A Year in Review

There’s nothing quite so humbling as revisiting the goals/resolutions/lists set for oneself 360-odd days ago. This year, I fairly often referenced the goals I set out to do back in January. I actually did a decent job at producing what I set out to accomplish regarding writing, giving generously, making new recipes (72 to date…

The times, they are a-changin’

I’m pretty sure Bob Dylan’s song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” was full of political undertones. I’m not into politics and I’m not a Dylan super-fan, but a few of the lyrics really caught my attention lately (via a modern cover by Fort Nowhere). Backstory: I spent the last two months of 2019 feeling creatively…

The insightful gift of hindsight

One year ago, I quit my job. More accurately, a year and a half ago I quit my job, but circumstances were such that I phased out very slowly. It was a blessing and a curse. Two years ago I decided I needed to move on from my job. I no longer felt that I…

India

India was wonderful. Before arriving, I was slightly worried that I wouldn’t handle the heat, smells, culture shock, crowds, or food very well (mostly based on a terrible Indian airline experience in 5th grade). Although we still had to contend with airline food, I wisely chose the vegetarian option (always the safest bet in my…

Ephesians 3:20-21

The past few months of my life have been a mix of chaos, order, confusion, peace, busyness, relaxation, and anxiety. Although those adjectives seem to make my personal life significantly notable, I suppose that such a statement can sum up most people’s lives. While I know that my situation is not remarkable, in a long…

Netherlands

Our stay in the Netherlands was quite lovely. Going into this leg of the trip I had no expectations (except to see tulips & windmills). The country was full of hospitable locals, beautiful sights in the cities (we got to tour the Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam), delightful drives through the countryside, flavorful food, and historical…

Austria

Our trip from Germany to Austria was truly magical. The landscapes we passed were absolutely incredible. My camera was unfortunately tucked away on the drive, but I made lots of mental pictures of the scenery. The tops of the mountains were shrouded with low clouds, but spotting the occasional castle tucked into a lush forest…

Czech Republic

The drive from Germany to the Czech Republic took about seven hours, most of which were spent reading Les Miserables, listening to music, and sleeping. When we first met our driver, Ronnie, in Germany, he warned us that technically we were required by law to wear our seat belts at all times and that we…

Deep breathing: light heart & heavy faith

*Originally posted in January 2018 as a guest contributor for Why I Stopped Why I stopped letting fear suffocate me: I have always had a fanciful imagination. I have also always allowed fear to dwell too long in my heart and mind. Fortunately, the scenarios I dreamt up were just amalgamations of the thrilling bits of…

Lithuania

My summer abroad started off fairly smoothly. In Newark, New Jersey, I met up with all of the other students and one of our professors for the International Business Institute. Half of the group was previously acquainted as classmates at Messiah College together, but most people casually introduced themselves and made small talk while we…