Ever since college, really, I have struggled with the tension of being rooted versus being unrooted (not uprooted per se). In college I was in a serious relationship, and when that relationship ended, I realized, looking back, that I was in it for all the wrong reasons. I wanted the perfect, idyllic life (as I saw it).Continue reading “Rooted, Unrooted: Can I Settle in without Settling for the American Dream?”
Tag Archives: life
What I’m Missing Even When I Have It All
…contentment. I find contentment to be so elusive. It’s been that way nearly all my life. You know what? Since I flew to South America in 2014 for ten weeks in Ecuador and Peru, I have not lived in the same place for more than a year (until now). my story In 2014, despite myContinue reading “What I’m Missing Even When I Have It All”
Reflecting on Another Mass Shooting
4% of the town population was obliterated. Eight members of a single family were killed. The gunman’s grandmother-in-law could not avoid the destruction. Even the pastor’s daughter died yesterday. It was denounced as an act of evil. It was evil. I don’t know much about the shooter. No one does yet. It’s been barely 24 hoursContinue reading “Reflecting on Another Mass Shooting”
November 5th
Bare trees with branches, tentacle-like, grasp. Exposed bark. Leaves cling to a few oaks, green tinged with yellow, orange, brown. There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. God has given us nature to surround us and wrap us like a garment, and I have had only a few moments of electrifying clarityContinue reading “November 5th”
6 Reasons to Read Macbeth
Macbeth is definitely my favorite Shakespeare play…so far (I am more widely read in Shakespeare than the average person, but I am still woefully ignorant of the entire Shakespeare canon). However, spending any time at all among Shakespeare’s works quickly enlightens us as to why the Elizabethan playwright is so profoundly famous and global: his fantasticalContinue reading “6 Reasons to Read Macbeth”
5 Reasons NOT to Travel
Not many blogs today are going to discourage any readers from traveling, but, though I believe in the power and importance of cross-cultural experiences and travel, sometimes we need to check our motives. This post is a follow-up to my last, “5 Reasons to Travel” (sorry I didn’t post this a week later like I originally said…firstContinue reading “5 Reasons NOT to Travel”
5 Reasons to Travel
[I will follow up next week on this post with “5 Reasons Not to Travel;” I figured I’d begin on a positive note.] It’s like everyone travels these days. There are a billion travel blogs; a billion travel agents or booking sites trying to offer some special deal on hotels, flights, or vacation; a billion exoticContinue reading “5 Reasons to Travel”
What to Read, Where to Go?
Need ideas? It’s the end of summer. Perhaps you’re back in the office daydreaming about next summer’s dream vacation rather than the work in front of you. You have Travelocity or Travelzoo bookmarked in your browser. You’re skimming travel photos, imagining the perfect adventure. You have the most epic travel playlist on Spotify. You’ve beenContinue reading “What to Read, Where to Go?”
Guatemala and Big (Personal) News
Last spring, during Semana Santa, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Antigua, Guatemala… …with my fiancee, Elena! Yes, it has been difficult for me to post as frequently as I’d like because of some crazy (awesome) life events including proposing to my amazing fiancee and transitioning back to the United States to continue teachingContinue reading “Guatemala and Big (Personal) News”
Tolkien, Fairy Stories, and Sub-creation
I was first introduced to Tolkien’s The Hobbit when I was a pre-teen. At that point I was not familiar with The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings trilogy (the movies had not yet premiered). I had the joy and privilege to experience this story with a blank slate, knowing nothing about the book besides the cover image. Thus IContinue reading “Tolkien, Fairy Stories, and Sub-creation”
a great, real place 