5 years ago...

So five years ago this weekend I made my first trip to Seattle. Little did I know what an impact the city of Seattle and Seattle Pacific University would have on me. People always say college is the greatest time or your life and a great opportunity for independence and all that jazz, but I could have never imagined how much I would grow and the things I would learn, and the relationships I would build. It's just crazy to think about.

I was encouraged not too long ago to think about life five years from now. So often people make short term, year goals, and work to accomplish them, but what about five years. So much has happened in my life in five years, but in a way, when you look at it, it doesn't seem all that intimidating. I mean, I have no idea what the next five years will look like for me, I mean, absolutely no idea. I just found out this week that I didn't get a job I was applying for in Seattle, so really there is nothing in front of me directing me. Just me looking upward for guidance. It's exciting really. But I am not sure, really the only thing I can hope for in the next five years is that I continue to look upward for guidance and find myself at peace in doing that. That would be my goal. Maybe the rest will take care of itself?

I do hope to return to Seattle though (not sure if it will be this year or when). I still remember being in awe of five years ago when I visited. And to think I really didn't even understand the city, or the NW, then and definitely didn't see my becoming as infatuated with it as I am now. Wow. Five years.

new coffee with flaming toast

i ran out of coffee yesterday and thus switched to a new blend. it's not bad, but i guess i was pretty much obsessed with my old one (some seattle's best that my mom sent me). now i am drinking some tanzania blend from a american owned coffee place in town. why am i sharing this? i am not sure exactly. but i have been drinking coffee pretty consistently since a few months into living in china. not only does it taste dang good (something that i thought i never would have said, even 3 years ago), but i think its just "a little slice of home that warms the soul." (put in quotations because such a ridiculous amount of fuzzy feelings that exudes from that comment that i really hope someone else said it first). going to an ancient city today. should be good, but i need to scrounge up some breakfast first, i just let my toast catch on fire in the oven. thats my third uncharacteristic blunder in three days. is my head just too high in the clouds?

also in need of grace...

my english skills. i mean, i purposely don't bother with capitalization. but what respectable english teacher spells the word hear, h-e-r-e. and i am sure there are more mistakes, i just didn't want to read even farther (or is it further) through my post to remind me how much i am corrupting my students already lacking english. i suppose they should just be thankful i teach oral english and often the worst i can do is expose them to a little michigan accent action. i am just glad i have a job.

blundered

another work week is over. i don't understand this. how can it go so fast? what did i do the last five days. i mean i worked, but what else? did i really fit five days of activities in? looking back, i guess i did, but it just seems a little crazy in a way. i took part in my other extracurricular activities (interesting how that term still applies even as i have stopped being a student) and they were quality as always. especially some time spent with the guys today. two random, more humbling things that happened this week...i had told some friends here that i would come and teach a science lesson to their sons (ages 13,10,8?) this thursday. i had done this once already last term and was looking forward to doing it again. but obviously, not looking forward enough as i completely forgot to plan wednesday night and didn't even here my phone ring on six separate occasions thursday morning to remind me that i forgot. i felt so bad. they forgave me (well i am sure facing the boys on sunday will bring some well deserved blows), but still, for someone who focuses so much on responsibility, it was rather humbling and it really effected the rest of the day. the second humbling experience happened today. i got completely and utterly lost in my city. my city is not a big city. but i managed to somehow get just under a kilometer of course before i realized i wasn't even close to where i thought i was. i knew i didn't know where i was going, but i figured i was going in the right direction and i would come out somewhere obvious. no, not the case at all. i somehow managed to misdirect myself 90 degrees while going under a road (a common mistake by some, but something i typically pride myself in not succumbing to), cross under the biggest street in town without realizing i was going under it which would have led to my awareness of the previous turn, convince myself i was heading in the right direction and continue to proceed of track all the while thinking that the map just wasn't specific enough. wow. i really need to get over myself. when i first had a general idea of where i was i said to myself, no it can't be, i must be misreading the chinese. then sure enough another 200 meters later when i finally pinpointed my location i said, wow. what just happened? and had to take the next 5 minutes convincing myself that i could have made such a blunder, and even then i just wanted to blame it one me just enjoying the beats flowing from my iPod. most times i appreciate my sense of self confidence because it helps me out and typically things end up well. today, it screwed me over. at least i had my music to listen to while wandered.

not needless to say, i am humbled and thankful for grace which is abundantly bestowed upon me.

a call to blog

so i am back. back from tiger leaping gorge to be specific. it was...epic. there aren't really words to articulate the experience. that being the case, i'll mastercard the experience...

-Trip duration: 110 hours
-Total travel time (in trains, buses, and vans): 48 hours
-Total time hiking through TLG: 9 hours
-Total time spent in gorge: 23 hours
-Pictures taken in Gorge: 185
-Average time elapsed between pictures: ~3 minutes (540 minutes/185)
-Elevation reached: 2670 m
-Elevation of surrounding mountains: 5396 m +
-Girls met that looked and acted exactly like my sister Betsy: 1
-Hours spent on a sleeper bus practically spooning (I don't fit laying straight) with some random Chinese man and a Welsh guy I had just met: 10
-Kisses on the cheek from Mama Naxi (the hyperactive Naxi minority woman that ran the hostel in Lijiang): 2
-Crappy Kung Fu movies forced to watch while in transit: at least 5
-Birthday messages received (it overlapped with the trip): ~35 (thank you friends)
-Times almost slipping and falling off the path into oblivion: 1 (the second slip would have just been a long rolling fiasco)
-Soles of shoe demolished: 1
-Villages trekked through on high trail: 3
-Sunrises witnessed over the previously mentioned mountains: 1
-Beautiful sunsets: 2
-Close calls in missing transit links: 0 (PTL)
-Hours spent contemplating life: lots
-Hours spent with friends in Kunming: 6.5
-Length of time playing Settlers of Catan b4 I was a huge fan: 30 minutes
-Blisters on feet: 4
-Cuts on hand: just 3
-Bends in the 900 m ascent to the high trail summit: 28, maybe 30
-Other hikers seen on the trail on day one: 1
-Analogies crafted on how my hiking in amazing places fits my spiritual life: 1 composed of about 10 supporting points.
-Overall experience: Priceless

Yeah. That's my trip. It was nice. I am hoping to squeeze in some more traveling at the beginning of May too. I really did enjoy going by myself. You meet so many interesting people, have great conversations, and you have a lot of time to work on moving towards solitude anchored in the Father's love. Maybe I will loosely share my analogy soon.

Cheers.