i bought my travel device today. it is an REI backpack that holds 75Liters. Without anything in it it weighs 5 lbs and 11 oz. It has 5 compartments. It fits comfortably, but i haven't had to walk very far with a lot of weight in it. also i've become the owner of Teva sandals that have traveled to Israel already. the gear makes me feel a little more prepared, but only a little. considering i still have to pack everything, visit 4 different countries and travel on at least 7 different airplanes before i'm on the ship, it will be a while before i'm actually settled.
walking through a store today i couldn't help glancing around at housey items and wondering when i'll finally have a house that i can make into a home. not that i really know where i would settle down, but it's also unsettling wondering if i ever will. if i have a house, where will be? not just what state, but what country? meh. i know i've got a while before i have to worry about all that.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
weekend
two weeks from today i will have left the states for the last time in two years. i will have landed in vienna, austria for a two week vacation with my family.
hopefully by then all of the things i have to get done will be. i continue to add to and cross off from my to do list. on the agenda tomorrow is buying the backpack that will serve as the only suitcase i take with me on my 2 year adventure. i've been getting a lot of little things done. mailing letters, buying different items that i'll need, emailing different people, and making lots of mental check lists about packing. it's hard trying to decide what to bring when i only get a backpack that holds 75 Liters.
this past weekend was probably the most fun one of the summer. saturday i got up early and went shopping at two different thrift stores; then i met up with christy and we spent a couple hours walking around an ann arbor art fair. it was absolutely beautiful. especially the photography booths. it really made me want to travel and take pictures. good thing i get to travel. now all i need is for my photography skills to be stunning. it was also great to share a lot of similar concerns with a friend who is also going to be living abroad. then sunday i drove down to northern indiana to visit sarah. i spent less than 20 hrs there, but it was good, and worth it. we talked a lot, but also got to do fun things like play football and go to applebees. and i got to meet a lot of her friends. it was great closure. a mixture of fun and good conversations. so all in all the weekends was exactly what i needed.
hopefully by then all of the things i have to get done will be. i continue to add to and cross off from my to do list. on the agenda tomorrow is buying the backpack that will serve as the only suitcase i take with me on my 2 year adventure. i've been getting a lot of little things done. mailing letters, buying different items that i'll need, emailing different people, and making lots of mental check lists about packing. it's hard trying to decide what to bring when i only get a backpack that holds 75 Liters.
this past weekend was probably the most fun one of the summer. saturday i got up early and went shopping at two different thrift stores; then i met up with christy and we spent a couple hours walking around an ann arbor art fair. it was absolutely beautiful. especially the photography booths. it really made me want to travel and take pictures. good thing i get to travel. now all i need is for my photography skills to be stunning. it was also great to share a lot of similar concerns with a friend who is also going to be living abroad. then sunday i drove down to northern indiana to visit sarah. i spent less than 20 hrs there, but it was good, and worth it. we talked a lot, but also got to do fun things like play football and go to applebees. and i got to meet a lot of her friends. it was great closure. a mixture of fun and good conversations. so all in all the weekends was exactly what i needed.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
2 yrs
some days i feel the urgency of the fact that one month from today i will have left the United States for 2 years. on those days i realize how much i still have to do in those short 31 days. i am painfully aware that i won't get to see any of my friends for a long time. i consider the fact that once again i will be at a very new beginning with very little familiar to orient myself by.
on other days all of those things seem very distant. the only thing i think about is whether i'm actually making enough money working this summer to be able to stand up on my own feet after the 2 years with OM. and why i have to take my eyebrow ring out to work at a Blockbuster. and when or if my friends will call today. and whether i really need a new pair of shorts just because the whole in the back of mine is now showing underwear.
but really, all those things, that might normally seem so distant from my other worries, aren't really that unrelated. because i'm worried about money after 2 yrs and i have to take my eyebrow piercing out for 2 yrs anyways and my friends won't be calling for 2 yrs and i do need a new pair of shorts because i won't be buying any for 2 yrs.
so it seems like no matter what i think about it's related to 2 yrs. the next 2 yrs.
after that, well i don't think about that at all. no really. not at all.
on other days all of those things seem very distant. the only thing i think about is whether i'm actually making enough money working this summer to be able to stand up on my own feet after the 2 years with OM. and why i have to take my eyebrow ring out to work at a Blockbuster. and when or if my friends will call today. and whether i really need a new pair of shorts just because the whole in the back of mine is now showing underwear.
but really, all those things, that might normally seem so distant from my other worries, aren't really that unrelated. because i'm worried about money after 2 yrs and i have to take my eyebrow piercing out for 2 yrs anyways and my friends won't be calling for 2 yrs and i do need a new pair of shorts because i won't be buying any for 2 yrs.
so it seems like no matter what i think about it's related to 2 yrs. the next 2 yrs.
after that, well i don't think about that at all. no really. not at all.
