Blog Posts to Write....

Stats:

dialogues worked this week: 11
blog posts to write: 10+
avg hours sleep: 8
adventures had recently: 3
stress level: <20 font="">
feeling: content but overworked
currently reading: Paris in the 20th Century by Jules Verne
highlights: winning first playoff game, inadvertently matching shirts with Jake (Wed.), and numerous adventures this week!


(Not so) Weekly Update 

I'll confess that upon returning from our trip to the East Coast, I've been quite overwhelmed with the several hundred photos I took with my iPhone, which has delayed me in posting here. In addition to that, I transitioned back into work-life at breakneck speed and between all the time I have to put into my lesson plans for school and the busy season at CP, my schedule became hectic and unruly.

Still I've been squeezing in time for reading, personal reflection, and having occasional adventures (sometimes with Jake, sometimes without. Stay tuned for more details). I finished reading Dickens'Tale of Two Cities this week! And I am quite proud of myself, if I may say so. I tried reading it back in 2011 and got a solid fifteen chapters in (which I thought rather impressive for a sophomore in highschool) but this time I finished it all the way to it's wonderfully dramatic ending! *Swoons* It saddens me that I put this one down for so long before picking it up again! Ah well. 

Everywhere to Call Home

If time or money were no object, what would you rather be doing?

Occasionally, I like to ask this question because I find that it reveals a person's deeper desires, hopes, and dreams. I like to see the light switch flick on and their smiles broaden as, for a glimmer of a moment, they give voice to those hidden dreams. When I've asked, I've always enjoyed the answer.

To answer this question myself, I always thought in such simplistic terms: "travel" or "art studio." I thought, if time or money were no object, I would travel the world and paint and write and live happily for the rest of my life. But not too long ago, I realized that I've never answered this question in its fullness. For I had only considered the money part of it. What is the most expensive (and somewhat frivolous) thing I desire to do? Travel of course (bien sûr!). Next most expensive thing: a personal art studio.

But the more I think on it, the more I realize that this is not exactly it. I do not want to travel the world merely as a tourist. As Maike expressed it so profoundly this summer, 

"I just feel like I'm intruding on other people's memories, if that makes sense. I've heard so much about Mexico, and had so many friends from here, that I feel like I'm surrounded by their past, and everytime I see people lounging around on street corners I think of my friends and their families and like I am intruding on some private thing... It's been great, and I'm so glad to be here, but I've also recognized this isn't the kind of trip I want to save my money for when I'm older," 

Tourism is not what I want. No, I want to know peoples and cultures intimately. And what does this require? Time. And enormous amounts of it. Money too, yes. But more than that it requires an infinite amount of time to become so acquainted with not just one people, but many. Therefore, I revise my earlier wish--if time or money were no object, I would travel, yes, but more importantly, I would stay. I would stay with one people for hours, days, months, years--as long as it took to know and understand and love them, and then I would move on to the next place--a nomad with no permanent resting place, but everywhere to call home. 

Being a Backsliding Daughter with a Renegade Boyfriend

My parents gave completely different reactions to my announcement that I would be skipping church to go hiking with Jake on Mt. Lemmon this last Sunday. My mom laughed and said, "I would skip church too if I could!" My dad also laughed, but he said, "When I'm giving announcements, I'll make sure to ask for prayer for my backsliding daughter and her renegade boyfriend!" Funny, Dad.

After rescheduling this adventure twice already, we decided that Sunday morning was the best time for it and although sacrilegious, we ditched church to enjoy warm drinks and breakfast at LeBuzz (my favorite French-style café!!) and drive up the the hill for some mountain fresh air!

The morning was filled with marveling at the Lord's creation (especially the turning leaves!), huffing and puffing uphill, and pleasant conversation mingled with the songs of the birds, the chatter of the creek, and the whisper and rustle of wind among the leaves--the epitome of contentment.

Reflection

Upon returning from our Durango road trip adventure, I expected to have time to post a few more things on this blog before heading out to our next grand adventure: Graduation/East Coast! Alas, I was so swamped with catching up with my work and social life that this was not the case! In fact, my schedule filled up so much that on Saturday, I was a melancholy soul all day and I couldn't determine why. Indeed several disheartening events had taken place throughout the week and it was on these I hinged my listlessness.

However, after a lazy Sunday which involved much laying around on my bed and reading, it occurred to me that I'd had no time for reflection. Saturday was busy busy: going out for coffee in the morning, soccer at noon, hanging out with Jake after that...and I didn't realize how little time I'd had to just think. "You haven't had much personal time all week!" Jake pointed out when I mentioned it to him. "Really?" I asked, surprised. I could hardly remember how I'd spent my time... It was true though; the week had filled up with socializing appointment after appointment and I hadn't made any time for myself (which turned me into a very disagreeable person, I am unhappy to say).

Realizing that, I've been much happier and I can finally get excited about this trip! (Except my deplorable fashion dilemma! Nothing in my closet seems suitable for the fashion capital which is New York!) Fashion quandary aside, I am very much looking forward to it! As I've said on several occasions, I'm hoping the ceremony will bring the closure I need to my academic journey and add some legitimacy to my accomplishments. We'll be staying in Philadelphia but we also plan to spend time in Trenton, NJ (for the ceremony on Saturday), New York City, and Washington D.C. Not sure yet if we'll take "the fancy camera" because it's a pain to carry around, but I'd love to practice my photography! If nothing else, I'll definitely post a few iPhone photos!

