Travel Tip: Be Assertive

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One of my favorite things about Gany is that she asks for what she wants.  She even asks for what I want, which is exactly what I like in a friend.

When we were driving into the Mongolian countryside, we passed a small strip of desert.  Some young boys were standing by the road with camel halters in hand.  “We’re going to stop to go to the bathroom,” Gany explained, pointing to the hole in the ground surrounded on three sides by bright orange tarp.  “Do you want to ride a camel?  It’s three dollars.”

I stared greedily out the window.  How fun!  But…this was just a bathroom break.  Gany and our driver wouldn’t want to wait while I rode a camel.  My friend watched my face, opened the car door, and said, “I will hire a camel for you.”  Continue reading →

My 4-Year Mongolia Anniversary

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Timehop reminded me that four years ago today, I was flying from Chicago to Seoul to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  I spent three weeks in the Asian country (south of Russia, north of China), and that trip remains one of my absolute favorite traveling memories, in large part because of how it came to be.

In the fall of 2010, Samaritan’s Purse Children’s Heart Project sent 14-year-old Sarangoo and her mother, Byamba, to Peoria, IL for heart surgery.  They stayed with a couple from my church, and the rest of our congregation poured food, entertainment, and love into their lives.  Except me.  I was recently returned home after college and five months in Senegal.  Bored with the familiar and feeling very single amongst married or dating friends, I was depressed.  And in my depression I couldn’t be bothered to help someone else.

Luckily for me, there was another depressed person in the mix.  Gany was Sarangoo’s translator, and their host family sent out an email that essentially read: “Gany is bored!  Will someone take her out for something fun?”  That sounded exactly like me, so I volunteered.  We went out to eat at Culver’s, took pictures of the Holocaust Memorial at the mall, and played the piano at my parent’s house.  Almost immediately, I knew I had found a kindred spirit.  Continue reading →

A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne

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If you’re me, there’s no way to read this book without thinking about Harry Potter.  And I think that’s the easiest sell!  What if Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, didn’t actually go through with killing Voldemort?  What if the prophecy was wrong, and Ron was the one to kill the Dark Lord?  A Hero at the End of the World is the absurd and hilarious followup to that situation.

Claiborne clearly delights in fantasy, and her parody of a wizarding Britain was the perfect blend of skewered detail.  Her world makes sense, even though the bad guy is named Duff Slan, and the dark magic is called Zaubernegativum.  It’s all ridiculous, and I loved it.

If you’ve read enough middle grade or YA fantasy to know the familiar tropes and plots, you will probably enjoy A Hero at the End of the World.  It is a great palate cleanser before diving back into the familiar world of heroes, magic, and the end of the world.  Continue reading →

StumbleUpon Sunday (7)

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StumbleUpon is a giant collection of the best pages on the Internet.

StumbleUpon is a great way to lose hours of your life.  Luckily, I braved the Internet vortex so you don’t have to.  This week I found these especially interesting websites:

  1. 16 Things I Know Are True But Haven’t Quite Learned Yet
    Great words of wisdom!  “All you need to do to finish things is keep starting them until they’re done.“
  2. Rashad Alabarov Paints with Shadows and Light
    These are so incredible I almost can’t believe they’re real.
  3. 35 Tumblr Posts That’ll Make You Reevaluate Your Entire Existence
    Hahaha!  Great (idiotic) thought-provoking scenarios like:  “I won’t take a bullet for anyone because if I have to jump in front of a bullet, you have time to move.”
  4. 31 Places Everyone Should Visit Before They Die
    Wow!  Chittorgarh, India looks like a fantasy land!  *checks flight costs*  AND #27 is incredibly useful.
  5. A Photo Exploration of the Nomadic Culture in Mongolia
    Mongolia!  Probably my favorite place I’ve visited, in terms of uniqueness and beauty.
  6. Bookshelf Porn
    If I weren’t before, I’m now convinced that my future home must be wall-to-wall bookshelves.
  7. Funny Airplane Announcements
    “As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.”
  8. Photos: What the Sky Should Look Like Without Light Pollution
    These are stunning.
  9. 10 Things You’ll See in Almost Every Tim Burton Film
    I love Tim Burton, and knowing he repeats himself does nothing to lessen my affection.
  10. 14 Amazing Psychology Facts Everyone Needs to Know
    Cool stuff!  I was especially intrigued by this one:  “Your decisions are more rational when thought in another language.”

