Four out of seven is not bad

North America, check. South America, check. Asia, check. Europe, check.

I have a continent countdown. My goal is to travel to all seven continents in the next five years. Four down, three to go! YES, I am becoming a traveling snob!

I never really counted Europe as being one of my four since it was the first stamp in my passport. I traveled to Vienna, Austria in the summer of 2007 only for 10 days as a coach for a volleyball team. Technically I had visited Europe, but I didn't feel like it really counted toward my count down so I decided to go for round two this summer.

My school year ended in June and I officially became a second year teacher here at Seoul Foreign School. Those of us who know the rigor and demands at the school understand the importance of one year. Instead of floundering around like a clueless first year, I have graduated to a wet-around-the-ears second year teacher! This is a huge step and one that calls for a celebration. So, celebrate I did!

My first stop to kick off my summer was Honolulu, Hawaii. Shocking that I have never been to Hawaii, but it is true. One of my colleagues and I decided that Hawaii was where we wanted to unwind and dive into the culture of this tropical paradise. We met two other friends on the island and began our quest. We stayed in an amazing hotel overlooking the coast, we sampled the local food, we visited the somber sight of Pearl Harbor, we hiked Diamond head mountain and we took a drive along the coast to try our hand at surfing on the infamous North Shore of Oahu. I relished the luaus and was mesmerized by the beauty of the island. I am still considering moving to Hawaii and teaching at an international school and then learning to surf on the weekends; thus being the oldest professional woman surfer in the business! You are never too old to try and never too old to dream!

After my paradise retreat, I arrived in Lafayette, Indiana to visit my family. I will never grow tired of seeing my family greet me at the airport. There is nothing like coming HOME! It was a time to catch up, fill ourselves with good food and relish in the missed memories of time spent apart.

I was not home for long before I was heading for another airport. One of my best friends had decided to tie the knot with a guy she met on EHarmony. It is amazing to me how God works sometimes. Meeting over the internet and falling in love is not so uncommon these days and that is exactly what happened to Julie and Kirby. I flew to State College, PA and met my friend to help prepare for the wedding madness! I was so thankful that I was in the States for her wedding and it was a great time of fellowship, food and happiness. I felt honored to be a part of her big day!

Only three days after arriving in Indiana after the wedding I was packing my suitcases once again. This time I was heading to Europe FOR REAL! I had a two week itinerary and I would be flying to Geneva, Switzerland and then heading to Florence, Italy and finally ending my trip in Rome, Italy.

I flew to Switzerland to stay with my good friends Val and Todd. I met them four years ago in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and instantly clicked with the bubbly blond and her fiance. We have some great memories in Bolivia and have continued to be close friends. I was spoiled in their beautiful home that overlooked Mount Blanc and held an impressive view of downtown Geneva. We ate traditional meals of cheese and bread and wine and I feel in love with the serene landscape of Switzerland. I was able to spoil baby Josephine, catch up on some much needed girl time with Val and enjoy the amazing grill talents of Todd B. I didn't want to leave at the end of five days. We drove from Geneva to Poggibonsi, Italy (a trip that is a whole other story in itself) and I was personally delivered to the train station by Valerie. This was where my apprehension started. I was excited to see Italy, but nervous since I was going to be sightseeing on my own. I arrived in Florence, Italy on July 9th, 2011 - my birthday! :) I had a wine tasting tour arranged and quickly found my way to the bus and the other 60 strangers. The vineyards and landscape of Italy was breathtaking. We toured a castle and sampled wine and I quickly forgot that I was traveling solo. I talked to others that were in Italy for the first time and at one point I was serenaded by the "Happy Birthday" song from people I will probably never see again in my life. It was a surreal moment and one that I will cherish as long as I live.

I loved Florence - the romance of the language, the intimacy of the people, the divine food, the glamorous sights and the handsome men. I was only planning to stay there two days and decided to extend my trip to three days after seeing an ad for a Walkabout tour through Cinque Terra! The next day I headed out with 30 other people to visit the five fishing villages of the infamous Cinque Terra. I cannot even describe the beauty of this place. I trekked around the villages, I savored the local food, I swam in the Mediterranean, and I drank wine that was renowned from each of the five villages. To say the least, I sucked the marrow out of Cinque Terra and I loved it!

Next on my list and the last of my destinations was Rome, Italy. The infamous, the notorious, ROMA! I arrived quite tired from my excursions, but determined to experience Rome and all of the landmarks that I have read about for years. I booked night tours to see the famous fountains and I booked a day tour to take me to the Coliseum, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's square. YES, I am one of those travelers that does all the touristy things first!

