tis the season... for crying?

Tis the season.... for crying? 

I always start writing these things in my head and have big notions pf writing something great about what my life is right now, but I don’t think it ever comes close to real life. I flew out from Ghana on Sunday, as a ship we sailed from Freetown to Tema, Ghana and got into port on Thursday. It was great to be in port and to be still, or as still as it ever can be. The last week of school is one that I enjoy when I look back but have to work hard at enjoying in the moment, Christmas Play Week. I was helping with dancing, I did not have to come up with the dances a crew member on bored Emma did all that and did great with it, I was just there to help and mock the kids of course. It was a fun week despite rocking and trying to dance and hating the songs we had to listen to hundreds of times. My friend Gini helped in the academy the last week and it was great to hang out with her more before she left the ship for good on the 20^th. The play turned out great and was full of great memories with all the kids, I am always amazed at how funny and talented our kids are. It is great to have a chance to hang with students that I do not spend as much time with like the junior high and high school kids. The play turned out great but still with lots of laugh out loud moments, like the nursery kids licking the baby Jesus doll!

I ended up being able to go home for Christmas, it was not planned and only got worked out about two weeks before I left, it was stressful for a bit about it but a true blessing to be able to spend time with my family on my birthday and Christmas. Had I stayed on board I would have been saying goodbye to a lot of great people over a week or two. Including my two best friends on board who are both leaving for good on my birthday, Brats. But in this way we said goodbye not on my birthday and I was not left alone there to miss them and feel sorry for myself. I am sad I missed their last few days on the ship but I know this was a better way for it to happen. There are a lot of things that my time at Mercy Ships has taught me and one of them is that it is ok to cry. Maybe that sounds strange but if I cared every time I cried what people would think then I would spend a lot of time worrying, because well I spend more time crying then I have before. Not always a bad thing, a lot it is because I think about the people who have left who I miss dearly or the ones that are leaving who I might not see again. But sometimes it is because I have laughed so hard of because I am overcome with how lucky I am. I was watching a movie on the plane called “ The Way” I would recommend it btw. But in the movie they played the song Thank U by Allanis Morissette one of the lines is “How bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out” well all right I will. It made me think of leaving the ship and saying good bye to people who will not be coming back and are leaving themselves in the time I am gone. Gini, Shannon, Sandra and Natalie. There are of course more who I will miss but these are the ones who not being here will impact my life the most because of the influence they have had on my life and the time on board already. Sunday was a bit of a mess, we had to scramble to find rides and had to change our plans about 10 times and it was also full of waiting and crying. Dislike both of these. It was a hard thing to say goodbye to my Ship life partners who I will not see until July. The song made me think of all the times I have been sad about goodbyes and great full for the people who I have loved so much that they would leave a whole in my heart in their absence. I cant be sad that the times are over but grate full that it I had a great time.

There were a few of us traveling out on Sunday and only two dear friends included who are not returning so that was a sad goodbye in Brussels. Before we got on the first flight we were all hanging out in the airport and started counting passport stamps. I LOVE that these are some of the questions you would hear during that time. “ Do visas count?” “ Is it every stamp or just one per country?” “ Is that your second passport?” I am up to 42 stamps, and I love it. When we got to Brussels I stopped and got a cup of coffee from Starbucks, with the exchange rate it was probably like 8 bucks, but it was nice. I also realized that I have three different currencies in my wallet and just like passport stamps I love it and take pride in it.

I am home now and realizing I have been able to have lunch with friends and see my family. Rob and Misty met my rents and I the night I flew in and Den and Tessa surprised us on my birthday with an un planned surprise visit before flying to Alaska. I am so thankful to be home for this time of year and am trying to live it up! Hope you all are doing great and loving the season.

