The sequence of pictures (and occasional deep paragraphs) continues!
Here are some of us at Red Robin one evening...
And here's a picture from class time in the basement!
The basement... it is a wonderful place. Such wonderful things happen in the basement. I've tried to pinpoint a physical location that I would describe as home. I've concluded that I simply can't do that. My home is not in California. My home is not in Washington. Neither the house I grew up in, nor the house I sojourn in now. Neither one is home. The basement obviously isn't my home either, but it's the closest I can get to pinpointing a physical location as "home" during this season of my life.
I know you're all wondering where I will be next year. I understand, I'm wondering too. I'm learning how to trust even when this big roaring uncertainty confronts me. Because... California is my home. I have a few roots there. I've been uprooted many times, but the core roots - my parents - have always been there, and some of my other roots came back. I have amazing parents. I have awesome siblings. I have the best nephew in the world. I have a lovely niece on the way. I have some extended family. In California... my father is in California. And that fact alone makes it home. And this year I've learned how to love and appreciate my mother more than I knew how to before. And I want to get to know my parents better than I do, especially now that I know who I myself am better than I once did. And, while I don't see myself getting married for some 5 years, perhaps, I want my future husband to go to my father and ask for permission to court me. And I want the two of them to be great friends. I need that. I need my father and mother involved in... in my life. And in the lives of their future grandchildren. The last thing I want is a gap, a rift of distance from one generation to the next. I've seen it happen before. This happens in the books. So in that way I have experienced it before. And know I don't want that for my life.
And yet, I don't know what my tomorrows hold. Even just next year. I could be back in California. I could remain in Washington. I could move to Europe or Africa or South America for all I know! I do know, though, that if offered an internship at this point I would accept. But I'm only halfway in the year, I don't know what 5 months down the road holds. I follow my King where He goes. Whether that's California, Washington, Honduras, Columbia, England, Austria, Switzerland, Uganda, or... or McMurdo, for crying out loud! xD Haha. And as California is my home because I have a few roots there, Washington is now also my home. Here I have a community, a people. I have my GL class. In some aspects, I now have the strongest roots I've ever had. But at the end of the year we will disband, and... and I don't know what comes after that. I don't know what roots remain when my class disbands. I don't know what doors will be opened at that point. But I choose to trust that doors will be opened. I am surrounded by doors in Washington... if He takes me back to California He will have to show me doors where I now see none. In my life I will have a people and a community, a husband and children, a rich and full life. If He opens doors for that in California, awesome.
This song has been a favorite of mine since... well, all my life, in a way. I first heard it not long after giving Him my heart when I was 15/16. This song defines my life. I write this the night before I depart for Honduras, and it will auto-publish while I am in Honduras. And it truly is my hope that I will be a world traveler throughout my life. Well, in certain seasons... Obviously no mother wants to be catching planes with toddlers in toe all the time. xD But for seasons... who knows which seasons? Other than right now, obviously. But yes... I will follow. This is what brought me to Washington in the first place. And this is what will either keep me in Washington or return me to California. Assuming, of course, that a season of foreign countries does not arise this summer.
At the end of the year, I will have choices to make. At the end of the following year, I will have choices to make. Five years from now, I will have choices to make. And so on. Following doesn't mean it's always obvious. I still have to ponder, to consider, to look at circumstances, weigh through emotions and truths and promptings - and reach a conclusion. And I want my parents to be involved in the decision I make at the end of the year, and the decision I make the following year, and the major decisions I make throughout my life. I really do. And we're going to have to get to know each other better for that. Like I mentioned in a previous post, now that I know myself better, I am in a position where I can make myself known to my parents in ways I could not before. And I want to do that. And I want to get to know them better, too. I love you, Mother and Father.
And here we have a birthday party bonfire... we afterwards went and played hide and seek in the trees. ^_^ Not like forest trees, but a bunch of pine trees. It's a Christmas tree farm.
And this amazing shirt I saw somewhere. I know I saw it in the airport in December, but I must have seen it somewhere else in November too, since this picture is dated November 26th. Isn't it brilliant, selling this shirt in an airport? ;) But anyway, I love it. I should get this when I'm in my most traveling season, shouldn't I?
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