As Times Go By

It's been quite some time since I've posted anything.  Partly because it's a little intimidating being in a foreign country with so many incredible people all recording amazing things they're doing.  Partly because I don't think it wise to write out everything for the public.  But mostly because I don't really know how to put anything into words that has happened. Because a lot has happened. New job.  New place. New adventure. New friends. New time zone. New fears. Same Hope. Same questions. Same apathy. Same desires. More questions. More uncertainty. More opportunities. More lessons. Same fog. I wrote a couple months ago about this fog in my life in York.  Like I could never see something for what it was without extreme criticism or questioning - which makes it really hard to enjoy anything. But once I left York for a mini- trip to Michigan, the fog was gone.  I could think clearly again. The same is for Bangkok. Same same but different, as they say. It

First, let's just take a moment and realize how incredible U2 is not just for making beautiful music, but the sheer fact that they released an album secretly to the world for free . Thanks, boys. It's great hearing you again. This week I started my new job here in Bangkok and it's been wonderful.  I have two amazing bosses who have welcomed me into their home as one of their own and made a way for me to join them in their ministries.  It is a lot of logistics, finances, scheduling, meetings, and ministry, which is all time consuming, but so much fun.   However in the midst of this great new job, in a great big city, there is so much heartache.  Things that I now know I have been oblivious to for so long. Last week I had my first real encounter with sex-trafficking.   Some friends and I had met up to go out for dinner and we were walking down a soi (street) that had about ten bars full of men watching and buying women.   I'm talking about seeing l

Well, I've been in Bangkok for ten days and I still can't get myself to understand that I won't be returning to the States after three weeks of asian vacation. I live here now. I've been meeting so many amazing people since I've arrived and they all ask the same question: "What brings you to Bangkok? How did you end up here?" I give them the short answer for now - I'm working in an administrative/assistant/teacher role at Christ Church.  What I keep running through my head though is: How did I end up here? Some of you reading know very well, because I've done nothing but vent and complain for the past year to you, and for that I apologize.  But thank you for sticking with me. Let's refresh our memories... Summer of 2013 I applied to a teaching job in Spain after being told that they never have enough applicants but always have spaces that need to be filled by teachers.  I applied, interviewed and was told that it was the fir

Grande dark roast Alex Tall pike, sausage egg and cheese Alex Venti black tea lemonade OR grande salted caramel hot chocolate Amber Grande blonde Ben (oatmeal sometimes or spinach feta wrap) Grande peppermint mocha  Bethany Venti 3 pump, nonfat iced coffee with milk Bethany Triple grande no whip mocha Bill Grande upside down caramel machiato Billy Venti mocha frappuccino light, 2 protein, skinny mocha Bob Grande mocha Bob  (married to Grtl Gayle) Triple espresso con panna OR venti 3 classic whole milk iced coffee Bobby Tall Iced nonfat no whip mocha Buddy Triple Ristretto Espresso over ice Chad  (Falloons) Venti unsweetened no water ice green tea Cheryl Dopio Chip  (the spy!) Venti black iced coffee Chris Grande iced soy caramel latte with whip Cortney Venti caramel no water chai Crystal Grande nonfat no whip white mocha Crystal Grande dark roast or decaf  Dave Venti 5 vanilla, 5 caramel latte Dave (married to venti unsweetened no water ice green tea Cheryl) Venti

"Sometimes you need to get out of town.  Get a new perspective. But you can't always see that you need a new perspective because you, well, need a new perspective to be able to see that. It's complicated." Who knew that not talking for eight hours and driving by yourself could be so relieving? I mean I always knew that singing at the top of your lungs is good for the soul, but I've never been one for utter silence.  Shocking I know. I drove to Michigan by myself on Tuesday and within an hour of being here have already felt so relaxed and at peace. Like I've found myself again. I'm out of my York fog and it feels so good.

I've been drinking coffee on a regular basis since I was 14.  My first experience of the real stuff was in El Salvador with Juan Carlos who took me to this little cafe and we drank a shot of espresso.  My mind was blown and my eyes were opened. I could smell the aroma a mile away and the taste of sweet yet bitter flavors mesmerized my mouth.  It was perfect and beautiful; simple and so complex. I was hooked.  And then I had mass amounts of energy, so there's that. From that point on, I consumed it every day.  My mom would make coffee in the mornings for me to take to school and I'd chug it before going to class and leave it in my locker. It was no more just a special occasion drink, like on Christmas or Easter. It was every day and it was good. But before long I started to grow tired of this routine.  So I started adding weird sweeteners to it trying to dress it up as something that it should never have to be.  It had a different taste, and it was kinda good enough to dr

For my final assessment to become a shift manager at work I had to do a tea or coffee tasting with my boss. I chose tea because I wasn't feeling well and I decided to go with the tea called "Calm." "Why?" You ask? "Does it have distinctive ginger flavors or sweet smells of mahogany?" No. Neither. I chose the tea because the description of the tea said "..it's like walking barefoot through a meadow on a mountainside." Who wouldn't want to drink something that said that!? It's like drinking New Zealand! I sat and sniffed and slurped and scalded my taste buds. With eyes closed, I could see it.  I could feel the meadow around my feet. I could also feel myself becoming Fraulein Maria so I stayed a moment and waited for Christopher Plummer, but he never showed up. Why am so hung up on this tea bag and making a point to have Christopher Plummer reference? Because that simple bag of tea is a great reminder to calm the hell d