Monday, June 30, 2008
use of time
i had sunday and monday off this week. and i didn't leave the house once. it's not just a matter of not wanting to spend money on gas, or not having friends in the area. i didn't even try and think of things to do. i knew i wanted to sleep in, but i squandered the days away doing that and watching movies. yesterday was the european cup final soccer game and i didn't even consider going anywhere to watch it. maybe it's okay for me to do this now, when i'm young and can be irresponsible. besides working i have no demands on me. it's such a strange feeling. even if i wanted to i couldn't be on the go all the time.
what will the rest of my life look like? what if i hold myself back, refuse to get involved in what's around me, am afraid to do things alone. i work now because i need to the money, but i hate the idea of working simply to make money. i want to love what i do. but i don't love doing anything more than i love people. so i need a job that involves people. but that doesn't exclude much. how do i find something that i want to continue doing? what is it that i want to do? i'm jealous of people who are certain of what they want to pursue. i wish i had more direction in my life.
there's so much i could do. i have mediocre abilities to do a lot of things, but not enough pull in one direction to pursue one option. i'm afraid of wasting my life; of not using what i do enjoy in a good way. i want to be able to involve all of my interests: photography, filming, writing, missions, traveling, people, reading, and so much more. it's just the problem of finding out how to do that.
what will the rest of my life look like? what if i hold myself back, refuse to get involved in what's around me, am afraid to do things alone. i work now because i need to the money, but i hate the idea of working simply to make money. i want to love what i do. but i don't love doing anything more than i love people. so i need a job that involves people. but that doesn't exclude much. how do i find something that i want to continue doing? what is it that i want to do? i'm jealous of people who are certain of what they want to pursue. i wish i had more direction in my life.
there's so much i could do. i have mediocre abilities to do a lot of things, but not enough pull in one direction to pursue one option. i'm afraid of wasting my life; of not using what i do enjoy in a good way. i want to be able to involve all of my interests: photography, filming, writing, missions, traveling, people, reading, and so much more. it's just the problem of finding out how to do that.
Friday, June 27, 2008
beginning
knowing me, who knows how consistent i will be in keeping up with a blog. i know a lot of people who are good at it, i'm just not one of them. so i apologize now.
with that out of the way, i'm hoping this blog will be an easier way for you to keep track of me. if you are reading this i assume it is because my monthly mass emails aren't enough info to satisfy your missing me.
and this blog is just one beginning in a long series. over the next few weeks i will be facing beginnings that include my first real out of college job, an adventure that is mostly uncertain and unknown, and traveling for at least the next two years. maybe luckily for me there are a lot of steps between today and those beginnings.
as of august 18 i will be an official member of OM. i will be in holland for two weeks of training. then i will fly to australia for another two weeks of training. so as of the beginning of september i will be living on a ship and working.
if you need more info about OM go to this link
http://www.ships.de/
if you need my ship port schedule go here http://www.doulos.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=704&Itemid=254
if you need to give any monetary gifts to be go here
http://www.usa.om.org/give.htm
with that out of the way, i'm hoping this blog will be an easier way for you to keep track of me. if you are reading this i assume it is because my monthly mass emails aren't enough info to satisfy your missing me.
and this blog is just one beginning in a long series. over the next few weeks i will be facing beginnings that include my first real out of college job, an adventure that is mostly uncertain and unknown, and traveling for at least the next two years. maybe luckily for me there are a lot of steps between today and those beginnings.
as of august 18 i will be an official member of OM. i will be in holland for two weeks of training. then i will fly to australia for another two weeks of training. so as of the beginning of september i will be living on a ship and working.
if you need more info about OM go to this link
http://www.ships.de/
if you need my ship port schedule go here http://www.doulos.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=704&Itemid=254
if you need to give any monetary gifts to be go here
http://www.usa.om.org/give.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