My Roller Coaster of Patriotism

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Growing up, I don’t think I cared much about patriotism or America in any real way.  I got sentimental when “God Bless the USA” came on the radio after 9/11, but I was in middle school, and I was more preoccupied with how to be cool.

However, I am a bit of rebel, and if everybody loves one thing, I’m determined to love its opposite.  So when I went to Greece for the first time at age 16, I began to be actively anti-patriotic.  Greece had such history!  The United States was such a baby!  Then I got theological–if we are citizens of another kingdom, then why are people so adamant about their identities as Americans?

I’ve matured since then.  While I still believe we are an infant nation, and Christians shouldn’t cling to their identity as Americans, I’m definitely no longer anti-patriotic.  I cheer for America during sporting events (except when USA played Portugal in the World Cup, because, well, Christiano Ronaldo is more important than national loyalty).  I genuinely love American decadence.  Why eat an Oreo when it could be deep fried, covered in powdered sugar, and slathered in whipped cream?  That is so specifically American–wasteful and delicious–and some weird part of my heart is so proud.

There are a lot of things about the United States that I find ridiculous, and I think that’s healthy.  But we’re also a country that values exploration and pioneering, we interact with other countries in a strange blend of imperialism but with a compassionate heart, we celebrate and take joy and never stop working toward improving ourselves.

I guess I’m a patriot.  I think the United States of America is a hot mess, but I’m happy to be a part of that mess.  When I move to Greece next year, I will love and enjoy their culture.  But I’ll happily remind people that I’m an American (as if they will be able to forget, since I plan to wear a Hawaiian shirt and camera at all times)!

Happy 4th of July!

Video Rec: HeyUSA Season 2

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Last summer, I fell in love with HeyUSA, a video series about Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart traveling around the United States in order to wear weird outfits, drink a lot of alcohol, and participate in hilarious adventures.  I wrote a blog post about it!  When I found out there would be a second season, I was pumped.  When I found out Grace wouldn’t be in it, I avoided the videos for two months.  It just couldn’t be the same, I whined.  But in a moment of desperation (aka boredom), I caved.  And I’m so glad I did!   Continue reading →

Living in the Midwest

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I grew up in central Illinois.  My parents always wanted us out in the country with at least a couple acres of land separating us from the neighbors.  Every time houses or shopping complexes appeared within two miles of our house, complaints were made about increased traffic.  I reacted to this like every normal teenager:  by rebelling against everything they stood for and declaring myself a fan of big cities.

After living in Dallas for three years, I can officially say that I do like big cities.  The availability of unique and fantastic food and entertainment cannot be beat.  However, now that I’m back in Illinois, I can admit that there are some solid reasons to love the Midwest.  Continue reading →

Book Pages: UPDATE

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For those who haven’t explored my site thoroughly (shame on you, what are you doing with your life?), you may not know that when you let your mouse hover over the “Books” page at the top of the site, four more options appear.

The first two, “Title Archive” and “Author Archive,” are self-explanatory and remain unchanged.

The third, “Illinois Awards,” is a great place to go if you want recommendations on Middle Grade or Young Adult books.  Each year, librarians and teachers in Illinois compile a list of around twenty books for middle and high school students to vote on to determine the states’ favorite.  I just added the Lincoln Award list (for 9th-12th graders), and it has several of my favorite books on it!  I added links to my reviews, and I hope to add more as I make my way through the lists.