More Flooding

Like I wrote about a few weeks ago, we had some more serious flooding this week and I got caught in it! This picture shows the street just before the intersection that turns into my neighborhood. If you look closely and squint a little, you can see two cars stranded on the right side of the road up ahead. The water covers the sidewalk.

When I'd set out at 6:30 that morning to attend a breakfast hosted by TMN (Tucson Misions Network), I didn't think much of the nearly grey sky that had been just harmless puffy white clouds the evening before. Having checked the weather, I felt confident that I wouldn't need my sweater today, since the weather app forecasted 73 degrees. To say, I needed my sweater, would be an understatement.

It began lightly--at first. I shot a worried glance toward the grey as the missions meeting let out. It was already beginning to drizzle. I was not well-dressed for the rain and I had another stop to make. As I drove down Swan, the heavens opened up and poured out their anguish on the earth. I could not see out my windshield. Within minutes, signs of flooding emerged at the sides of the road. I gritted my teeth and gripped the steering wheel harder, "Just two more blocks and I'll be there." More water pooled on the side of the road and where it dipped, cars in front of me created 4-foot "rooster tails." The longer I stayed on the road, the more nervous I became. I slowed down. After what seemed like 30 minutes, I arrived at my destination: my ex-boyfriend's house.

I dashed for the doorstep, rapped on the frame, and before waiting for an answer, let myself in. I was there to collect a water bottle I'd left at the park over the weekend near where everyone plays frisbee. Usually when people leave things behind, someone from the group grabs the item for them and gets it back to the original owner. It just so happened that my ex grabbed my water bottle for me. He offered to bring it back next Friday, but I needed it before then and arranged to pick it up, since I would be in his area of town for the TMN meeting.

"Hello?" I called into the empty house. My voice sounded small and shaky. "Is anyone here?" His mom came down the hallway, "Oh! I didn't hear you!" I would've grabbed my water bottle and left, but the conditions were not fit for driving. My phone blared its Flood warning signal at me. Good until 11am. Great. Moments later, Christian and Logan sprung through the door, both soaked. On their way to class, the rain forced them to turn around and head back due to flooding. "We saw trashcans in the street because the water is above the sidewalk." So, despite the mild awkwardness of the situation, I stayed to wait the rain out. When we broke the silence, it was only to talk about the weather or school. Checking the clock often, I worried about making it to my class on time. (Unfortunately for me, I could not simply skip class, since I was the teacher.) They left again as soon as it showed sign of letting up, and I shortly after them.

But my adventure was far from over as I picked my way back the four city blocks to my house. The whole right lane was flooded most of the way and the traffic crawled, making the journey last twice as long. At one point, a firetruck blew past in my direction, driving on the wrong side of the road. Cars dive-bombed out of its way. Police officers stood at key intersections, cordoning off flooded lanes and directing traffic. This is a nightmare. I thought. The good news is I made it home safely and to my class on time, and now I have my water bottle back. All in a morning's work, I guess.

Heading Home

On the way home, we drove through Cortez, CO and Four Corners (paid the five bucks to go stand on that little circle) to Flagstaff where we stayed with some good friends of ours from church. They had an ADORABLE little house just outside of Flag with a massive garden and chickens and turkeys (who are soon to be butchered!) and lots of fuzzy little caterpillars! Although we hadn't seen this particular couple in a few years, they were wonderfully hospitable and welcoming. We enjoyed a regular feast together with garden-fresh salsa and pickled green beans, ears of corn and bratwurst! After dinner, we played a couple rounds of Apples to Apples over (homemade) peach cobbler and icecream and caught up on the last few years of life. Plus, they do a lot of missions work among the Native Americans around Flagstaff, so they had a bunch of missions-related resources for me to check out here in Tucson. The next day, they sent us home with food for the road, reading materials, and refreshed souls.

The final leg of our journey took us through beautiful Sedona, AZ and (the less beautiful) industrial Phoenix. Relatively uneventful, (except for some hairy lane merging through Phoenix) but in the best way possible. For now, we're home safe and my thirst for adventure is temporarily quenched. What do adventurers say at the end of a journey? Honestly I do not know. Maybe I need to take another one to find out! ;)

Bisti Badlands

Believe it or not, we almost didn't go down to the Bisti Badlands. It seemed like there were so many interesting things to do on the property (like horse-back riding and goat-milking!) that we didn't need to go! But we took our opportunity to get away from some of the younger members of Grandma's homesteading partners after a train-wreck of a game--Mexican train. (When it comes to games, I can tolerate people who take extra time on their turn in order to strategize, but I absolutely cannot stand it when people waste my time because they are not paying attention to when it is their turn!! /end rant) In any case, I'm glad we went, although if we'd gone a day or two earlier, we might've gotten some cloud cover, making for better photos.

Then, after we decided to go after all, we almost didn't make it!