Weary from time zone differences, hotel beds and loads of pasta and wine, I ventured to my last tour learning about the history of Rome and the Vatican. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to visit Rome and learn about Michelangelo and see for myself what all the fuss was about. I have flipped through countless travel books, attended boring lectures, watched numerous documentaries, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw. The stamp in my passport had little value until now. I was huddled under the Sistine Chapel with hundreds of other visitors that were sweating and being told, "Quiet", "No photos". I had been traveling for over two weeks in Europe - this was my last stop in my adventure. My feet were exhausted, my ears hurt from trying to decipher Italian, and I was being shoved by other tourists that have no concept of personal space. I craned my neck upward and stared at the handiwork of this man that wasn't even a painter. I marveled at the colors, I was awe-struck by the details and I just gazed in silence. It was a sacred moment.

My stamp in my passport finally mattered.

Four out of seven continents is not bad....not bad at all!
Next stop, AUSTRALIA!

De Colores

In my college years, I was wandering and lost. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do or whom I wanted to become. After many years of searching I finally decided to pursue my education degree - WHY? The bottom line, I wanted to become a teacher because I was interested in having an impact on lives.

In my adult years, I have resigned to that same philosophy - I want to devote my life and my time to meaningful things.

Here in Seoul, one of those thing for me is TRES DIAS.

Tres Dias is a Spanish word for three days. Can you think of the last time when you had three days free? Three days without a cell phone, a computer, or a watch? Three days to just relax and recharge?

Back in November of 2010 I was able to attend my first Tres Dias weekend. It is hard to describe this intense time of fellowship, renewal, healing and unconditional love. The only way to identify is to experience it for yourself. The weekend had such an impact on me, that I decided I wanted to help out and serve other women the next time around. Again, investing my life in meaningful things. The weekend of May 12 - 15th about 30 women were cloistered on top of a mountain and stripped of technology and time. It was a humbling experience for them and an incredible learning experience for me. It was powerful watching these women lay down their identities as mothers, teachers, spouses and friends and to just embrace their role as a child of God. A room full of women (mostly strangers) were able to sing together, eat together, fellowship together and become transparent with each other....all in a matter of three days! I am constantly amazed when people are able to be transparent, genuine and compassionate to others regardless of their age, race and gender. In one weekend, bonds are formed among total strangers that will last a lifetime.

The hardest part about this weekend is Day #4. All is great when you are in this 'greenhouse environment' surrounded by like-minded people and released from your responsibilities, but what happens when you have to go back to REAL LIFE? All of us are trying to figure out how to live our day fours. We are constantly having to plod along, bound by the restrictions of time, chained to our calendar, imprisoned by our buzzing Iphone, with children or husbands or needy friends clamoring for our attention. What do we do then?

A friend of mine shared a story with me the other day. He is a science geek and he loves finding out new facts about anything that relates to technology and science. He said that he was learning about the logistics of launching a rocket into space. He said that out of 100% energy consumption, the actual launching of the rocket in that first 60 seconds takes about 80% of the total energy exerted. The time after that first 60 seconds of flying into space, orbiting the moon and then coming back to earth is only 20%. He said that the hardest part is moving an object from sedentary to motion, therefore more energy is required. Once you are out of the launch pad, the rest is easy sailing.

Interesting! That got me to thinking about the weekend. All of the Tres Dias candidates have used 80% of energy to get out of the launch pad. They have attended the weekend and begun their journey. They have moved from sitting to standing. They are on their way! Then that leads me to think about that remaining 20% of energy - sometimes needing to exert 20% of energy is just as difficult.

I was out hiking just this past week on the mountain behind my school. This is my sacred place, my time when I can just be still and not worry about students, stresses or anything else that is muddling my brain. I put on my tunes and start my trek. Ascending the mountain and needing to work off all the delicious food that I had over the weekend, I had on my calorie counting watch and was trekking at a pretty quick pace when I round a corner and an older Korean man is in right in front of me, blocking my progress. This is not unusual, there are many people of all walks of life that hike this mountain. Most of the time I am the ONLY one on the mountain that is sweating profusely and huffing and puffing while the Koreans are not even breaking a sweat and peacefully and gracefully making their way up the mountain. I am a pretty competitive person so I usually set a goal and then push myself to exhaustion to reach the top. Usually I don't even notice the other hikers, but that day what struck me was the manner in which this man was traveling. He was making his way up the mountain, just like me, but at a slower pace. His head was down, his eyes were focused on the trail, he appeared to be pensive and his hands were behind his back. He was intentional with each step. I slowed down and walked behind him for some time and began to think. He is going to reach the top of the mountain just like I am - we both have the same destination. It doesn't really matter WHEN we arrive, it is how we cope with the journey to the top.