The fourth, “Recommended,” is my one-stop-shop for your book-related needs.  Rather than creating lists based upon genre or age level, I decided to sort my recommendations by type of Reading Need.  For instance, my “Give Me a Series So Engrossing I’ll Start Thinking It’s Real Life” is perfect for the summer, when you have a lot of time on your hands and you want to trick your brain into believing that elves live just beyond your vacation cabin in the woods.  I’ve just updated this page to include the books I’ve read most recently.  Check it out, and let me know if you agree or find something intriguing!

Made for More by Hannah Anderson

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Divided into three sections, I was initially unimpressed by Anderson’s book.  The first four chapters cover the biblical story of the gospel, and while it’s kind of awful to say it was boring, it also wasn’t anything new.  However, it was a necessary set up that led into part two…which was amazing.

Anderson’s main point is that understanding our identity as image bearers of God changes everything about how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to God.  She discusses what it means to love like God, be generous like God, think like God, reign like God, and live complexly yet holistically like God.  She is a very wise woman, obviously changed by her study, and her book is full of eye-openers like:

Because of this, imago dei knowledge is by necessity more than a dry, crusty intellectualism; it is more than a “worldview.”  As its root, imago dei knowledge is the capacity to wonder–to look for God’s fingerprints everywhere and then to stand in awe when you finally see Him.  Imago dei knowledge means searching for Him with childlike curiosity, wide-eyed and eager to discover who He is and the world He has made.

And while she never explicitly claims to be a feminist, I high-fived the air when I read,

Too often as women, we have restricted ourselves to the “pink” parts of the Bible.  When we identify first and foremost as women, we can begin to believe that knowledge of ourselves will come primarily through passages that speak to women’s issues or include heroines like Ruth or Esther.  But when we do this, when we craft our learning and discipleship programs around being “women,” we make womanhood the central focus of our pursuit of knowledge instead of Christ.

Made for More was a book-sized encouragement.  By reminding readers who we are, created to image God in creation, she elevates our calling and makes the world feel expansive, welcoming, and exciting.   Continue reading →

Goodbye Dallas

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Today I leave Dallas.

The three years I lived here weren’t especially fancy.  I arrived a 24-year-old, and now I am 27.  I graduated from seminary with a Master’s in Biblical Counseling.  I traveled to three new states.  I got a tattoo.

But the most significant memories are subtler.  I lived with six women who taught me, laughed with me, and let me rant about gender roles in the church.  I nannied two children who adored my silliness.  I learned from professors who deepened my understanding of my identity as person made in the image of God.  I attended a church that taught me to depend upon weekly Communion and the grace of God.

I think, though, that the biggest change that has happened in Dallas has been my emotional growth due to my time spent in counseling.  I attended 20 individual sessions, and my primary goal was to learn to be vulnerable, especially when it came to showing sadness and anger.  I grew a lot during those sessions, but mostly I intellectualized myself away from really sharing how I felt.  I never cried in front of my counselor.

I attended 8 group counseling sessions, and my world broke open.  I opened up about some really hard feelings, cried (and apologized for crying) in front of my peers, and heard, “Before, I just thought you were ‘nice,’ but I didn’t really know you.  Now you’re a real person.  I like you more because you let yourself cry.”  That was the first time I cried in front of someone since high school, I think.

Yesterday, my church commissioned me for my time in Greece.  Our elders laid hands and prayed for me and several other men and women going on mission trips.  I hugged my church family goodbye, and immediately teared up.  “I didn’t want to cry!” I said.  The person I hugged happened to be a counselor.  “Why don’t you want to cry?” he asked.  “No, don’t do that!” Another friend came up and hugged me.  She’s tall, so I got to bury my face in her shoulder and sob a little.  And she’s emotionally healthy, so she cried with me.  When we made watery eye contact, she told me, “Your tears are precious.”

I cried a lot yesterday.  I said goodbye to dear friends that I consider family.  I ate, laughed, and hugged.  And now I’m leaving.  But my tears are precious, because they mean that Dallas mattered.  I had so much fun here.  I’ll miss this place, and my time here, deeply.  And I’ll be back.