Corporate worship took place in a house. We all sat on mattresses on the floor and the hubs and I worshiped in a language other than our own. After the message, we passed around the offering basket (a bright blue bag) as usual, each putting our hand inside and dropping colorful money. Next, we sipped hot chai and munched on banana chips as we talked (or attempted to speak) in the language.
You don’t really end up celebrating holidays overseas unless you make it happen. There’s no decor at Hobby Lobby or Target to remind you of what’s coming up or work calendars with the day marked “Holiday.” When you live overseas, you have to remember holidays, initiate, plan, and create so the day doesn’t come and go without you even celebrating it.
So, the hubs and I decided to host a 4th of July Party. I had no decorations except for 2 little American flags I inherited from someone who went back to the States.
Traditions. I’m realizing they don’t have to be stressful events or grand ideas. Traditions are simply celebrations or routines that you prioritize and create on a regular basis– whether weekly, monthly, or yearly. Over time, traditions create memories for you and others that will last a lifetime.
You have a stack of postcards to mail out but they are all going to one person. That person will then hand them out to others. You decide to reuse a package you have since you don’t know where to purchase a Bubble Envelope. You are ready to mail your package! How hard can it be?
Kick Scooter verses South Asian Scooter…The first time I rode a scooter was the second day we were in our city. We were living with friends and hadn’t unpacked one bag.
What’s your definition of a “normal cup”? Here’s a peak into what it’s like to find juice glasses in South Asia.
Daily life in the kitchen looks a lot different than it did seven months ago in the little East Coast apartment the hubs and I lived in. I listen to more podcasts, more music, and now a plethora of vocabulary for the language we are learning because it just takes more time to cook. Here are a few of my thoughts from the kitchen…
There was indeed one stretch of the road on a recent trip that looked much like your average highway in America. But, my husband and I thought again and began to play the game of “What proves we aren’t on an American road?” Here’s what we observed.
It has now been almost 6 months since my husband and I packed up our lives into six fifty-pound suitcases. It was quite a process of sorting, throwing, giving, donating, and deciding what we wanted to take with us to South Asia. There were days I felt like I was just on autopilot and wasn’t able to fully process what I was actually doing and preparing for. There were days of sadness, mourning friends and family I wouldn’t be able to see as often as I had or, as trivial as it may seem, moments of sadness regarding items I had truly grown to cherish that I simply couldn’t take with me.
It makes sending cards so incredibly fun and easy, especially when you live on the other side of the world as family and friends. No post office. No store. No hassle.