December, 22nd 2011

one freaking great week

One freaking great week
The last week was a great one, one packed full of old friends, family and lots of special moments. I went home for a little over a week to be at one of my college roommate’s weddings, she finally marred her guy after 9 years. There was a while there I did not think I would be able to go home, I know I’m a volunteer and it seems like I should just be able to have all the time off I want, but I made a commitment and don’t want to leave the school in a lurch. It is hard to make the change from ship to home to ship again, I have not had too much trouble before but this time it was hard. It was hard to say goodbye to my parents and think about all the things I am going to miss about home. It makes it clear to me that I am ready to be home. That maybe I am ready to not be a nomadic teacher. My heart is in Portland with my family and friends and that is where I want to be also. I will finish my time here and do it happily and with purpose for all my time here has taught be but still be very excited to get home.

The last week passed not in a blur as I feared but as a restful time spent with people that I missed. I am thankful that time slowed down and I was able to spend time doing what I wanted and needed without feeling to rushed.

I got in last Friday night after about 36 hours of flying, the now to common land rover, ferry, bus, plane, plane, plane and I am home! It is long and exhausting and trying on my patience (which I don’t have a lot of to start) but totally worth it, with out a doubt. I had been worried about the time at home. How it would go with friends, considering the distance between us things can be strange. I was worried about how fast the time would go. I was worried about getting overwhelmed at home with all I wanted to do. I am so glad to say that all the things I worried about were for nothing. Everything went great.

I got in on Friday and my parents picked me up, after a quick stop at the house for the dogs (Padfoot remembered me!) and a coffee we drove down to the beach. Robby and Misty where already at the house waiting, it was great to see them and grab dinner and catch up. My sleep schedule was/is all messed up but its ok, it was beautiful at the beach, cold but sunny. Even though it was before Thanksgiving we decorated the beach for Christmas, which I appreciated the chance to do. Perfect weather for fires and Christmas movies and even I am a little bit embarrassed to say, the new Twilight movie with mom. If you have not seen it don’t worry, it is as bad as you think it would be.

It was great to just be at the beach and not need to go anywhere or do anything, I updated my computer, used all the bandwidth I wanted and downloaded to my hearts content. On Sunday morning I took a bike ride to my favorite little coffee shop. It was cold, but it was sunny and silent and there were bunnies out. Cannon Beach has bunnies that are “ wild” and are just in peoples yard so its always fun to see them. The ride was so nice, to be on my own, on an empty street in the sun even though it was cold. To get a nice coffee and ride down to the beach and just be glad to be home, to be at an overlook to see how stinking beautiful it is, I needed that. Sunday we drove back into town and I went over to my friend Shannon’s house. Shannon is the friend whose wedding it was, it was great to hang out there and with our other friend Erin and just catch up. It is not easy being so far away from friends, we had all lived together for at least two years at school and it has been really difficult for me when I am away to be good at keeping in contact, so it was just great to hang out and catch up. Choosing to leave home is always a strange thing, it allows you to experience great things but you also miss a lot. I know that when I came home the first time after living in London I would get sad when friends talked about hanging out with each other without me, but life at home does not stop, we are just not a part of it. So it was hard for me to see and hear so much about the pre-wedding stuff that I missed, I know it was a choice I made by coming back for a second year, but it is still hard.

The beginning of the week passed with shopping trips and pumpkin spice lattes when they could be found, having lunch with friends and having fun being able to drive. I was able to spend time with my parents and catch up on everything that had been going on. I was able to meet Robby at a coffee shop that sells the coffee I love from the beach. It amazes me how much we change. Robby and I were not close growing up we were siblings we fought, a lot! But now its great we can talk and be honest and ask hard questions and be blunt about opinions. I love it and am so thankful that the relationship has changed into that as we have gotten older and dare I say more mature? I was also able to meet up with my friend Sarah for lunch, it was great to hang out with her and just talk. I love that it does not really feel like time has passed with friends. It is a gift, yes we may not know every detail about each others lives like we used to but it does not mean we don’t understand each other.

I had a nice treat of getting my nails done before the wedding with the bride and her sister and momma and a gromes-women. It was nice to be able t partake in some of the pre-wedding stuff and again just hang out. My momma and I spent Wednesday afternoon hanging out watching love actually and white Christmas and making pies, that is what Thanksgiving is all about. We did some more wedding stuff, and damn did those CD’s look good Erin! Den and Tessa got in late on Wednesday night so we stayed up and chated with them.

