Reflections on 36
After another amber sunset tonight and I will leave behind 36. Thirty six started off with Arabic tutoring followed by a jolting drive through the desert. We searched for over an hour to find an elusive wadi. None of the four of us was willing to give up, we would persevere and find the wadi. We sent Matthew scaling down the cliff to follow the irrigation ditch. Melissa was the next to reach the bottom of the canyon and I was third, Leigh brought up the trial in her trusty Old Navy flip flops. The pool of water wasn’t the cleanest, but it was refreshing after our long journey.
After playing in the wadi, we all went to the Thompson’s for dinner and cake. We had delicious grilled chicken and other southern food for dinner, then we tore into the cookie cake as well as the cold stone cake. Vanilla cake, cake batter ice cream, raspberry filling and frosting, it was succulent. I can taste it now.
But that was one day, my day and it was fabulous. It was the high point of a miserable summer spent in the desert. In October, I woke up one morning in writhing pain and a friend took me to the hospital, where I passed a kidney stone. How much more can one person take, I kept asking myself. I left the desert in early November. It was a bittersweet departure. I felt like I had failed at being there, learning the language, and leaving friends behind, but it felt good to be leaving behind the lack of support, the cultural issues, and the language.
I went to Denver where I spent the next seven months with my two favorite boys in the universe. I loved reading to them at night, playing hide and seek with them, making snowmen, taking them out on dates, and just spoiling them. I am so thankful to Shannon and Gina for opening their home to me for so long and for letting me be a part of their family.
Explaining to Sam that I was moving to Zambia was the hardest thing I faced in those seven months. If I could have brought Sam and Sebastian with me, I would have. But Shannon and Gina both said no, there are some days when I am talking to Gina that she does ask why I didn’t take at least one with me.
Here I am, living on my third continent in the past 12 months. Only God knows what is ahead, but I am thankful for an awesome start to 36 and look forward to the adventures 37 promises to hold.
After playing in the wadi, we all went to the Thompson’s for dinner and cake. We had delicious grilled chicken and other southern food for dinner, then we tore into the cookie cake as well as the cold stone cake. Vanilla cake, cake batter ice cream, raspberry filling and frosting, it was succulent. I can taste it now.
But that was one day, my day and it was fabulous. It was the high point of a miserable summer spent in the desert. In October, I woke up one morning in writhing pain and a friend took me to the hospital, where I passed a kidney stone. How much more can one person take, I kept asking myself. I left the desert in early November. It was a bittersweet departure. I felt like I had failed at being there, learning the language, and leaving friends behind, but it felt good to be leaving behind the lack of support, the cultural issues, and the language.
I went to Denver where I spent the next seven months with my two favorite boys in the universe. I loved reading to them at night, playing hide and seek with them, making snowmen, taking them out on dates, and just spoiling them. I am so thankful to Shannon and Gina for opening their home to me for so long and for letting me be a part of their family.
Explaining to Sam that I was moving to Zambia was the hardest thing I faced in those seven months. If I could have brought Sam and Sebastian with me, I would have. But Shannon and Gina both said no, there are some days when I am talking to Gina that she does ask why I didn’t take at least one with me.
Here I am, living on my third continent in the past 12 months. Only God knows what is ahead, but I am thankful for an awesome start to 36 and look forward to the adventures 37 promises to hold.
posted by Els Adventures at
4:43 PM
