May 20 -- We got on the flight! They opened up 30 free seats instead of just the 19 they had originally said. We were fourth on the list, so we probably would have gotten on even without that, but it was quite comical to hear the whole terminal of people (mostly retirees) break out into cheers at the announcement of more seats. We got on the plane (another C17) around 7pm. It was full of shipping containers and helicopter blades, so not quite as much room to spread out, but still enough that we were able to lay out our sleeping bags. The young airmen (is that what they are called?) entertained us by climbing on top of a red cross shipping container to do his safety briefing. The 8 hour flight went by quickly and before we knew it we were stumbling out of the plane at 10 am into 53 degree weather, quite a shock after the 93 degrees we left in the US. One of our fellow passengers offered to let us stay at her husband's apartment about 20 minutes from base, which was a very kind offer since we didn't have any reservations for the night. We stopped at the USO for some refreshments and a recoup and decided that staying closer to base would be smarter since we would have to come back to the same area for the train the next day. We made reservations at a local hotel since the on base hotel said they were booked. Then, we walked across the street to see if we could at least store our luggage at the base hotel while we grocery shopped. When we got there, we were told that they just had a cancellation so we could stay there after all. So I ran back across the street and cancelled the other hotel. We got all our errands run and then checked in to our room...but really I should say apartment. It was four bedroom and two bathroom, with a full kitchen, living room and dining room. I'm sure it's the cheapest yet biggest place at which we will stay our whole trip. It definitely felt good to climb into bed.
May 21 -- We had a brisk walk to the train station this morning through the town of Ramstein. There was no ticket counter as we had hoped, so the ticket booth was our only (unfortunately not cheap) option. Thankfully, we have found enough people who speak English to tell us what platform to be on and at which stop to get off and on, since neither the train app nor the stations themselves are super intuitive to our foreign brains (Germany could take some lessons from Korea in that regard). Our destination this evening is Berlin (330 km or 7 hours on the train). We are excited to eat some German food this evening and experience our first hostel stay of the trip.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Friday, May 19, 2017
Germany Poland and Beyond Days 1-3
May 17 -- Today was our first attempt at getting on a Space A to Germany out of Andrews after spending a very hot, sweaty morning at Arlington Cemetary. We didn't make it, despite the man at the check in desk assuring us we would. We now know not to get any hopes up until we are on the plane even with reassurances from someone in a uniform. We did get on the flight to McGuire though, and we were able to get a hotel reservation on base. It was a fun experience to fly on a C-17 for the first time. When we got to New Jersey, we learned that the flight out of New Jersey for Thursday was cancelled, and the next flight would be on Friday, giving us a free day at McGuire.
May 18 -- We spent the morning walking to the commissary, dodging the 93 degrees in the sun and trying to make our way across base (2.5 miles) in the shade as much a possible. We bought some lunch which we ate in the shade of a tree. Then, we spent a majority of the afternoon menu planning easy, portable meals, purchasing a few things at the PX and grocery shopping again. We were able to get a ride back to the hotel and were thankful we didn't have to lug our groceries back across base.
May 19 -- Laundry in the morning before we had to check out was nice though the slow dryer made the 11 AM checkout from the hotel a hectic process. I'm sure that will be the story of our lives for the next several weeks. We are currently traveling with 5 backpacks, 5 carry-on size suitcases, 5 extra bags of food and camping mats, and a 2 gallon jug of water (which will not be going on the flight with us). We arrived to an empty terminal, which gives us hopefully not unfounded hope that we will be successful today in getting on. We will sit here at the terminal until roll call and glare at anyone coming in to scare them into thinking it's not worth checking in. I'll keep you posted.
May 18 -- We spent the morning walking to the commissary, dodging the 93 degrees in the sun and trying to make our way across base (2.5 miles) in the shade as much a possible. We bought some lunch which we ate in the shade of a tree. Then, we spent a majority of the afternoon menu planning easy, portable meals, purchasing a few things at the PX and grocery shopping again. We were able to get a ride back to the hotel and were thankful we didn't have to lug our groceries back across base.
May 19 -- Laundry in the morning before we had to check out was nice though the slow dryer made the 11 AM checkout from the hotel a hectic process. I'm sure that will be the story of our lives for the next several weeks. We are currently traveling with 5 backpacks, 5 carry-on size suitcases, 5 extra bags of food and camping mats, and a 2 gallon jug of water (which will not be going on the flight with us). We arrived to an empty terminal, which gives us hopefully not unfounded hope that we will be successful today in getting on. We will sit here at the terminal until roll call and glare at anyone coming in to scare them into thinking it's not worth checking in. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Discovering that I'm a multi-potential-ite.