Thanksgiving was fantastic, loots of cooking the parade in the background and a never ending supply of coffee and mimosas! We had family over but it was still small numbers and it was nice. It was relaxed and fun. I love my family in all their strange ways of talking about things tat maybe should not be talked about or the way we play games which seem to get louder as more empty wine bottles appear on the counter.

Dennis and Tessa or probably really Tessa had organized that we take family photos on Friday. She is a brave women to suggest that to my family two days before the fact. It was a little bit of a hassle trying to work out what to wear and all that. It ended up being a beautiful day at the park and it was really fun despite the photographers multiple remarks about me being single. Like “ Do you want some of just you when I am done with the couples?” Umm… Hell no! Or “It looks unbalanced with the couples and then you.” Yes thanks I know. At least we were able to laugh at it and the balls it took to ask. Friday night was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. It was so great to see the place and have an idea of what it was going to be like. As well as see so many people from college. It was fantastic.

On Saturday my family and I went to breakfast for my favorite, cinnamon roll French toast. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. Then the wedding festivities started. We ladies got there around 11, the wedding was at 5:30 but that is how long it takes. Its ok we brought supplies like music and food and champagne so we were ok. It was great to be together and get ready. Everything was beautiful and it was a great wedding. There were lots of laughs and nice moments and the entire thing was great. At one point I forgot that the next morning I had to be at the airport at 6 am to fly back to the ship. I was disappointed when a friend pointed that out to me, that was when I knew I was ready to be home. I will not be done here until June, that is when the school year is over. I do plan on making a stop or two on my way home to see people but I will be home this summer and I cant wait.

The ship as I was going by on the ferry.

The beach was amazing!

Early morning walk on the beach with my momma.

Padfoot!

Yes it is fake, but it is still a Christmas tree.

Early morning bike ride including bunnies, coffee and a peaceful beach.

Snow in the pass.

There she is, it was great.

Padfoot the pilgrim.

Games definitly need wine.

Table all set and ready for the food.

Beautiful day for family photos.

I am so happy that there was still fall leaves on the trees and the ground, it was perfect.

College roomies! I love these girls!

PLU crew.

At breakfast on my last day.

Yes it is worth the photo, it is that good.

Shan and Haliey on Shan's wedding day!

Lovely ladies.

Whitney was a grooms-lady and we have known each other since 2nd grade.

Shan and I.

Shan and Kyle busting a move.

Some of the maids.

Kyle ready for the wedding night...

8 am time for four flights and 36 hours of travel, totally worth it.

A photo is worth a thousand words right?

So here is three thousand....

This Saturday a crew member on board married a local women. I don't know either really but the whole crew was invited so the girls and I decided to see what a West African wedding was like. It was hot, hence the sweating in the picture. It was long, about two hours, but we had snacks and games. Don't worry mom locals would take pone calls during the service so know one thought we were rude.

I guess these would most be like a flower girl and ring barer. The walked in before the bride and did not seam to be to thrilled by the whole thing.

There was also a reception help at the off ship team house. On the way there in exchange with sitting in an hour and half of traffic for maybe a 5 mile drive we were rewarded with this. I goat and a goose on a motor bike. TIA!

In two weeks time I will be home for a short trip. I am so excited but know the time will go by far to fast. I get to be home to be part of a friend from colleges wedding and am so excited to be able to be there for the big day. I will also be able to be home for Thanksgiving, which is the cherry on top. I hope you all are doing well, love and miss you all.

Ang

A weird and wonderful weekend.