Then it dawned on me - THIS is how we get through our day fours - we have a path in front of us - sometimes it is all uphill and at other times there is a nice flat path. We are all on the same journey heading toward the same destination. We can choose to run to the top and are left exhausted, sweaty, smelly and WORN OUT or we can put our head down and be purposeful with all that we do. We need to focus on the path in front of us, place our hands behind our back and place one foot in front of another. It is NOT a race, it is a journey and we need the help and support of each other to continue on our path.

Let's not waste our time and energy running this race called LIFE. Let's take our time and pour our lives into things and people that make this journey meaningful - Live a life of NO REGRETS!

De Colores!

King of the Court

Basketball to Hoosiers is the chocolate on our ice cream sundae. It is the peanut butter to our jelly. It is our Ginger Rogers to Fred Astaire. It is our syrup to our pancakes and The Lone Ranger to our Tonto. Without basketball, Indiana really doesn't/shouldn't exist.

I am a basketball fanatic. Blame it all on my dad and all on my roots. Ever since I can remember I have been playing basketball, attending basketball games or watching basketball.

When basketball season began here at Seoul Foreign School, I knew I wanted to get my fill. In December, I served as the assistant to the assistant for JV girls in the high school! I was the glorified water girl and I loved every minute of it. In March I began my role as one of the coaches for the middle school. I have been brushing up on my Bobby Knight tactics (minus the swearing and throwing chairs) and trying to light a fire under all the eleven - thirteen year old girls that just want to socialize and watch the boys. My third position involved volunteering with the elementary school. We had practice once a week for 45 minutes for several weeks then at the end of the season we played in a jamboree which promoted equal playing time and the old mantra, "It is just a game!" I gladly took the unpaid position and thought to myself, this is going to be a piece of CAKE! My vision included eager fifth grade girls and boys, desperate to soak up my basketball expertise and leave every day asking for drills they can practice at home. Unrealistic? Maybe a bit!

The first day of practice I introduced myself and most of the team barely looked up to acknowledge my existence. For the remaining 30 minutes I struggled to gain control as they proceeded to run around the gym shooting balls from half court, talking trash to each other and arguing about who was the best defensive player in the fifth grade! After gaining my composure I gathered them in a small circle to discuss the important things like shirt color and team name. Purple was decided as our color and then for the team name the kids began shouting every NBA team they could think of. Without ever agreeing on an answer I started to take inventory of my team. I looked around and one boy was banging his head on the bench while looking at the ceiling. Another young boy was picking the lint out of his shoelaces. A young girl sitting beside me was twirling her hair and humming a soft tune while also picking at something on the ground. The last boy that I noticed was sneaking up behind an unsuspecting victim and tugging on his shirt collar - again, all of this was occurring WHILE I was trying to inspire. I cleared my throat and in my loudest grown up voice I said, "How about we call ourselves ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?" This briefly got their attention and they all became excited about the name. Then, more chaos and disappointment set in when I told them I was kidding!

Practice - day #1 - check.

The remaining practices were less painful but equally distracting. The day for the big jamboree was quickly approaching and I have to say that I was quite nervous. We had varying degrees of skill on our fifth grade team and I was curious how we would mesh.

The big day finally arrived and at an ungodly hour on Saturday, our bus left for the big show. I gathered my team together and prepared my best John Wooden pep talk hoping to leave them inspired and ready to conquer the opponent. Instead the players were asking where the bathroom was and how much the Gatorade costs in the vending machine.

Now, I have failed to mention that there is one player on my team who truly stands above the rest, no I mean literally he stands about two feet above the rest. His name is Guiseppe and he is the tallest player on our team and the tallest player on the court. While standing next to his teammates he looks like he is in high school. There were players from other teams that would come up to him and ask, "How old are you, because you know this tournament is only for fifth graders?"

