Um, well... Yeah. I'm Home!

So, bad news. They got the part Sunday morning and put it in, but apparently that part didn't work either. SO... We had to cancel the trip. The Super 8 shuttle bus took us in three loads back to our first bus to collect the rest of our things, then to the Greyhound station in Gary, IN. Then THAT bus was late 'cause a driver didn't show up, so we just got back to the 'Nati at about 1:30 am. But despite the fact that we never even made it to our first stop, Chicago, we still made some new friends and had a lot of fun! I'll post pictures soon...

This Just In...

So let's take a brief detour as I fill you in on what is turning out to be more of an adventure than we bargained for...

We took off from Cincinnati Friday night at maybe 10:00 pm, more than an hour late. We stopped about midnight to get ready for bed in Walmart's restrooms, while the drivers converted the bus seats into beds. (Which was pretty cool, by the way, as the bus was transformed into what looked an awful lot a hard sleeper train in China.) We stopped at about 4:30 am a little outside Chicago to fuel up, but continued sleeping there till about 6:30. It was then that we discovered a river of coolant (if that's what that bright green fluid is) flowing slowly away from the bus. After a few calls and a visit from a mechanic, we learned that the broken part could not be repaired and a new one could not be found in all of Chicago. So we spent the whole day stranded at the rest stop, feeling a lot like Tom Hanks in The Terminal. After a whole lot of waiting, and complaining, and debating, everyone finally agreed on a new plan: one of the drivers would fly to Boston to pick up the new part, fly back, and fix the bus in the morning. We would stay at a hotel. We would continue on the trip as planned, just one day late. We would skip the day in Las Vegas and swing by the north rim instead of the south rim of the Grand Canyon to make up for the lost time.

So there ya go. If you don't hear from me again about this, our adventure has continued! But hopefully it's the type of adventure we signed up for rather this other sort. Still, I'm having fun, getting to know a lot of cool new friends, and learning a lot about being flexible. It's interesting: when you have no plans or expectations, it's a lot easier to not get disappointed or frustrated about setbacks like this!

Wild, Wild West

This evening I'll be leaving for a ten-day trip out west with about 30 international students and scholars from UC and OSU. It'll be a tiring whirlwind of a tour, but I'm so excited because I've never been to any of the places we'll be visiting: Chicago, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, and St. Louis. Even if we don't have a lot of time in any one place, I'll at least get some amazing photos and a feel for where I'd like to spend more time in the future. Plus, it'll be a great chance to get to know some new friends!

T -1yr and Counting

So, my brother (Jeremy) is getting married exactly 1 year from yesterday. He called last night to ask me to be in the wedding - how exciting! It will be my honor to stand with him and Jean as they embark on this adventure together. And how cool that the wedding will be in Yosemite N.P.! Beautiful, simply beautiful (or so it appears from the photos I've seen). Check out their website for more info if you're interested...

No Regrets

I have very few regrets in life. Even bad decisions I made or situations that turned out badly I tend to view as learning and growing experiences that have shaped me into the person that I am today. I'm even learning to praise God for these things because He always seems to find a way to bring good out of them.

But... I vividly recall one event from my past that I do still regret, and it continues to influence the decisions I make to this day.

One summer, my family took a vacation to Cancun, Mexico. In addition to enjoying the beach near our hotel, we also traveled around a bit and took in some sites, including Chichen Itza. Well, the weather that day wasn't the greatest, and after getting showered upon during our tour of the old Mayan ruins, I was grumpy. So when my dad asked if we wanted to climb to the top of the huge pyramid that dominates the center of this famous archealogical site, I said "no," and my mom and I waited at the bottom while my brother and dad climbed El Castillo. They enjoyed a completely different perspective from atop that pyramid that I may never have another opportunity to experience.

That is why, if I am ever asked to try some new and interesting thing, even if I'm not very excited about it, I will most likely do it anyway. Because I have never regretted trying something new, only missing out on opportunities like I did that summer in Mexico.

For example, even though the music was not my favorite, I still got some pretty cool pictures from the Beijing opera I attended in Harbin.

And even though the mountain streams and waterfall were crazy cold, I was still able to bond with my buddies in a way I couldn't have had I not just jumped right in.

One Year...

O.k., so let's get real here.

Last Monday would have been my anniversary. And Tuesday was one year since he left for good. So I've had a lot to process this week.

Actually, when I think about how far God has brought me since last May, it feels like much more than a year has passed. At that time, I was still pretty confused about everything, still angry with God for not answering my fervent prayers, still holding on to some sort of hope, not wanting to let go or get over him or move on. In fact, I'm really quite amazed at how quickly my healing process progressed through the summer and beyond. I think a lot of that had to do with the amazing friends that God blessed me with during that difficult time. Our Friday night small group seems to have changed a bit over the last year or so - a lot more single folks now, interestingly enough - but it's still as awesome as ever. I honestly don't know what I would do without the friends that I've made at the Chinese Church. You guys rock!

Which is one reason why I was so excited to get away to the Smoky Mountains last weekend with a group of them: I got to share one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people. The trip was particularly significant for me, too, because it was the first time I've been back there since everything that happened last year, and one of only a few times I've been there without him. Maybe now my travel companions will better understand why I got a little emotional as I thanked them for accompanying me on this journey...

Well, anyway, there ya go. God is good. I still don't understand all of the why's, but I'm excited to get on with this adventure called life and to discover all that He still wants to do in and through me!