A weird and wonderful weekend 

This place is weird. I feel like I always have to say that to myself and other people just because there is no other way sometimes to explain things. A few weeks back with my class, we wrote descriptive essays about a day in the life. We discussed at length that this place is weird and that it seems so strange to outsiders but to us, who become so used to it become boring sometimes. But this weekend was one of those kind of weird weekends, great but weird. This past week was a three-day weekend on ship Friday was a ship holiday. On Friday a group of us set out to walk to the fabric street. We have done this before and were prepared to have to argue a little over the price but knew for the most part what things should cost and were ready for a day out. We ended up getting a lift into the city with a few girls going across town for the weekend to stay at a beach hotel. We were able to get into their Poda and drive most of the way to the street. Whenever I get in a Poda a send a quick prayer for safety, this one was no exception. I ended up on the backbench that was not welded into place. When ever we would stop and start and hit a bump, which keep in mind we are still in free town is all the damn time. So using the ceiling and the seat in front of us, not as wobbly but definitely not strong we held our self’s upright for the ride. I was happy we only went for about 10 min as opposed to the girls going an hour. We jumped out and after a quick silent prayer for the girls to get their safely in the Poda the group and I set out the last few streets to the fabric street. When I say street I really mean an ally, there are stores on either side of the ally that are open but then there are stalls in the “street” that sell fabric and other things you might want.

We split up into two smaller groups to make it easier on ourselves and went on our way to shop. When we were walking down the ally we noticed a film crew ahead of us with a white women talking to a local women. If we are on the ship it is not that strange to have film crews, its not an every day thing but not that strange. But out on the street here that was kind of strange. We kept walking and shopping as normal and then got a look at the women walking, it was Eva Mandes from “Hitch”. We where a little excited, seeing as she is a celebrity but also that she is in Freetown, who the hell comes here. We went over and talked to a producer and said we would love to have them on as guests. We are only allowed guests on Sundays and the forms would have had to been in the day before but we would worry about that latter. It ended up that they where flying out on Sunday but we got to talking and the women was amazed as out little group, what we were doing and what we had left behind to be able to do it. They are filming a documentary for PBS based on the book “ Across half the Sky” it is about women’s rights in developing nations. I have heard of it before and actually think Tessa tried to talk me into reading it once… Maybe now I will. We met up with the other half of our group and filled them in on what was going on. We all were probably more excited then we should have been but it was so random. Eva ended up walking by when they where not filming and started talking to all of us. She was pretty surprised how long we had been there and thought the work we are doing is great and that in fact “ we are fucking rad” . Not gonna lie, I swear all the time, I am working on it but not that hard. She dropped like 6 F-boms in about 3 minutes. I was startled to hear it so much, and so where some of the others in the group who have much cleaner mouths then I do. Unfortunately non of had cameras on us as you know we wanted to keep them. Just kidding mom its not that bad!!! We finished our shopping and walked to have lunch. We went to the bakery in town that has pretty great food. Of course there where other Mercy Shippers there, and we could not wait to recount our celebrity sighting.

After lunch we did a bit of shopping at the craft market, I go home in a little over a month for a friends wedding so I am trying to make sure I have some small gifts for people back home. It was not the most fun shopping experience, we are leaving soon-ish and people know and are desperate for our business. The people selling crafts have become much more aggressive and persistent. The craft market is split, one side is men selling crafts who are normally fine, they always want you to look at their stall but understand when you say no. The other half is women who are aggressive and so loud, they want to show you everything and kind of block the path sometimes. This time they were all aggressive and it was not that fun. We all did our shopping fast, I would have loved it to be faster especially after I saw a rat run across the isle.

We went back to the bakery and caught a ride with other shippers back home. Our rover broke down a little bit away from the ship, luckily we were in a quite section near the port and were able to push the rover safely to the hope center where it could sit with out anything happening to it for the night. At one point I almost slipped in the mud, and was waiting to end up face first in a mud puddle, it would be classic, and my Toms did not have a lot of traction. We were all so excited to share our celebrity sighting with others, some did not believe us and thought we were lying. But come on why would we not have picked a hot man then?!?

That night my ship life partners and I watched a few movies. I am sure that name seems strange but that kind of explains it. We are pretty co-dependent and mostly always together. Saturday morning a group of us got ready to go to the beach for the night. A friend on board Rob, his dad and godfather are on board so he wanted to let them have a weekend experience off ship. We went to the beach we normally go to, I go pretty often for the day but not normally for the night. A few reasons, I am cheap, I like my bed and I love a nice shower. But it was fun, if it is only once and a while its fun. On Saturday we had crazy rain and thunder and lighting. At one point when it cleared we all went for a swim when we heard thunder we all started running out, again no worries mom it was far off. But a friend had never seen me move so fast, I was brought back to a time snorkeling with my brothers in Hawaii when an Ele hissed at me and a swam back to shore as fast as could. The afternoon was spent playing cards and when the rain cleared more swimming and walks on the beach, trying to find shooting stars and laying by a bonfire on the beach. There are moments here that I get really frustrated at myself, I start to think about work and what I should be doing and what the hell I am going to do with my life when I leave here in June. I have to stop myself and think to enjoy this moment make it a memory. At one point we were sitting on the porch at the beach and the rain was coming down so hard on the tin roof that it was hard to talk but it was a great moment.