Yesterday, I with through this seminar called “Afterburner.”
It’s essentially a group of classes put together from former veterans and USAA
to teach Soldier’s how to succeed once they get out of the military. It’s an
amazing seminar, and if you’re a Soldier who will be getting out soon, I HIGHLY
recommend it. You will learn more in that one day, then you will going through
the entire ACAP… TAP…SLAP… whatever they’re calling it now.. process.
During one of the breaks, this former F-16 pilot, who now
works as a consultant, asked me “Liam… What do you want to do when you get out?”
I replied… “Well… I have a general idea, but I cannot pick one thing out
specifically.” He then asked “What are you good at?” I said… “well… a lot…” He
said “What do you mean?” I replied, “During my time in the Army, I’ve learned
how to shoot down planes, repair a radar, repair a big rig, drive a big rig,
heck I even have a CDL and I’m certified to drive buses. Then, the Army taught
me how to lead Soldiers, do paperwork, and some kind of cool camping tricks.
That was just in the first 8 years. The next five years, I learned how to read
people, identify potential insider threats, run an investigation, elicit
information from people, analyze massive amounts of data, and teach other
people how to do it. Not to mention, my dad taught me as a kid how to fix
electronics, wire a burglar alarm, build a computer, fix a computer, plumb a
house, troubleshoot a network connection, work with wood, and fix a car.”
He
looked at me kind of perplexed and then asked… “Do you have your degree?” I
laughed and said… “Yeah about that. I’m on my last two classes.” He said “Oh
that’s awesome! What will your degree be in?” I smirked and said “Independent studies.”
He said, “I’ve never heard of that degree. What is it?” So… I answered, “It’s
kind of a general education bachelors. It works with cognates. So, half of my
degree is in computational science (computers), and the other half is in social
sciences (people). Oh, and I also have a minor in intelligence studies. Not to
mention the random other 40 college credits I have in religious studies and
psychology that don’t apply to the degree. I’m probably one of the few people
who has a 3.84 GPA… and 160 college credits.” We concluded our conversation with him
offering varying suggestions on possible career field, which… of course, all of
them interested me, but I couldn’t single one out that I liked better over the
others.
One of his suggestions was to watch “TED Talks” on the
different career fields I’m interested in to maybe help narrow the field down a little bit.
So today, I did just that.
I watched about ten “Ted Talks” and I was no better off than
I was before, but I came across a video that piqued my curiosity. Ironically,
the title of the “Ted Talk was “Why some of us don’t have one true calling.” So
of course, if I can’t pick one specific topic out on “what I want to be when I
grow up…” I’m going to watch a video why I'm having a hard time figuring it out.
As it turns out… I’m a multi-potential-ite. That one 12
minute video sums up my entire life. Here, you know what, I’m not even going to
say anything else about it… Just watch the video. You can find it here.
So now, the question is, how do I take this new information
and use it to get a job when I get out? How can I use it to find a job where I’m
not going to get bored? Honestly, I think that’s my biggest fear of getting
out. Getting stuck in a job that I’m bored with.
What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Agape
This morning, I was hit by a few things:
1. This line from a blogpost that someone shared on facebook while she reflected on her failed relationship.
I made a comment on it, that was perhaps a little brash, and without much explanation. Then promptly got scolded by two friends from my youth and reminded of the difference between “Pink” and “Blue” glasses. I probably would have just went on about my day, had it not been for that one paragraph in the blog post.
Full article here.
2. I saw that a good friend of mine is getting promoted. I had to stop myself from being jealous, since I went to the promotion board before he did, I’ve been in this rank longer than he has, not to mention the Army. I had to remind myself, I am not entitled to a promotion, nor does the Army owe me anything. I’m proud of him for having the extra 60 points that I didn’t have, and I’m glad that he got promoted. He is a great Soldier, and he’ll do well at the next rank.
3. For the rest of the day, I sat through about an 8 hour presentation on the transition from “Military life to Civilian Life.” It was an amazing seminar lead by various former service members who all shared their experience during their transitions. Unfortunately, it’s a stark reminder that my life in the Army is drawing nigh.
This afternoon, after I was done with my class, I came back to the barracks, changed clothes, and began to reflect on the day like I often do. I thought about writing a long post explaining my position on why I think that feeling like you deserve something in a relationship other than love and respect is dangerous, and how the feeling of entitlement in a relationship... is a relationship killer. I thought about getting promoted, I thought about getting out of the military, and then my foot kindly reminded me that I needed to elevate it. (I just had surgery if you didn’t know).
