and read if you have the opportunity.
In the Middle is Nowhere
Another week of traveling finished. It has been eventful, but not necessarily in a good way! Oh well, just look at the photos and you can envy our perfect trip!
Goodbyes and Smiles
A lot has happened since I last blogged. We said goodbye to our community in Thailand and jet set for the beautiful country of Indonesia. It is a predominantly Muslim country, so recent events did create unwarranted anxiety.
Today is mostly a recap and reflection of the goodbyes, but as our travel slows I hope to share more of my infamous reflections/perspectives in coming days.
Impending Departure.
As our time here quickly winds down, maybe you have been wondering about the future of this blog. Do I have a plan for it, or will it just end? I started to really think about this as I listened to OnBeing this morning during my run. Her guest, Anil Dash, said it takes about 7 or 8 years to become good at blogging: that makes me feel a little bit better.
Upswing
A short update on how things are going - generally good! We also went to a Thai wedding last weekend, so you can see Susan in a fancy dress and a few pictures of the formal event we are honored to have been invited to.
Happy? New Year.
This week I bring you up to speed on the events since before Christmas: a touching moment at another Christmas Party, Vacation!!!, the New Year, and return to volunteer work life. Happy New Year or as they say in Thailand, Sawatdee Bee Mai!
Christmas Spirit
Another year removed from America leaves me with a critical eye on how I experience Christmas. This week I share a look into our volunteer life in Thailand during this holiday season, and a touch of the complexity surrounding those seemingly innocuous conversations.
Too Soon.
A short check-in. It was a busy, but nice birthday week. This weekend we had Christmas Camp, so hopefully more to come as we enjoy the Christmas celebrations in the coming weeks!
Throw in the Towel?
This week we get back to normal John kind of stuff: simplicity, running, emergency rooms (sorry mom), and trying to make sense of it all!
Thanksgiving Day.
As promised, I have been trying hard to brighten my spirits by focusing on the positive and appreciating everything I have to be thankful for. Seems to be working.
Today, I thought I would just share a summary of my thanksgiving day. I feel like it is one of the better looks into volunteer life here in Thailand.
Baby Steps
I wrote this about 10 days ago. I am not really happy with it, but I think it is time to release it. I continue to write almost daily, but nothing intelligible seems to come out.
I am hoping by turning my thoughts to thankfulness, I will have something 'happier' to share in a few days. Susan and I are well, the weather is beautiful, and the mood around the Garden of Friendship is upbeat. I have been successful in not spoiling it, but I am hoping to catch it!
Last weekend was a nice change of pace. The staff hosted a weekend seminar (with overnight) for children ages about 8-17. They taught sex education, HIV education, emotional health, and much more. A well crafted weekend with lots of fun games, activities, laughter, and smiles. A welcome distraction from my mind, but I am a little sore from doing too much Hula-Hoop!
My Progressively Bleeding Heart
I usually like to sit on these for a day, but this is how I am feeling right now. An attempt to make sense of what this means, what has happened, what way is up. I knew about news bias, I knew people were angry, I knew that this was a real possibility, but that does help it make sense. And I do not know that anyone knows what this means for our future - other than uncertainty.
Anniversary Politics
Written before and posted during, a little reflection about this and that. Happy 4th Anniversary to my wonderful wife!
Cultivating a Life
Reminiscing a little bit about the past, trying to continue to learn from the wisdom of my elders, and weaving this together to create a picture of my possible future.