Sunday was bring and early with a damn roster who thought we should be up before the sun. The rest of the day was spent swimming, tanning, reading, and laying in the hammock reading with a nice breeze, my favorite.

Monday was a teacher workday, these normally start with breakfast as a staff and this time I volunteered to be in charge of that. It evolved from muffins to quiche and muffins, to quiche, muffins and cookies for after lunch. Needless to say that was gonna be a lot, thank God for friends because they came saw how much I had to do and each took a task. We were all done in a little over an hour. Enough time left to do laundry and play a round of hand and foot, my new card addiction. I have to say the quiche where not as good as my momma make them but they where good. It is so nice just to be able to sit down and have a meal together like a family and it is equally fun to cook and feel homey by spending time in the kitchen and hanging out in their with friends.

I have been reading this book and in fact just finished called “ The lost girls: Three friends. Four continents. One Unconventional Detour Around The World” I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who has the travel bug. It has made me want to go to South America so badly, I have always wanted to go and now it is an active goal I am trying to work towards. As well as Antarctica, I don’t really know why but I have a huge desire to go. Maybe because it is changing so quickly with global warming or maybe because on the list of a 100 things to do before I die visit all 7 contents is number 1, 3 down and 4 to go.

But I think the real reason I loved this book so much was because I saw myself a little in each of the girls. They where 27-28 year old women from NYC who wanted to see the world before they where tied down. I get that, because that drives me also.

“ We were searching for answers, but as we’d learn along the way, the ones you uncover are rarely those to the questions asked.” I came here searching for something to do for a year, why not. As mom had said you can do anything for a year, but I loved it so I said what the hell and stayed a second. I don’t think that will be happening again but I will forever be grateful for this place and the questions it has made me ask of myself, people and God.

There are so many quotes from this book that I really connected with and the life I am leading and the one I want to continue to lead. I will leave you with two although I am dying to put them all up but that would dilute the point.

First: “ You can’t know when there’ll be an unexpected detour that’ll take you to the place were always meant to be.” Had it not been for Tessa causally bringing up Mercy ships some 14 months ago randomly as I was half listening in my hung-over, sleepy, no coffee state I would never have come here. I cant wait for the next detour.

Secondly: “The only leaps of faith you’ll ever regret are the ones you don’t’ take.”

October, 10th 2011

A day out of the city and off the ship

Since being back on the ship it has been a crazy few months. It has almost been two months since I have been back and time is flying. This past weekend myself and a few friends went to the beach for the day. It did not disappoint.

We hung out on the porch of a house, pretty much someone from the ship spends every weekend here so they take care of us.

Here are some friends enjoying a chill day.

This is my favorite spot, in the hammock reading.

On the drive back I tried to capture how beautiful it is here, you know once you are out of Freetown.

I love the old churches that line the small streets through villages, they seem so out of place and perfectly located at the same time.

Hope you are all well, love and miss you guys!

This last week

This Last week
School has been going for over a month now and it is starting to feel routine. These past few weeks have been loaded with lots of work and not so many outing because of all the work but that is just how the start of the year goes. I love my class and am having fun with them there is so much work and there is always so much more to do but I am learning to stop and take breaks. My weekend was nice and lazy, Friday night the academy went out to dinner. It was great to hang out with my coworkers outside of school and get to know them all better. It is hard to have different people to work with this year because we all ended up so close last year. I cant think that it will be just like last year I can only hope that we all can become friends and spend this year working hard and having fun. I went with a few friends to the fabric street and found some great stuff. I got some nice fabric that I want to make pillows with, you know when I am an adult and don’t live with mom and dad. I also got some very ridiculous stuff that I plan on making aprons out of, and when I say I I really mean mom. I know I will never wear African cloths at home, I wont even wear them here but an apron can be ridiculous and crazy so that will be a fun project when I am home.

