As I write, my bus is departing South Station. I am exchanging the grandeur of one great city (Boston), for the grandeur of another (D.C.), though I live in the heart of neither. Welcome to 2009, Jen.
My vacation started out with a bang. 15 minutes after departing the station in D.C., my bus broke down. 2 hours on the side of the road and a few phone calls later, I said "goodbye" to my newfound Belgian Professor friend and "hello" (again) to my buddy, Ryan, who had dropped me off that morning. Ryan graciously agreed to transport me from point "breakdown" to point "pick up", where my generous friends, Matt and Kendra, who were traveling to NH by car, would collect me a few hours later. In between, Ryan and I had time to grab a yummy Chinese meal as well as a cup of coffee and discuss how people change/grow/get beyond the crap in their past. As always, it was an enlightening time of verbal processing. Fun car time with matt and Kendra followed. I was delighted to find kindred spirits who enjoy playing "2 Truths and a Lie" as much as I do. Gotta' love the life-long influence of youth ministry on a person... :)
So, that's how my winter break started. Other highlights included:
1. Snow!
I enjoyed a white Christmas and watching the flakes fall while I sat inside a warm house, nestled in front of the fireplace. I also enjoyed the fact that I would soon be returning to a warmer climate and would not have to endure four more months of this weather!2. Wayfam Girls' Day Out
Mom, Meg and I spent a Saturday bonding over manicures, lunch out and shopping. It feels good to spoil yourself every once in a while; Mom's birthday and Christmas gifts provided the perfect excuse to do so!
It used to be that when I came home I would try to squeeze in as much people-time as possible. I marvel at the way my socializing tendencies have changed. Ever since my time in Africa, I've noticed my introvert tendencies poking out in unexpected ways. I didn't get to see as many friends as I would have liked (partially because some folks were out of town for the holidays), but I'm so grateful for the time I did have with so many wonderful, quality people.
4. Paula's Cinnamon Roles
I ate THE ABSOLUTE BEST cinnamon roles I have EVER h ad in my ENTIRE life and then, was blown away when Paula surprised me with a batch of these made special for my mom's birthday breakfast.
5. Mom's Birthday Breakfast
Complete with the presence of Aunt Sheri and Ryan (Meg's boyfriend)6. Late Night conversations with my dear, dear sister
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7. Watching "The Tale of Despereaux"
A must see for all ages! My favorite quote: "Whenever you have hope, you're never really anybody's prisoner."
8. Watching old family movies with my family
Though, I must admit that while the flicks made me laugh harder than I have in a while, there was a deep twinge of embarrassment mixed in with the laughter. (Were we really that lame? Was I smoking crack when I dressed myself? What was I thinking when I acted that way?)
Maybe it was the mixture of watching old family movies and being back in the land of past versions of myself that made going home both wonderful and, at times, depressing. In some ways I am the same old Jen I've always been; in other ways, I'm not. I think differently, I live differently, I relate to people differently, and (thank God!) I dress differently. I have history in this place. I have history and love and relationships and experiences that have shaped me and made me the woman I am today. There's a love here that will always be "home" for me. I will hold onto all that is good. But I do not need to be confined by my past failures, roles and paradigms...
As my bus journeys on toward NY on this fine day, January 1, 2009, I think about some of my goals and hopes for this next year: Join a gym and start exercising on a more regular basis...read through the Bible in one year. (Just kidding! I gave up on those darn reading plans a while ago. Somwhere around Leviticus I always drop out.) But seriously, I do want to make more sacred space in my life... work on being content...play music....start on my Master's degree...
The irony in all of this is that it's quite possible that 10-20 years from now I'll be watching old home movies of myself, now, (in whatever technological form they may take) and think, Was I really that lame? Was I smoking crack when I dressed myself? What was I thinking when I acted that way?
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