As the blood rushed from my foot back towards my brain, my thoughts began to wonder off to Lew. In her last blog, Lew wrote about selfless love and my self-sacrificing spirit. Lew, my love, you make it easy, but I also have to admire you for yours.
You see, you agreed to marry me, even though you knew life wasn’t going to be all rainbows and unicorn farts. You married me, knowing that I am a Soldier, and that means I would be doing Soldier type things. Like deploying, going on long training missions, doing stuff that might mean life or limb, and even for having a Soldier’s vernacular which includes phrases like “Rainbows and Unicorn Farts.” You didn’t care though. In spite of knowing that life would be hard, you still married me.
You didn’t marry me because of something you felt you deserved. You didn’t marry me because of my massive wealth, or my education, or my rank in the army, or what kind of car I drove, or what kind of person you could change me into. You married me… for me.
Even though we’re 6,000 miles apart, you make me want to be a better man. Not because you’re nagging me to do it, or because you feel entitled to it. In all honesty, I know that you would love me no matter if I worked for Microsoft pulling $220,000 a year and we lived in a mansion, or if we lived in a hut in some jungle somewhere preaching the gospel. Actually, truth be told, you would probably rather do the latter over the former, but that's neither here nor there.
So thank you for encouraging me to get my degree. Thank you for standing next to me every time I hatch some kind of hair brained scheme. Thanks for not criticizing my stupid decisions, and not rubbing it in my face when you were right. Thanks for being there for me, now that I’m going through one of the hardest times in my life (the transition from military to civilian).
I know that things are rough right now, especially since we still have 5 months left, and there is no telling when we’ll see each other next thanks to more surgery, and a tight leave/training schedule, plus finances. Whether you admit it or not, you too, have a sacrificial spirit.
I love you, Lew.
1. This line from a blogpost that someone shared on facebook while she reflected on her failed relationship.
“I challenged you because I loved you. I confronted you a lot. I’m not the type of girl who nods and laughs and is always comfortable, I wasn't easy — as in, I didn't just "go with the flow.” But that’s because I craved more from you - I had opinions and big dreams for the future, I wanted the best for you. I never put up with not getting everything I deserved.”
I made a comment on it, that was perhaps a little brash, and without much explanation. Then promptly got scolded by two friends from my youth and reminded of the difference between “Pink” and “Blue” glasses. I probably would have just went on about my day, had it not been for that one paragraph in the blog post.
Full article here.
2. I saw that a good friend of mine is getting promoted. I had to stop myself from being jealous, since I went to the promotion board before he did, I’ve been in this rank longer than he has, not to mention the Army. I had to remind myself, I am not entitled to a promotion, nor does the Army owe me anything. I’m proud of him for having the extra 60 points that I didn’t have, and I’m glad that he got promoted. He is a great Soldier, and he’ll do well at the next rank.
3. For the rest of the day, I sat through about an 8 hour presentation on the transition from “Military life to Civilian Life.” It was an amazing seminar lead by various former service members who all shared their experience during their transitions. Unfortunately, it’s a stark reminder that my life in the Army is drawing nigh.
This afternoon, after I was done with my class, I came back to the barracks, changed clothes, and began to reflect on the day like I often do. I thought about writing a long post explaining my position on why I think that feeling like you deserve something in a relationship other than love and respect is dangerous, and how the feeling of entitlement in a relationship... is a relationship killer. I thought about getting promoted, I thought about getting out of the military, and then my foot kindly reminded me that I needed to elevate it. (I just had surgery if you didn’t know).
As the blood rushed from my foot back towards my brain, my thoughts began to wonder off to Lew. In her last blog, Lew wrote about selfless love and my self-sacrificing spirit. Lew, my love, you make it easy, but I also have to admire you for yours.
You see, you agreed to marry me, even though you knew life wasn’t going to be all rainbows and unicorn farts. You married me, knowing that I am a Soldier, and that means I would be doing Soldier type things. Like deploying, going on long training missions, doing stuff that might mean life or limb, and even for having a Soldier’s vernacular which includes phrases like “Rainbows and Unicorn Farts.” You didn’t care though. In spite of knowing that life would be hard, you still married me.
You didn’t marry me because of something you felt you deserved. You didn’t marry me because of my massive wealth, or my education, or my rank in the army, or what kind of car I drove, or what kind of person you could change me into. You married me… for me.
