Finally

Ah, I started this blog with high hopes! I was going to provide an in-depth look at life in another culture, blow by blow, with frequent updates. And I’ve been here six and a half weeks (47 days) and haven’t posted until now, so you can see how that worked out. There are a few reasons. The first is simple; I moved after three weeks to a place without the internet. We’re hoping to get it soon, but I’m not in charge of that effort, so I have to be patient. It’s difficult to blog when you have to rely on internet cafes most of the time. Wi-fi isn’t that common here, and I’m not too keen on taking my laptop out in public. (I'm almost the only person I know here who hasn't been robbed!) I might do it once a week, but then you have to buy something from the restaurant, so you have to analyze the cost-benefit ratio, etc., etc.

The second is that I’ve simply been busy and, often, overwhelmed. Jumping into a new place is hard, especially when you’re working and trying to make ends meet. I knew it would be, but you can’t truly prepare emotionally. At least, I couldn’t. I did the best I could and that’s all you can do. The idea of blogging was just another stressor, one more “you should.” And honestly, a lot of days I don’t have much positive to say. I’m coming to a point where I think that’s okay, where you can still make that into an interesting blog post, but that takes some effort. Some days you don’t have that energy. Blogging takes effort- at least, for me. It’s the act of summarizing some of your experiences and thoughts, and maybe even making conclusions. Certainly leaving the door open for others to make conclusions. I’m not always ready to make conclusions or hear others’ thoughts.

So eventually I decided not to worry about blogging until I felt ready. Melissa Scott (a friend from my K-12 days, now a nurse in Richmond, IN [congrats!]) gave me some good food for thought; I don’t need to worry about presenting things to others. I can just experience them and that’s okay. That might sound simple, but for me it was quite a comforting thought. She mentioned the John Mayer song “3x5”- if you know it, you’ll understand.

I guess I’m ready to blog now, at least a little. One reason is that I’m interested in writing for an organization here that aids travelers, and I need to have more writing to show for myself. I've been out of the habit for too long for someone who often considers making writing something of a profession. But more importantly, I think it’d be good for me. So expect more very shortly.

I leave you with this thought. If you hear the Doors playing somewhere, go towards the source. I can’t explain it, but nothing bad will happen, and something good often does. There’s no deep meaning or crazy background story to this. It’s just good advice.