Dear friends and family,
Since
arriving in France, I've enjoyed a constant stream of novelties, from food
(lots and lots of new tastes), to city scenes and landscapes, to vocabulary, to friendly new faces... I could go on, but I think the point is made - these
first three weeks that I've been in France have been chockfull of discovery and
I have been in paradise running around and soaking it all in. A good friend
from camp asked me a few summers ago why I enjoyed traveling and I just thought
that was such a strange question. The memory popped into my head last week, and
like every other random thought these days, my friend's question got me reflecting
on what how my desire to travel reflects my character, affects my life
trajectory, and illustrates my spiritual disposition. Welcome to the life of a
20-something, liberal arts graduate discovering that her life is no longer a
color-in-the-lines type of book. Every thought and experience ultimately leads
to a moment of overly dramatic metaphysical reflection. Here's a quick
summary of my recent self-analysis.
Characteristics
of this travel lover
Positive:
curious, adventurous, adaptable, confident, engaged in the present, friendly,
enthusiastic
Negative:
can be easily bored, self-centered, sometimes lacking a big picture perspective
Working
on: being content in all situations, finding novelty and excitement without
having to be completely submersed in a new culture, establishing personal
ideals and goals that transcend cultural displacement, and of course enjoying
the opportunities I have now to learn and grow
Professional
reflections can't be very well summarized, sorry. I'll try to keep you updated
on that front but it's a little tumultuous at the moment.
Spiritual
connections: This reaction was largely inspired by the natural beauty that I've
been experiencing, and that I've been especially attentive to as a new arrival
to the region. One of my roommates Caro loves to run and we try to run together
with a few other friends every couple of days. We usually run around the port
or to a nearby island in the evenings, often just as the sun is beginning to
set. The views are absolutely stunning. If that scenery can't motivate me to
run off all the cheese and butter recently added to my diet then I don't know
what could. My morning car rides from the city into the countryside to
school are also incredibly beautiful. Maybe someday I'll try to snap a pic en
route. We drive east so we're headed towards the sunrise through rolling fields
occupied by cows and the occasional cornfield, all covered in a thick mist. As
the sun shines through the fog, adding light and color to the country
landscape, it is simply breathtaking.
I
feel like I am always in awe here. From the start of my day with the misty
sunrise to each beautiful sunset over the ocean or gulf. I love to feel that
sense of wonder and to be inspired by the beauty around me. I think that's a
natural human craving that we often seek to satisfy by traveling to new places
and seeking new sights. God provides glimpses of his greatness and creativity in
those moments to help teach us how to appreciate his beauty and how to stand in
awe of something and someone infinitely greater than ourselves and worthy of
our attention, and I’m really enjoying the lesson here.
So,
that wasn't a very good description of anything that you were probably wanting
to hear about, but now that I've started writing I'm hoping it will be easier
to make more regular posts. I don't exactly love blogging, but I do love those
of you who have asked me to write, and I'm so humbled and touched that you care
enough about me to want to stay updated on my life. Thank you.
Love,
Lauren