There were many things that struck me about this young boy.
#1. His talents are far beyond the average fifth grader and his knowledge of the court and the game of basketball is not something that can be taught, it is innate. Guiseppe is one of those players that is a "natural".
#2. Guiseppe is polite. This might seem like an odd statement, but need I remind you of my first practice and the fact that these are fifth graders? Guiseppe always said, "Yes, maam" in practice and was usually one of the only players that stuck around to help shag balls or clean up when everyone else had headed to the bus.
#3. Guiseppe was NOT a show boater. In every game this young boy had the opportunity to make lay up after lay up and score 20 - 30 points in the first five minutes, but he never did! Guiseppe was the first one to pass and he was always the player that handed the ball to the girls to give them a chance to shoot.

Watching this kid play was one of the highlights of my day. He would leisurely reach for a rebound that all the other kids were jumping and clawing for. He would pass the ball to another player even when he was two feet from the basket. He would apologize to the referee when he accidentally kicked the ball out of bounds and he would congratulate the other team on a made basket. He never complained when I took him out and played the subs and he was the biggest cheerleader on the bench watching his team remain undefeated all day.

After one of the games, the referee came up to me and asked, "Where did you get this kid?" Heading out to concession stands, coaches would stop me and comment on the selflessness of Guiseppe. I had parents come up to me and say that they loved how everyone was pulling together and working as a team. Everywhere we went, Guiseppe was the talk of the day. What I noticed was that this one kid was having a huge impact on the entire audience without saying a single word.

That Saturday ended up being a GREAT day. I had fun with the kids, we were undefeated and I learned a valuable lesson. Actions DO speak louder than words. Many times we don't recognize it because people aren't silent. We feel the need to litter our days with mindless chatter. We think that the louder we speak, the more attention we receive. We are uncomfortable with silence and we would rather force our opinions on others than listen and watch. As a teacher, far too often I rely on words that I speak rather than the actions that I perform.

Bottom line - in the game of basketball and the game of life, it is not just how you play the game, it is what others SEE while you are IN THE GAME!

Rated PG 13 - breasts and butts involved

Ok, I realize that I will probably get more viewers on this post than any others, but I am desperate for more followers on my blog! Just kidding - well kinda!

Anyhow, I am shocked that the calendar in my study says MARCH. Where did the beginning of the year go? Christmas break was fulfilling, but too short, then school started up again. One set of my parents moved to China in February and I was able to cross one more thing off my bucket list. I loved watching history come alive while trodding on the steps of the Great Wall of China. This is a place where thousands of Chinese men lost their lives building the wall in harsh conditions and under cruel political power! The wall is mammoth and reaches as far as the eye can see (which isn't too far in polluted Beijing). Nonetheless, it was an incredible time with my mom and step-dad as we completed many touristy things and I was able to fit in some professional development on the weekend to boot. Many more China adventures to come.

More recently - today was an unusual Saturday.

I woke up and begrudgingly headed to the doctor. My last visit to the hospital warranted some unfortunate news about finding a lump in my breast. This is the second lump that has been found in a year. Last February I was living in Bolivia and had to navigate through a sea of inefficiency and Spanish medical terms. It was a time of anxiousness and pain with mammograms and other invasive procedures. I was less than thrilled to find out I had to repeat the procedure here in Korea. Let me tell you, there are many things that Koreans do well, but GENTLENESS is not one of them.
All the women out there are shaking their heads as they KNOW where I am headed with this.....gentleness + mammogram = really uncomfortable procedure, but bearable with a glass of wine! Now, think of what it would be like going in sober, getting mangled by Cruella deVille AND having a language barrier added to the mix! Needless to say, there was cursing, stomping of feet, tears and more cursing!

I was fortunate in that after the procedure the results were to be sent down to the doctor within an hour. So I headed to my home away from home (ie. Starbucks) and did some major praying. I wasn't even sure what I was praying for. I have been healthy for most of my life and have had very few medical scares. Then I started to wonder if my clean bill of health is one reason why my faith is shaky at times...did I need to get sick to thoroughly trust God? I began to wonder and panic.

In the doctor's office she told me that I have a category 3 cyst. She saw the clueless look on my face and proceeded to explain. She said that it means that my cyst is 'probably benign.' I leaned in little closer to her and said in all seriousness, "Doctor those are two words that should never be used in the same sentence." She laughed and said, "No it means that there is less than 5% chance that the cyst will be cancerous, but that we should follow up in 6 months. I gulped as I thought about having to endure the booby-metal-vice-grip and then remembered that I had just received good news. "So you are saying that I have nothing to be worried about?" I asked. "Yes, you have nothing to worry about."