Even though we’re 6,000 miles apart, you make me want to be a better man. Not because you’re nagging me to do it, or because you feel entitled to it. In all honesty, I know that you would love me no matter if I worked for Microsoft pulling $220,000 a year and we lived in a mansion, or if we lived in a hut in some jungle somewhere preaching the gospel. Actually, truth be told, you would probably rather do the latter over the former, but that's neither here nor there.
So thank you for encouraging me to get my degree. Thank you for standing next to me every time I hatch some kind of hair brained scheme. Thanks for not criticizing my stupid decisions, and not rubbing it in my face when you were right. Thanks for being there for me, now that I’m going through one of the hardest times in my life (the transition from military to civilian).
I know that things are rough right now, especially since we still have 5 months left, and there is no telling when we’ll see each other next thanks to more surgery, and a tight leave/training schedule, plus finances. Whether you admit it or not, you too, have a sacrificial spirit.
I love you, Lew.
Monday, October 12, 2015
One year ago today...
One year ago today, God knocked my feet out from under me (literally) when I shattered my knee, completely tearing the PCL, dislocating the knee, and breaking the tibia. The injury left me and every doctor that I saw (and there were a lot of doctors) ask, "How in the world did this happen?" It was really an inexplicable freak injury.
And so began a year that included a total of about 8 weeks on crutches, 9 months of physical therapy, no running, rebuilding muscle, and regaining flexibility. I am by no means at 100% yet (and perhaps I never will be), but I am so thankful to be as far on the road of recovery as I am. And I commemorated the year anniversary of the injury by doing a hiking/backpacking trip (22 miles total) on the Pacific Crest Trail with the Squirrel.
As I reflect back on the past year, although I do not understand how or why the injury happened, I can definitely see some things that God has taught me through it.
First, He taught me HUMILITY. I have always been the person on a hike who has been out in front leading the group or who still has more energy left even at the end of a hike. But this year, I have had to learn to be okay with saying, "I can't go any farther." Or "I don't think I can do that." This has been a very hard lesson for me to learn, and I still don't think that I have completely learned it. But it has also taught me more about COMPASSION. I now know what it is like to be unable to do the things that I want to do or need to do. I know what it's like to have to rely on other people because I am not physically able to open the door for myself or carry my own food, which definitely helps me to empathize with others whom I see on crutches or who may have other physical ailments or may not be as strong as I am. And since I wasn't able to do so much for myself, I definitely learned more about SELFLESS LOVE in Liam's self-sacrificing spirit. He put my socks and shoes on for me when I couldn't bend my leg enough to reach my feet; he helped me into the shower when I couldn't do so myself; he did the grocery shopping; he drove me to and from work and doctor's appointments; he put off his own surgery and endured his own pain because he was taking care of me. And I could go on and on. Thank you to Liam for all that you did and do for me, and thank you to God for giving me such a great husband.
Finally, I have also grown in HEAVENLY MINDEDNESS this past year. Having a physical injury has made me think more about how temporary our physical bodies are, and knowing that I may never get back to 100% again makes me glad that I have a heavenly body to which I can look forward. I think that God sometimes removes the earthly things from us to help us to focus more on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And that thought brings JOY.
And so began a year that included a total of about 8 weeks on crutches, 9 months of physical therapy, no running, rebuilding muscle, and regaining flexibility. I am by no means at 100% yet (and perhaps I never will be), but I am so thankful to be as far on the road of recovery as I am. And I commemorated the year anniversary of the injury by doing a hiking/backpacking trip (22 miles total) on the Pacific Crest Trail with the Squirrel.
As I reflect back on the past year, although I do not understand how or why the injury happened, I can definitely see some things that God has taught me through it.
First, He taught me HUMILITY. I have always been the person on a hike who has been out in front leading the group or who still has more energy left even at the end of a hike. But this year, I have had to learn to be okay with saying, "I can't go any farther." Or "I don't think I can do that." This has been a very hard lesson for me to learn, and I still don't think that I have completely learned it. But it has also taught me more about COMPASSION. I now know what it is like to be unable to do the things that I want to do or need to do. I know what it's like to have to rely on other people because I am not physically able to open the door for myself or carry my own food, which definitely helps me to empathize with others whom I see on crutches or who may have other physical ailments or may not be as strong as I am. And since I wasn't able to do so much for myself, I definitely learned more about SELFLESS LOVE in Liam's self-sacrificing spirit. He put my socks and shoes on for me when I couldn't bend my leg enough to reach my feet; he helped me into the shower when I couldn't do so myself; he did the grocery shopping; he drove me to and from work and doctor's appointments; he put off his own surgery and endured his own pain because he was taking care of me. And I could go on and on. Thank you to Liam for all that you did and do for me, and thank you to God for giving me such a great husband.
