questions

"how was your trip?"  

"What were you doing there?" 

"What was it like out there?" 

"Were you afraid?" 

over two weeks ago i landed in the US, ready for a break, only to realize the state of my pre-chad life. as i walked by old haunts, i could clearly remember the last time i had been there and who i was with, what we talked about and what we did. the farmer's market, my favorite cafe and grocery store, circuit city, the mac store... i left in a hurry during the peak of summer, eager for my next adventure, literally living my life day by day in the city that i love, surrounded by the people i care about, dreaming of the day when i could just throw my clothes into my backpack and jump on the next plane to who-knows-where.

and i did it. all down to the last juicy detail. i got an amazing job, got on a plane (after having lived with a wonderful friend in dc, meeting great colleagues, and connecting with friends from near and far) and went to chad. 

emerging from my first post, having worked in an extreme situation for months, initially, i can say that i learned about resilience, struggle, strength, support, quality of life and empowerment. yes, though these seem like simple words, my perspective evolved about the depth and definition of these phrases, and i struggle each day to verbally express the meanings, but find that my words cannot do justice to what i witnessed. i learned about communication (thank you skype), my own values and limits, and who i am and who i can turn into...issues i had to face and really consider then. 

now, looking for direction and motivation while attempting to navigate changes in the city and myself, celebrating the recent events and developments in the lives of friends as well as making discoveries about life events, and trying to settle my ever-restless mind and body....all keep me on my toes, and make me wonder what could be next....