Feeling very relieved, I decided to go for a hike on my favorite mountain behind the school. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that this is quickly becoming my place of solitude, my muse for writing and my anvil for embarrassment! I started my hike and quickly realized how muddy the trail was. I couldn't recall rain any time recently, then I remembered our unexpected snow day earlier in the week. Not paying much attention, and feeling drunk with good news, I quickened my pace. As you can expect, I took one step and then fell flat on my butt! That wouldn't be much of an issue, if that was where it stopped. Because it was muddy and due to the fact that I was hiking a mountain with a slope, I began to SLIDE down the mountain. Not slowly so that I can stop myself, but quick like SNOT so that my arms and legs are flailing!

Again, let me paint a picture for you. I am a WAYGOOK in Korea...similar to GINGRA in Spanish or FOREIGNER in English. I stick out like a sore thumb. I try not to let that stop me living life overseas, but I am a proud person and I can only handle a certain amount of stares! Once I finally stop tumbling, my butt is sore, my breasts are bruised and my ego is terribly wounded. I sit on the muddy ground and I just start whimpering. I am not crying...no, too many tears had already been shed that morning, I whimper! I thought about my day, I began to lick my wounds and feel sorry for myself and then I have that EPIPHANY.....THIS IS LIFE!

Bottom line - Life is hard sometimes! You are going to have those days where you feel confident about climbing the mountain, but an obstacle gets in your way. Those obstacles might be things you can merely jump over and continue along your merry way, but other times those trials are going to get you soiled and you might land on your butt. When that happens we have two choices: stay there and wallow, or get up, dust yourself off and hike up that mountain anyway! So, I did just that....I wallowed for a bit, then I wiped off as much mud as I could and continued to hike....Boy, was I a sight!

On this Saturday night I am reflecting on my day, the previous weeks, the past three months and I can say, sometimes being sore is a good thing!

Get comfortable being uncomfortable!

These are the words that Jillian Michaels is shouting at me as I am in a downward facing dog, abs tight, butt clinched, gasping for my next breath.

Jillian Michaels is most famously known for her 'SUCK IT UP' mentality on The Biggest Loser. She is one of those people who you either love or you hate. I am one that thinks she is somewhat annoying, but I am intrigued by her personality, so I purchased her Yoga Meltdown DVD while I was home for Christmas!

I have been trying this P90X program and one of the sessions calls for yoga. It is 90 full minutes of yoga! I am not one that can do many things for 90 full minutes, unless it is eating ice cream or watching a movie, so I set out to find something more my style. It is not that I am a yoga fanatic, quite the opposite, I am a yoga wanna-be! I have always been jealous of those people who can wrap themselves in a pretzel and still look graceful like they are sitting down for tea! The reason why I like this version of Yoga is that is it only 30 minutes long and quite simply that Jillian motivates me, "Get comfortable being uncomfortable!" I don't care how limber you are, you cannot tell me that those people who are practicing yoga and doing a back bend at 90 degrees are comfortable. You wanna know the difference between them and me? They have more practice at it!

Like anything in life, you are only uncomfortable in life for a season! The more you try that one thing, the more comfortable you become. If you only do it once, then YEAH, you are going to be uncomfortable!

The last four years for me have made me somewhat of a veteran in the area of uncomfortable-ness! I have moved to two new countries not knowing a soul prior to the move, I have jumped out of an airplane ON PURPOSE, I have gotten a cool nose stud to the price of 15 painful minutes, I have navigated my way around cities where I don't know the language and on those days when I just think I can't take any more UNCOMFORTABLE-NESS, I remember, get up and do it again and it will become comfortable!

Before I break my arm by patting myself on the back in this area, I need to be honest and admit that there is one area of my life that I have been comfortable with for way too long - my relationship with God!

I am reading a book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. I was struck/convicted by this the other day. "Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they have their savings account. They don't need God to help them - they have their retirement in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live - they have life figured out and mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis - their refrigerators are full and for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God."

OUCH. This one hit home for me. For as much as I like to profess I am comfortable being UNcomfortable, this is a major flaw of mine. I fear that I live my life as a lukewarm Christian. I blame it on being a control freak and that is why I need to have everything in order, but the truth of the matter is, how much do I really trust God with my life? Do I trust him with my future mate, do I trust him with my future plans?

I am inspired by my yoga DVD and the advice from Jillian, but am I able/willing to apply this to all areas of my life? I want to get comfortable being uncomfortable with my walk with God. I want to welcome challenge and welcome those times where I have no other choice but to trust him.

Breathe deep and bring on more of the discomfort!

Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore!

Misty, you are not in Indiana anymore!
Just as Dorothy had to be reminded of the fact that she wasn't HOME, now that I am back in Seoul, South Korea, I too am well aware that I am far away from home!

I had a rich and meaningful time over the holidays! Family bonding over loads of home-cooked meals, sibling rivalry with card games and dominoes, much needed TLC with my nieces and nephew and good ol' fashioned laughter and catching up with some old and new friends!
The time home is never enough, but just like every close to a vacation, I put on my "big girl" panties and head back to the airport - destination - my home away from home!

It was a much needed 'shot in the arm' to be back home for the holidays. For the past two Christmas breaks I have traveled around South America - last year I was in Rio de Janiero, Brazil over the Christmas and New Year and the year before that I was basking in the beauty of Buenos Aires, Argentina - men included! I love to travel, but there is nothing better than coming home! This Christmas was special because my younger brother and sister and I were all together for the first time in three years. My mom made a comment about how she loved having her kids all under the same roof....then I think right after she said that, we started wrestling with each other and arguing over the remote control! :) I was able to enjoy some quality time with my Dad and step-mom and they spoiled me with new luggage and times out in the city of Lafayette to see the rest of my family. I always love being in Cincinnati because I have friends that treat me like a celebrity. There are parties thrown in my honor and it is so good to catch up with those wonderful relationships.

I have been a bit homesick in Korea and I think it is so cool how God works sometimes. For those of you who don't know, my mom and my step-dad will be moving to Beijing, China in February! It is a two year commitment and my step-dad would be the project manager for his job. My step-dad is in his 60's and my mom will forever be 29 years old - her words, not mine! They have 13 grand-kids, family close by, a wonderful church home and they have a great support of friends and family there in Indiana. I am awe of their adventurous spirit. My step-dad was keen to the idea of moving to China since he is an overseas consultant and this move would help him with his Chinese relations and also with his business in general. My mom, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive at first. She didn't want to leave her grand-kids and was worried about life in Asia! She prayed about it for a bit and then told Wayne that she supports him and quote, "I can do ANYTHING for two years."

Sometimes I wonder about my wandering life. I seem to be discontent with staying in one place for too long. I have always had a gypsy lifestyle and have never placed too much importance on roots or settling down. Not that I don't want to settle down, I am just afraid of growing complacent no matter where I am in the world. I look at my friends and family and realize that I am the outcast. I am the only one that is NOT following the 'norm' of getting married, buying a house and having 2.5 kids. I have always wondered why I have this DISEASE.

Having done the overseas thing for a while I have had time to reflect. Now, I don't think that my vagrant lifestyle is a disease, but instead it is a mindset. I hate the fact of waking up one day and realizing that I have nothing else to learn. For as much as I like to think I am never wrong, I know that I can always improve. It isn't so much that I am discontent with my location, but discontent with ever being too content. Now, I know there is a fine line here....we need to be content in all circumstances, it is biblical. But it is also the words of Jesus that tell us to grow up, grow in faith, grow closer to Christ. GROW is the key word here. We are never suppose to get to the point where we say, I am done growing. I enjoy growing, bottom line! This is evidenced in my life in obvious ways like picking up and moving to South America when I didn't know a single soul or then moving from what is familiar in South America to things that are completely foreign in South Korea. My desire to grow in also apparent through obscure actions such as making GRAND New Years Resolutions every year and never keeping them past March. Another way I continue to grow is through my numerous collections of work out DVD's and programs. I attempted Insanity in September and now have moved on to P90X. I am hoping to commit to the 90 days, but we will see how it goes with THIS growth process.

My point in all the rambling is that I now know where I get it - It is in my BLOOD. My dad went back to college in his 40's and worked a full time job and received his degree. My step-mom is now doing the same thing - working full time and taking college classes for her degree. My sister has decided on a career change later in life and is working and going to school full time WHILE raising three kids. My mom and step-dad are picking up and moving from everything they hold dear and are entering a VERY foreign territory. They are willing to be submersed in the culture, the language and the rhythm of Beijing, China - WHY? Because they don't want to ever grow complacent. They know they will grow from this experience. They will grow closer in their marriage, they will grow more aware of other cultures and people and they will grow on a personal level that maybe only those two will ever talk about. I LOVE the fact that my mom and my step-dad are only going to be a two hour flight away, but more importantly, I am thankful that I am not the only one that chooses to BLOOM or (GROW) WHERE I AM PLANTED!