Adapting to a “New” (old) Life

Its weird being thrown back into the “real” world. Expected to continue on as if life has continued with normalcy over the past two months. For nearly everyone I encounter, it has. But for me and 17 others, the past 2 months have been transformative, life-changing, EPIC. Beyond expectations and ideas I attempted to construct about how this summer would go, I now find myself bewildered at what I just experienced. It seems that as the trip has concluded, I am only now beginning to recognize the ways it has been, could have been, and will continue to be life-altering. It also leaves me with a plethora of thoughts that I am still trying to sort out.

**We rode all the way into the ocean, with me leading in the Mother Falcon, and it was every bit as glorious as we ever imagined it would be.

**The best memories are the ones you sometimes don’t realize you’re making until the it is long over. (a shared laugh or cry or story or event)

**I actually miss sitting in a van with the same folks for 12 hours a day. It becomes refreshing to have a routine, to love people well, to ask important questions, and also the ones that start with, “Would you rather…”

**A single smile can go a long way. Some of the smiles in photographs I’ve been looking through have certainly gone further than the photographed imagined they would.

**Facial hair isn’t so bad after all…

**I want a bike.

**I miss Chicago.

**All I have talked about for the past 48 hours is the team, our adventures, and how great it all was. Yet when asked best/worst moments, I have a hard time… because I can’t find one single “best” moment (there are so many!!!) and I can’t think of a time that was bad. This is a good reminder of how blessed we have been!!!

**I was actually sad to not be making deli sandwiches for 18 people today. If anyone wants one for lunch, let me know…

**It was strange to walk into a restaurant with my parents tonight and ask for a table of 3. I’d much rather wait and get a table of 18.

**The party is always better with “The Booze” J

**I dread going to sleep at night because I know it means I have to wake up without the team beside me in the morning.

**I am thankful for the way family continues to be defined and re-defined in my life. (And for the many reminders of those who have graciously included me in their “family,” no matter how near or far they are.)

**I love people. When I graduate, I want my work to revolve around how I can better love people. My prayers is that God will show me the doorway to how I can best do that.