The aftermath...
It has been more than two months since I wrote last. To try and express what has happened in those two months in one or fifty xanga entries would be futile, so I'm just going to cut straight to the aftermath.
China was amazing, and I have every intention of returning for a longer stay...a stay measured in years. I'm not 100% sure when that stay might begin, but I'll say that I am actively moving toward it. It's both exhilarating and frightening to think of how fast life turns...if you had told me two years ago that I'd be moving to China at some point, I would not have believed you. I still don't believe it, to be honest.
Right now I'm in the Northwest, and nothing is falling into place as I'd hoped. The class I wanted to take at Reed is full, my roommate and I have not found any apartments in our price range, and the wealth of relationships I had here has been reduced significantly as people have moved away. It's been a hard adjustment coming back. I traveled for three weeks when I got back into the country, so it's not so much a reverse culture shock thing. Midway through my time in Chicago I reconciled myself to the differences between W. China and the U.S. However, being in Portland the last 9 days, I realized that in some of the little ways I've forgotten how to live in one place. This is my first time being somewhere for longer than a week since my last xanga post. There are simple rhythms of consistent mundanity that permeate our lives when we are putting down roots, and I'm having a hard time remembering how to move with those rhythms. I wonder if my unease here will increase when I'm no longer sleeping on someone's floor and living out of a duffel bag.
On the other hand, things have been brilliantly exciting in Portland so far. The end of the summer is spectacular, and there is a latent peace in waking to the foggy mornings and staying up late into crisp nights. I've already met several new people, the kind whose souls are familiar and comfortable. Just last night I was introduced to three houses of Cubans and Puerto Ricans that live right up the street from my apartment last year. I wish I had met them sooner, but I hope it's this easy to make new friends throughout the year. The friends that are left here are precious to me. Some of them are like family, while others are folks who showed potential to be great friends in the months before I left. I'm looking forward to walking in relationship with all of these friends and seeing how my second year in Portland unfolds.
I hope to post a story or two from the summer at some point, but these last few days are the first time I've had to sit and soak in the experiences, letting them surface as communicable lessons and stories. Thanks for all of you who wrote emails, made phone calls, and prayed while I was there. I'm always humbled by the true treasure trove of love with which the Father has filled my life. Thank you for glittering brightly like the gold, silver, and gems you are.
China was amazing, and I have every intention of returning for a longer stay...a stay measured in years. I'm not 100% sure when that stay might begin, but I'll say that I am actively moving toward it. It's both exhilarating and frightening to think of how fast life turns...if you had told me two years ago that I'd be moving to China at some point, I would not have believed you. I still don't believe it, to be honest.
Right now I'm in the Northwest, and nothing is falling into place as I'd hoped. The class I wanted to take at Reed is full, my roommate and I have not found any apartments in our price range, and the wealth of relationships I had here has been reduced significantly as people have moved away. It's been a hard adjustment coming back. I traveled for three weeks when I got back into the country, so it's not so much a reverse culture shock thing. Midway through my time in Chicago I reconciled myself to the differences between W. China and the U.S. However, being in Portland the last 9 days, I realized that in some of the little ways I've forgotten how to live in one place. This is my first time being somewhere for longer than a week since my last xanga post. There are simple rhythms of consistent mundanity that permeate our lives when we are putting down roots, and I'm having a hard time remembering how to move with those rhythms. I wonder if my unease here will increase when I'm no longer sleeping on someone's floor and living out of a duffel bag.
On the other hand, things have been brilliantly exciting in Portland so far. The end of the summer is spectacular, and there is a latent peace in waking to the foggy mornings and staying up late into crisp nights. I've already met several new people, the kind whose souls are familiar and comfortable. Just last night I was introduced to three houses of Cubans and Puerto Ricans that live right up the street from my apartment last year. I wish I had met them sooner, but I hope it's this easy to make new friends throughout the year. The friends that are left here are precious to me. Some of them are like family, while others are folks who showed potential to be great friends in the months before I left. I'm looking forward to walking in relationship with all of these friends and seeing how my second year in Portland unfolds.
I hope to post a story or two from the summer at some point, but these last few days are the first time I've had to sit and soak in the experiences, letting them surface as communicable lessons and stories. Thanks for all of you who wrote emails, made phone calls, and prayed while I was there. I'm always humbled by the true treasure trove of love with which the Father has filled my life. Thank you for glittering brightly like the gold, silver, and gems you are.