I spent some time last night with my favorite little people. Today was spent having nice coffee at our Starbucks, some time by the pool, card games and wii. It was a nice weekend that actually has left me mostly ready for Monday morning. It’s a nice change. 

These are a few teachers and myself at diner.

Kris and I, I could not have made it through last year with out her and definitely not this one either. Cheers to pacts!

Here is the fabric I scored, I cant wait to get crafty!

September, 5th 2011 

a few photos

I just wanted to post a few photos from the last few weeks.

I went to the beach this past weekend and had a quite day with some families and a fellow teacher. It was such a sunny day!

We had a film festival on board, it was a fun night where every one dressed up. We love excuses to dress up. After wards we all hung out in the cafe area for a while.

Emma turned two this weekend, she loved her cake.

Megan, Emma, and Max opening up Emma's birthday gifts.

Megan made a great crocodile cupcake for Emma's birthday!

It has almost been a month since I have been back. Things are settling back down and starting to get into a routine around here and with school which helps it to feel normal here. I have booked my ticket to go home from my friends Shannon and Kyle's wedding In November. I am stocked! I get to go home for about 11 days, I will be able to be home for Thanksgiving to spend with my family. Both of my brothers and sisters-in-laws will be home for the time. I cant wait to be home for the Holiday and to be part of the wedding!

August, 28th 2011 

Second week again....

Second week again... 

The first week of school is over and I feel like it has been a semester already. We started the new school work all working over the weekend, and at least for myself still not feeling ready for the start of school. But school did start and we all had to pretend we were ready. I will have 8 kids this year but at the start I only had 6 because two families did not get until a few days past the start of school. It is nice having more then two kids this year, I miss my kids from last year and the small feel but it is nice to have more and have better energy with a larger group. It’s hard to stop working sometimes, there is always lots to do and there will always be more. Teaching is not a 40-hour a week job, even if I don’t have kids I probably have a long list of things I should be doing instead of playing card games or watching a movie, but I need to take breaks.

This year will be so different from last year. Last year we moved a ship based organization onto land and made it work, although not always sure we would. We became an accredited academy which feels great and the amount of work is considerably less then it was last year because of this accomplishment. I am excited for all this year brings, I am hoping to make it home around thanksgiving for a wedding. I am excited for new countries to go to and everything a new school year brings.

I am in the phase of being back where I miss home, it is good to be back but I could go for a day at the beach with my family and drinks with my friends and on and on and on. But I am here and need to remind myself that I have made the choice to come and work and live here for the next ten months or so and to love something about each day. Or at least that is my goal, I am not sure I always do this.

This past weekend felt like a good example of WAWA (West Africa Wins Again), we tried to go to a chimp sanctuary on Saturday only to realize we had to make reservations, not very normal for here , we made the best of it by getting lunch and going to the craft market. On Sunday we left a dry and sort of sunny ship in hopes of a sunny beach but it was rainy. Its ok though because it was still great to get off ship and forced me to do no work, which I am slowly regretting but not as much as I should be.

I have received both my bags now and am un packed and feel more settled. I know a few things where missing from my duffle that was cut open, so someone has a few cute new dresses or the TSA sucks at making sure the right stuff goes back in the right bags when they are polite enough to repack them for you. Both are far too possible to be funny.

August, 15th 2011 

Im back and its strange

Im back and its strange

I have been back on ship for a week and it has been strange. My bags did not make it but hopefully they will tomorrow. The new teachers are all really nice and eger to start the year and its fantastic. There has been a lot of work to do and a lot of stress that comes with that. It is hard to be back in some ways and make you question the desicion but then I remember why I love it here and why I do it. It would be easier to be home, I am sad to not be home but life is not about making the easy choice.

August, 7th 2011

less then a week...

Less then a week... 

