Being Thankful

A year ago, I was in Ghana on my PULSE assignment.  Thanksgiving dinner was a fried turkey that had been bought that morning by our cook and killed that afternoon by our caretaker.  Since my housemates were all from places other than the US, it was the first Thanksgiving that they had ever celebrated.  What I enjoyed most about that experience is recognizing how truly privileged I was to be having such a non-traditional Thanksgiving day experience.  The meaning of the holiday was not lost on me, as I was unbelievably thankful to have the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving someplace where I recognized how much I really had to be thankful for.

This year I was away from home for Thanksgiving, but it didn't involve crossing an ocean.  We headed out out to the mountains to the house that once belonged to my husband's grandparents.  The crystal blue sky and moderate temperatures made us all happy to share the heavy burden of raking up a yard full of leaves and then (here comes the fun part) burning them in a huge bonfire.  Oddly enough, the smoke of the bonfire drew me back to my Thanksgiving experience from last year, since one of the main ways that my Kumasi neighbors got rid of trash was by burning it.  I took on the self-appointed role of fire marshal and kept the fire burning happily all evening until it was time for us to drive home.

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In years past, I was excited to pull out the Christmas decorations and Griswold-up the house with everything from colored lights to an animated polar bear.  But I just can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  Part of it is my lack of interest in the shopping and sales that has become such a key part of the holiday season.  I much prefer the Christmas season that I had last year that culminated with a very unique but unbelievably magic Christmas day at the Wli Waterfalls (see this post for a reminder of that experience).  Much like the Thanksgiving described above, being away from the more commercial aspects of the holidays helped me get in touch with the reasons for the holiday season.

Another part of my restlessness is not knowing what my next big adventure/goal will be.  Last year, of course, it was my time in Ghana, and in previous years I had found my passion in many ways, often involving being part of an ultimate team.  But these days I'm feeling a bit unfocused and unclear on my direction.  But I probably just need to sit with this feeling and see where life takes me next.

The Garden Isle

The sign of a successful vacation: losing track of the time of day and even the day of the week.  (I think it might be Sunday and, since it's pitch-black, it must be after 7 pm.)  I type this from a wicker chair in the center of a cement-floored cottage on the Garden Isle, more popularly known as Kauai, the northernmost of the major Hawaiian islands.  LJ and I have had a relaxing few days here with lazy days on the beach, beautiful hikes through the mountains,plenty of sleep, and lots of yummy local seafood and other eats.

Rain is an ever-present threat in Hawaii this time of year, especially on the rainy island of Kauai, but we've been pretty lucky so far.  Other than a downpour on the night we arrived and a few showers while hiking one day, we haven't seen too much rain.  Without any major storms on the horizon, the ocean has been pretty safe to swim in on the more protected east and south sides of the island. Which is a fantastic thing, because the ocean is where you can find.... sea turtles!  (For those of you who don't know, sea turtles are one of my favorite things to see in the ocean.  Any dive trip where I can see some sea turtles is automatically a wonderful trip.)  I spent many happy minutes floating over a sleeping sea turtle in the reef-protected waters at Ke'e beach.  While at the beach, we also saw a resting monk seal on the beach.  Just seeing those two animals made my trip worth it.  But they are not the only animals on the island.  Geckos can be found all over the place, including inside the house.  And then there are the chickens.

Kauai is known for its ridiculous number of feral chickens, with roosters and chickens all over the island.  These roosters are as time-challenged as the ones that lived in our garden in Kumasi, crowing at all times of day and night.  The other day on Ke'e beach, there were two roosters that seemed to be having a crowing contest or a conversation, I'm not sure which.  They were less than enthused by the appearance of an energetic, happy dog, which caused them to demonstrate their limited flying skills to escape the dog.

My holiday spirit made an appearance at the Festival of Lights parade on Friday night.  I was conflicted about whether or not we should fight the potential crowds but it seems that only a few thousand of the 60K+ locals and tourists decided to show up to watch the parade.  Maybe that's because the rest of them were in it.  Practically every organization on Kauai, from government to churches to youth groups, had a float or a group in the parade.  Even random local people got in on it by decorating baby carriages and shopping carts with lights and decorations.  One of the many Santas in the parade announced to us spectators how he was different from all the rest: "I'm a young, skinny, versatile Santa."  With that sort of entertainment, who won't get in the holiday spirit?

The Next Chapter

Welcome to my new home on the web. Looking back on my life so far, it seems to neatly fall into 4- to 7-year-long chapters.  The most recent chapter, which was focused on my first few years of full-time work, culminated in my experience in the PULSE program in Kumasi, Ghana.  The word "life-altering" is not too big to describe how that opportunity has changed me.  (If you made the transition from my Ghana blog, you probably have a decent understanding of why I want to be out here sharing my life with all of you.) 

But what happens once the life-changing experience ends?  I posted a few times within the Ghana blog about it, but to me, a new chapter in life calls for a new place to share these thoughts.  Now that I've been back in my "real" life for over 6 months, I still see the world in a different way.  Over time, the rawness and newness of my experiences are fading, only to be replaced for an even deeper appreciation for the gift I was given that so few ever have--the opportunity to step outside myself and my life and see the world in a totally new way.  I get little glimpses of that perspective whenever I travel anywhere, whether it's across the state or across the globe.  It's part of the reason why I love to travel, whether it's for work or for pleasure or both.

This blog will include glimpses of my travel experiences, along with thoughts on--as the title indicates--Life, the Universe, and Some (other) Things.  Hope you enjoy the ride.