Finally, I have also grown in HEAVENLY MINDEDNESS this past year. Having a physical injury has made me think more about how temporary our physical bodies are, and knowing that I may never get back to 100% again makes me glad that I have a heavenly body to which I can look forward. I think that God sometimes removes the earthly things from us to help us to focus more on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And that thought brings JOY.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Camping with a Crew of Q's
Here are some pictures of my fourth of July camping trip with the family in WA:
Our little house in the woods
I've got daisies in green pastures
Beautiful fields of wildflowers
First dinner
Lots of cute kids
Good views
Day 1 Hike
Silly grandpa and silly grandson
More nature sightings
Day 2 Hike
A Stack of Girls Equals a Happy Grandma
The tia thinks to herself: Why don't I get to sit on a lap, too?
Girl with backpack
The only difference between men and boys...
On the way down
Depth Perception
The "twins"
Our Favorite Pastime
Another Hike
A stop at Palouse Falls on the way home
Our little house in the woods
I've got daisies in green pastures
Beautiful fields of wildflowers
First dinner
Lots of cute kids
Good views
Day 1 Hike
Silly grandpa and silly grandson
More nature sightings
Day 2 Hike
A Stack of Girls Equals a Happy Grandma
The tia thinks to herself: Why don't I get to sit on a lap, too?
Girl with backpack
The only difference between men and boys...
On the way down
Depth Perception
The "twins"
Our Favorite Pastime
Another Hike
A stop at Palouse Falls on the way home
Saturday, June 20, 2015
So Long New Jersey and Thanks for All the Fish
It's time to say "see you later" to yet another state, NJ friends, and this sojourn on the journey we are on. This farewell is definitely not the first nor will it be the last, I'm sure. I was talking to a student last week about moving and saying "good-bye." And we were talking about how it is hard. But I reminded her that as Christians we do not have to say "good-bye"; instead, we get to say "see you later." And that thought makes the leaving exponentially more bearable though it is still not easy or fun.
So I thought for this current "see you later" I would commemorate some (and indeed, it would be impossible to do all) of the great times/people/places/memories of NJ, but first, a few things I will not miss:
1. The ants...I'm surprised that they have not carried away the house by now, but unless new renters move in soon and hire the exterminators like we did, there may soon not be a house to move in to.
2. The New Jersey roads: this includes, but is not limited to, the traffic, the turn-right-to-turn-left shenanigans, and the endless potholes that ruin the alignment on any and every car that even thinks about driving in New Jersey
3. The non-regulating shower with which we have put up for the past three years...one minute it was barely warm, and then the next, scalding hot. And when it was scalding hot, turning on the cold water made it hotter, and when it was barely warm, turning off the cold water made it colder...I know...first world problems...
And now for the list of what I will miss:
1. Liquid Church: I will miss the good preaching and teaching and the vision that this church has for reaching the lost in New Jersey and serving the least of these. We loved the preaching and grew in our walks with God during this stage in our lives. We are also thankful for B and A for their premarital counseling that took us a whole year into our marriage to complete. Pastor Tim and Pastor Tom were also so influential in our lives.
2. Our Life Group: T and J (and G), R and J, A and A, S and J, E and H, J and A have come to mean so much to us because you lived life with us. Your accountability and friendship means the world to us! You came into our lives during a time when we really needed friends, and your support and encouragement have sustained us through some rough times (especially for me during Liam's absence). Some of the best memories are trying Taylor Ham and Egg sandwiches, bike riding (especially across the bridge), kayaking the Delaware, great discussions about the Bible but also about what animals we would all be, Girl Scout cookies, and Apple Jacks, Bazooka, Cranberry Sauce, Doritos (why, oh why, do I remember that?), great memories of eating not-so-great Persian food, and of course, my first time at the shore...in the rain and fog and cold.
3. Veritas: Once again it has been my privilege to be a part of a great Christian school with a vision for discipleship and Christian education. I do not know why God only allowed me to work there one year, but I am glad that I crossed paths with such a great staff and so many awesome students that give me hope that God is still at work in our society and in the younger generations.
