My Two Cents

The other day someone commented that my blog reads like a travel blog. It's funny because blogging is just like any other area of your life; you learn what to do and what not to do over time and there's an 'etiquette' involved. What I've learned over the last year and a half is that this little bit of writing is available to all the world at the touch of a button, and so I have been careful to write with an 'informative' style. The problem with writing and then publishing immediately is that without a 'cooling period' there is the chance that the emotion that was written into a blog at say one o'clock has mellowed by 5 o'clock.

I realize that I have to use wisdom. If I had written about my emotional state on one of my homesick days, people back home would have taken up a collection and couriered me a ticket home. However, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to support my husband while he pursues a dream job in a place where there are palm trees (his personal dream for years), to encourage my kids in their education and personal development, and to find a niche of my own while I am here. On most days, I love it here. There are some times when I don't understand the cultural aspects around me and if I blogged about it I'd sound like a complaining whiner. I am a guest in this country, and if I was to write about all of the negative aspects of living here, what good is that to me and to those who are hosting me? Granted, I have shared a variety of stories, some funny, some sad, and some even kind of gross, but those go with the adventure of living here. Sometimes I neglect to write about the homesickness, the smells, the disgusting habits of some, and that's on purpose. I have chosen to keep some of my opinions to myself. I do realize though, that I need to continue to be honest and when it's necessary, share that through this blog.

People ask if I like it here. Yes I do. Will we be here a long time? I don't know. We're here until June 2011 for sure, and we'll take each year as it comes. Do I miss Canada? You'd better believe it. I miss the grandeur of BC, I miss quiet roads, I miss walking through cool trails and even cooler lakes. I especially miss my family and friends, sometimes to the point where I shed tears when no one is looking. Am I content? Yes, I am content in that I am where I am supposed to be. I am not always happy that my life takes these big turns and sometimes leaves me spinning, but I am learning through it all. This new life has been a huge learning curve and I am thankful for it. I'm curious to see where I'll be in a year from now, and what I'll be doing.

Chances are the next blog post will read like a travel blog, but I'll try and include some emotion in it now and then. I promise that I will always try and include photos...they say more than any words I could put together.

Thanks for reading.