My time at home has been good, it has gone far to fast but also not fast at the same time. I have found that its hard to be invested in one place and be somewhere else. I am so happy to have time away from the ship and all the craziness that it brings with a new school year but I also find myself missing people there and wondering what is happening there but being here. I have struggled meeting with friends and trying to fit back into relationships that where built and strong when we lived together for years and are now more surface. Its hard but I also know it comes with the choices I have made in my life, which I would never change. I made a hard choice after college to move to a new city, country, and content even it was one of the hardest things I have ever done it was more difficult then deciding to join Mercy Ships and then three weeks later getting on the plane to fly to Togo. But that choice set me on a different path. It allowed me to take chances and travel and be open to a different plan for my life then had I found a job in a school at home after school.

What I have come to realize and am starting to accept is that I have been shaped by the choices I have made and they have shaped my relationships. It causes worry and stress sometimes that these relationships are changing but then I realize that we have changed in the relationships also. That we are different people then we were in high school or college but that is ok cause we all change and grow. It has been good to be home and see these people and know that it will not be the end of the friendship but that it is just different. I do think its funny that with family it is as if no time has gone by. My moms sister and family came up to the beach for almost a week. It was great to hang out with them and catch up again with out the awkwardness that comes at times from time passing and people change. I love that about family. With both my dads side and my moms side it was great to see how much these people care about one another how you can be so different from one another but also so similar at the same time. How we can laugh at the same old stories we do every time we are all together.

I sometimes wonder if I should stay home and try harder to get a job here and do what is more expected of me, but where is the fun in that. My family and friends though encourage and support me to go back and do what I love even it does not make sense to them. One of my friends keeps saying how I am trying to find myself, at first it drove me crazy and im still not in love it that saying. I know who I am, what I stand for and what I believe in so what is there to “find?” But I am trying to think of it as a challenge, to find more of what I love, to find new opportunities to help and to find new people who I can develop strong relationships with.

I probably should be packing but instead im watching lame reality tv, I need to get it in before I get back to the ship. I have stocked up on what I think I will need and want for the next year. It will be strange to sit around the big table with a different group of people but I know that it will be fine. I hope you are all fine.

July, 25th 2011 

you can always go home... but it might be strange

You can always go home.... but it might be strange
I have been home for about three weeks now and its going fast. This is not my first time leaving home for a while and I know that it is strange to come home sometimes but I forgot how it feels. I have been spending a lot of time at the beach and am so happy to have been able to do that. I spent a few days at the beach with a friend just hanging out, it was so great to be able to do that just relax and talk with an old friend. For the fourth of July weekend my parents, brothers and their wives all came down. We also had an aunt and uncle, a cousin and a cousin and his family able to make it to the beach for the weekend. When I am with family it is as if I never left that I am still the same person I was before but with some crazy stories. We were very lucky and had some great weather for the time we where there, we spent time playing crocket, bocce ball, flying kites, skim boarding (so really falling ) a few crazies even went surfing. The rest of the time was spent eating, drinking and being merry!

When I was growing up my dad’s family had a beach house on the Oregon coast because of various reasons we had to sell it when I was younger but that house, place and those times have shaped us all so much. A lot of the weekend was spent asking the question “ remember when…?” followed by laughs. It was fantastic. Unfortunately the weekend had to end and we all went our separate ways with promises to do this more often and to be better about calling. Since being back in the Portland area I have been able to meet up with a good friend from college.

One of the things that is strange being home is trying to explain what it is I’m doing. To explain what it is like and what the ship is doing for surgeries. To tell people where we are going next and to explain where Sierra Leone is in Africa. Despite it being hard to explain at times what it is all about and why they hell I would ever want to stay for a second year I love that people want to understand. That they know this is important to me and want to know more about it. That they might have zero interest in it but that they still want to know why it is something I am committed to.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

Our Grandma Wanda would always cry when we took photos so this is our "Grandma Crying face."

My sisters-in-laws!

My family!

Traditional cousin photos, we used to take one in height order and age order, until the older cousins complained.

Teaching the new Linderman's to love the beach and to build sandcastles!

Always need to have a campfire and smores.

Tessa skim boarding.

Me skim boarding.