Hi friends!
I realize that it’s been over two months since I’ve posted on this blog.
Two months since summer began, and now we’re hurtling into September, which means the days of summer are quickly drawing to a close. But boy, when I think about the summer so far, “The Days Are Just Packed” (a fantastic Calvin and Hobbes book, by the way)—from the title to the satisfied look on the faces of the tiger and the boy—sums it up so well.
In these past two months, I’ve seen the Pacific Ocean from both the east and the west, that is, I spent a month in the Philippines and after recovering from jet lag and just being sick, went to one of my favorite coastal beaches in Point Reyes (Also, the parking is free. It’s the best.). Shortly afterwards, I found myself in the high desert, at Joshua Tree National Park, where I woke my friends up at 2:45 AM to catch the 6 AM sunrise—just one part of an epic four-day road trip to Southern California. The rest of the time has been filled with almost 250 miles of bike rides, trying to fit those in the early morning before the sun heats up the earth. That and programming for my summer class, hammocking, attempting to read, board game nights, and trying to make plans with friends whose schedules are now predominantly occupied by real jobs. Oh, and there was a total solar eclipse that I did not make the pilgrimage to Oregon to view. It’s been a fun summer, to say the least.
On account of all of these adventures, blogging has been pushed to the wayside. If my mind was a writer’s desk, it would be covered with two months worth of dust. It would have two drafts from before I went to the Philippines sitting on it, begging to be revised and published. Aned then there’s about twenty different ideas on colored post-it notes. Some are have been abandoned long ago, but others are still holding on to the hope of being written before they grow stale and join their less fortunate counterparts. On top of it all would be a map of the Philippines. There’s this hovering sense that I should write something super profound about my experience there before I get to any of the stuff under it, but I think I’ll leave it at this:
My first time being abroad was a crazy, fun trip to a very beautiful country (on par with Hawaii) with a vibrant culture and a rich, complex history. I never realized how much of the Philippines there was, with all of its islands and dialects. It always looked so small on the map. My least favorite things about the Philippines: the humidity and the mosquitoes. My favorite things: The food (It was meat and rice all the time. I’m not sure how one would survive as a vegetarian in the Philippines, but it was fine by me. Their barbecue is the most delicious thing ever.) and the people I met. My new Filipino friends are some of the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve ever met. My month in the Philippines was one that God used in so many ways to humble and grow me. It was so cool to get to see the gospel at work in a totally different context than the individualistic American culture that I’m so used to, and to get to meet Christian brothers and sisters who I can continue to pray for even though thousands of miles of ocean separate us. There’s so much more to say than words can or should capture, but I think this paragraph is sufficient. I’ll spare you all the day-by-day captain’s log.
Now with that documented, here’s to chasing after my green light, the pipe dream that tomorrow or next week or next month I’ll have more time to write than I do today.
But for now, a few pictures! (I never post pictures here!)
a cup of kimitea 