Clinton or Obama?
This is the question I was asked this morning by a total stranger. I was in a used book store with two books of French paperbacks. I wanted to sell them to the manager and once she found out I was American, she asked, "So, Clinton or Obama?"
I laughed and said, "McCain." She went on to suggest that we needed younger, fresher blood in our government and we had a spirited discussion of American politics for a few moments while we wheeled and dealed over the books. I had been in France only a matter of hours and it was the second conversation about politics I'd had!
After the quickest overseas flight and layover ever--seven hours from DC to Paris, 45 minutes of crossing the terminal at a run to make the next flight, and an hour to Bordeaux, I met my friends and colleagues at the airport. I lost an entire night's sleep, getting only an hour catnap on the second flight, and I had to work a full-day's work immediately after arrival.
One of the most pressing things for me was to sell all of my belongings. Just this past week, I joked to another missionary that he might need some of my stuff. He didn't laugh--he agreed. Yesterday was the only day he was available to drive down to Bordeaux with a moving truck, so after an hour of breakfast and "refreshing" my tired self, we went to my storage unit and started loading his moving truck. Four hours later, his truck was packed so full (and so well) that he could take no more. We had a late lunch and spent the afternoon working on the final documents for the transfer of my Speed-the-Light jeep to his ownership. I ended up making it all the way to 8:30 pm - 32 hours awake - a personal record I hope never to repeat!
My storage place now has no furniture, but still has boxes of clothes, kitchen stuff, hobby paraphernalia, and more. I am slowly making my way through that, so I can save the things that are personal and valuable to me. I still have a few days here to sort through it all, and I've already discovered a family in need who will reap the majority of it once I've got it all reboxed up.
Driving around today, I felt at home, in the sense that I remember everything, but I also felt totally at peace that being here is just a "trip" not a "missionfield" for me anymore. I'm glad for Chris Bryan and the Novicks who do feel called here and are doing great work, but I'm meant for the Middle East, and I'm thankful for that.
I laughed and said, "McCain." She went on to suggest that we needed younger, fresher blood in our government and we had a spirited discussion of American politics for a few moments while we wheeled and dealed over the books. I had been in France only a matter of hours and it was the second conversation about politics I'd had!
After the quickest overseas flight and layover ever--seven hours from DC to Paris, 45 minutes of crossing the terminal at a run to make the next flight, and an hour to Bordeaux, I met my friends and colleagues at the airport. I lost an entire night's sleep, getting only an hour catnap on the second flight, and I had to work a full-day's work immediately after arrival.
One of the most pressing things for me was to sell all of my belongings. Just this past week, I joked to another missionary that he might need some of my stuff. He didn't laugh--he agreed. Yesterday was the only day he was available to drive down to Bordeaux with a moving truck, so after an hour of breakfast and "refreshing" my tired self, we went to my storage unit and started loading his moving truck. Four hours later, his truck was packed so full (and so well) that he could take no more. We had a late lunch and spent the afternoon working on the final documents for the transfer of my Speed-the-Light jeep to his ownership. I ended up making it all the way to 8:30 pm - 32 hours awake - a personal record I hope never to repeat!
My storage place now has no furniture, but still has boxes of clothes, kitchen stuff, hobby paraphernalia, and more. I am slowly making my way through that, so I can save the things that are personal and valuable to me. I still have a few days here to sort through it all, and I've already discovered a family in need who will reap the majority of it once I've got it all reboxed up.
Driving around today, I felt at home, in the sense that I remember everything, but I also felt totally at peace that being here is just a "trip" not a "missionfield" for me anymore. I'm glad for Chris Bryan and the Novicks who do feel called here and are doing great work, but I'm meant for the Middle East, and I'm thankful for that.