4. Telling people that New Jersey was better than I expected it to be. I was expecting miles and miles of Newark-esque city, but instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the rolling hills and the lakes and the green and the amazing flowering trees in the spring. And when most of my students came to school in cowboy boots and fish hooks stuck on their hats, I knew that I was not in the stereotypical version of New Jersey.
5. Our little lake cottage home: Despite the ants and the non-regulating shower, our house was such a great place to start off our first three years of marriage. We had some ups and downs our first three years of marriage (as every couple does), but in general, the memories are happy ones. And we had the best neighbors we could ask for, too! Thanks J and L.
6. Cinnamon Indian Restaurant...enough said.
7. Picatinny Arsenal: I think I may have been spoiled by this military base because I am sure that this introduction to military life was not typical, but I'm thankful for the easy transition into military life. And for the fellow wives that I met at PWOC and for their encouragement and empathy.
8. The marvelous times spent in God's creation which included Appalachian trail backpacking and hiking trips, river kayaking camping trips, hikes, mountain biking, skiing, car camping, lake kayaking, picnics, and drives through the woods, plus all the bear, deer, and turtle sightings. It really is a beautiful state.
I could go on, but most people have probably already stopped reading, so I will stop writing.
See you later, New Jersey.
So I thought for this current "see you later" I would commemorate some (and indeed, it would be impossible to do all) of the great times/people/places/memories of NJ, but first, a few things I will not miss:
1. The ants...I'm surprised that they have not carried away the house by now, but unless new renters move in soon and hire the exterminators like we did, there may soon not be a house to move in to.
2. The New Jersey roads: this includes, but is not limited to, the traffic, the turn-right-to-turn-left shenanigans, and the endless potholes that ruin the alignment on any and every car that even thinks about driving in New Jersey
3. The non-regulating shower with which we have put up for the past three years...one minute it was barely warm, and then the next, scalding hot. And when it was scalding hot, turning on the cold water made it hotter, and when it was barely warm, turning off the cold water made it colder...I know...first world problems...
And now for the list of what I will miss:
1. Liquid Church: I will miss the good preaching and teaching and the vision that this church has for reaching the lost in New Jersey and serving the least of these. We loved the preaching and grew in our walks with God during this stage in our lives. We are also thankful for B and A for their premarital counseling that took us a whole year into our marriage to complete. Pastor Tim and Pastor Tom were also so influential in our lives.
2. Our Life Group: T and J (and G), R and J, A and A, S and J, E and H, J and A have come to mean so much to us because you lived life with us. Your accountability and friendship means the world to us! You came into our lives during a time when we really needed friends, and your support and encouragement have sustained us through some rough times (especially for me during Liam's absence). Some of the best memories are trying Taylor Ham and Egg sandwiches, bike riding (especially across the bridge), kayaking the Delaware, great discussions about the Bible but also about what animals we would all be, Girl Scout cookies, and Apple Jacks, Bazooka, Cranberry Sauce, Doritos (why, oh why, do I remember that?), great memories of eating not-so-great Persian food, and of course, my first time at the shore...in the rain and fog and cold.
3. Veritas: Once again it has been my privilege to be a part of a great Christian school with a vision for discipleship and Christian education. I do not know why God only allowed me to work there one year, but I am glad that I crossed paths with such a great staff and so many awesome students that give me hope that God is still at work in our society and in the younger generations.
4. Telling people that New Jersey was better than I expected it to be. I was expecting miles and miles of Newark-esque city, but instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the rolling hills and the lakes and the green and the amazing flowering trees in the spring. And when most of my students came to school in cowboy boots and fish hooks stuck on their hats, I knew that I was not in the stereotypical version of New Jersey.
5. Our little lake cottage home: Despite the ants and the non-regulating shower, our house was such a great place to start off our first three years of marriage. We had some ups and downs our first three years of marriage (as every couple does), but in general, the memories are happy ones. And we had the best neighbors we could ask for, too! Thanks J and L.
6. Cinnamon Indian Restaurant...enough said.
7. Picatinny Arsenal: I think I may have been spoiled by this military base because I am sure that this introduction to military life was not typical, but I'm thankful for the easy transition into military life. And for the fellow wives that I met at PWOC and for their encouragement and empathy.
8. The marvelous times spent in God's creation which included Appalachian trail backpacking and hiking trips, river kayaking camping trips, hikes, mountain biking, skiing, car camping, lake kayaking, picnics, and drives through the woods, plus all the bear, deer, and turtle sightings. It really is a beautiful state.
I could go on, but most people have probably already stopped reading, so I will stop writing.
See you later, New Jersey.
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