Monday, March 12, 2012

best. news. ever.

I'm so excited to go to Ecuador and volunteer in the orphanages for lots of reason. The BIGGEST reason I'm so excited to go to Ecuador is because it's not about me. At all. My life has been pretty boring as of late, meaning I get bored because there is no one else in my life but me. Sure it's got it's benefits but when everything only relies on what I think and I feel, I have to spend a lot of time thinking, and thinking about myself, which contrary to how it sounds ....is exhausting. And boring. I think I had ice cream 3-4 times for breakfast last week, because I can. And because I wanted it. Actually I didn't. I just didn't have anything else to eat in the house and since it's just me and I'm tired of thinking about me...I didn't see a point going shopping or planning what to eat. :) (I think many singles have this problem with food. Cooking for just one is a pain. Even if you always get what you want for dinner ;).)

I've been able to do some travel, which I love. And I actually don't mind going solo-I actually quite like it. (Another blog post about that if I ever get around to transferring it from paper to blog.) What I often don't get to do because of the nature of my job, is get involved in too many things outside of myself. But as I will be spending so much time in Ecuador (approximately 3 months, about the length one work contract) I won't have much time or money to go exploring and traveling. But that's okay this time because this time....

.....It's not about me. And I'm SO excited about that.

For the 3 months while I'm there it won't matter what I want for breakfast, or what mood I'm in, or if I don't feel like doing something because it's not about me. I can't wait to not worry about myself at all. I can't wait to wake up in a bad mood and start to figure out what to do with my day and then remember that I'm in Ecuador working at an orphanage and hear myself say, "who cares, it's not about you. Now get up and go do something. You don't have to think about yourself at all today." And I will think to myself, "WHEW! What a relief." And I'll jump up with a smile. :)

I have some plans about what I want to try to do when I get back, but fortunately with my job, I have some time to work those details out when I get back. But while I'm there. I can leave the burden for when I get home.

The best news is that God can do a better job working out details for my life than I can so while I'm there I'm going to let him work his magic because I'm done with me for a while and I'm just going to do all I can to help those little guys out done there.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

One Year

Today it's been one year. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. Initially I thought about going to Belize and snorkeling-something my dad kept saying he wanted to do. Or even Hawaii as that's where he said he wanted to go when I offered to take him on a trip after taking my mom to Greece. However, I'm sure now that I'm going to Ecuador for an extended period of time he'd rather I just save my money for that. I know he would. And so here I am, saving money instead. I wanted to head up to the Redwoods and do some hiking but again, with gas prices skyrocketing these past few weeks it would be more than just an inexpensive quick trip. I'd really like to see my friends up there, and you could always add that I could go on the exact same hike I went on the day my dad passed. It's mid-morning and I'm ready for anything, including breakfast. I think my tradition will be Dad's breakfast on March 3rd every year, you know for the rest of my life, especially once I have kids and a family. But for now, I can be a bit more extravagant in my memoirs. Hmm, how to be extravagant in my honoring/remembering of Dad?