Shared time

Working in international development you meet a lot of people...a LOT.  Long Way Home has played host to volunteers from over 25 different countries & as a result, I have had the pleasure of getting to know people from all over the world. Each volunteer has a unique story that gets told over camp fires, playing cards & walks to market.  I have met divers, builders, teachers, nurses, social entrepreneurs...well, the list goes on & on really...people from all walks of life...taking some time to invest in their global citizenship....& it's awesome.....mostly.

~so true~

The down-side...it's a lot like speed dating (I imagine anyway - I've never actually speed dated).  By that I mean that just as you are starting to realize how interesting the person in front of you is...BING....time's up, please move to the next table....bummer.  There are times when I find myself on the brink of a potentially promising connection with someone new only to be slapped in the face by the reality that they will depart soon. Granted, there is some time to develop a friendship but, they are moving on to more adventures, more traveling or back to their normal life...& I am moving on also...to daily adventures in the life of an expat, work to be done & a new batch of volunteers.  The speed dating begins again.

It's a very dynamic energy stream in my life...with new faces comes new enthusiasm, new stories, & a renewed sense of excitement about the work I get to do each day.  There is a great sense of awe each time I meet someone who is passionate about being involved, traveling, learning new ways of building, & living new adventures.  There is typically a firestorm of exchange...ideas, philosophies, challenges, etc.

What makes this situation the most interesting to me is two-fold.  First, there are times when this limited interaction lends itself to the development of a deeper friendship with some of the new folks that I cross paths with....thank you Facebook. It is true that I stay connected with some of my new friends through
emails & chats on the "Holy book of Face"...which is a blessing.  I have had the opportunity to share some time with different friends that I met here in Guatemala while I'm state-side...& it is always a blast to catch up with them...see what they are doing now, look at photos of the progress made here on site, reminisce about some of the crazy things that happened while they were in-country....recalling our shared experiences.  

~livin' it up in the windy city~ 

The second interesting outcome is a new appreciation for the people that have been in my life for many years. You know the kind of friends I'm talking about....we were young & stupid together. In the early years it was ditching classes to go lay in the sun or hitting the concert scene during an endless summer.  In later years it was being their maid of honor & coming together to mourn the loss of a dear friend. It is the culmination of more than just shared experiences...we've shared time...great swaths of time.

~hey soul sisters~

There is a common experience among expats of feeling disconnected from their origins upon return.  In the time living abroad, engulfed in a new community & culture, we often have challenges being back in a familiar environment that has become strangely.... unfamiliar.  Often we struggle to make connections to those in our lives that help make this lifestyle possible.  And while I have found this to be true in some cases it is comforting to know that it doesn't always play out that way.

I think everyone can relate to the situation of needing a vacation AFTER your vacation.  There is often so much going on during a vacation that it can be a bit exhausting.  All that fun can be draining....which is the exact opposite feeling that we anticipate when we start off.  The primary goal of vacation....to have a moment to recharge, relax, and be nurtured by the comforts that are not a part of an average day.

~sunshine in seattle...let's hit the beach!~

So, after a 6 month stretch in Guatemala I made a trip state-side with one goal in mind...share some time.  Do a whole lot of nothing with the people that have been around when I've been wildly entertaining...& a complete bore.  The greatest gift of these friendships is that even if the only thing you do is lay in the sunshine...it's perfect....simply because you are sharing the same space.  No need to answer questions or think of something clever to say....just be....together. She can tell immediately if you are cranky....he knows exactly how to make you laugh out loud. There is comfort in the silence & you can breath easy in the knowledge that no matter how different your day to day lives are...there is a limitless connection...& that is what nurtures you.