Lessons from a 6,000-Mile-Long Trip

New discoveries awaited us on our 6,000 mile road trip last month.   Our trip covered the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and a brief jaunt to Ontario (to sign real estate papers).  We certainly experienced America afresh, since we had become accustomed to the flatter landscape and fewer options where we live in Saskatchewan.

After crossing the border into North Dakota, the kids loved mixing their own soft drinks with the new custom soda machines at restaurants.  Peach Sprite was their top pick.  We also discovered how challenging it can be to find accommodations for a family of six.  The mid-range motels often worked best for us because we could get a suite for less than the cost of two rooms.  Maybe some day we will take on the challenge of camping, but our childhood memories tell us to proceed with caution.

As we made our way across the midwest, we enjoyed seeing some of the World Cup soccer matches.  I was impressed to encounter so many soccer fans in Columbus, Ohio.  Unfortunately it was difficult to find radio broadcasts of this worldwide sports phenomenon when we were in the minivan (which was a lot).  Do Americans really love baseball so much?  I guess I was oblivious.

Takeaway #1: Carry Protein

One practical thing that worked well for us was buying high-quality meat jerky as a protein snack on the road.  It helped us make it beyond the next highway exit when we wanted more options for where to stop and eat.  Being the exotic meat aficionado that he is, my husband bought kangaroo, ostrich, bison, and venison jerkies.  No Slim Jims for us.

Takeaway #2: Think Inside the Box

While searching a big box store for a travel container for baby wipes, I was astonished to find that a zippered case travel wipe pack cost nearly four dollars ($3.77 I believe it was)!  Nope, not gonna do that.  But I needed a container that would find in my purse--without robbing me of so much cash.  It took time to search and ponder what to do, but I settled on a refillable green plastic soap case that cost less than a dollar.  It served us well throughout the trip!

Takeaway #3: State Parks are Worth Exploring

En route to my parents in Oklahoma, we thought it would be fun to stop at one of Missouri's caves.  We avoided the steeper prices at the caves you see advertised on billboards.  Instead, we had a wonderful tour of Fisher's Cave, which was less flashy and more scientific.  Just what we wanted.  As an added bonus, the motel at Meramac State Park offered us a more affordable (spartan) room that slept six.  Getting off the interstate a few miles was definitely worth it for us.

In Oklahoma, we visited a park I remembered enjoying as a girl with my parents, Red Rock Canyon.  Even my two-year-old now has memories of our adventures hiking and swimming there.  I am so glad we went, and thankful that the weather was not too hot to consider spending time outdoors.

Upon Reflection

We were thankful to connect with family and friends we had not been able to visit in three years, and many got to meet our youngest daughter for the first time.  What's more, we celebrated a golden wedding anniversary for my parents-in-law and the wedding of our oldest niece.  It was an important trip, but not a vacation per se.

My husband and I returned to Canada feeling like we needed to get away more often.  Even if it's just to the nearest larger city in our our province.  Refreshment needs to happen.  We got a taste of it at family camp in May, which was helpful.  But we are nearing the end of summer wishing for more.

What do you consider to be the difference between a trip and a vacation for you? 

This post may be linked here.

3 Reasons Why Family Camp Was Just What We Needed

 I have good memories of going off to summer camp as a kid.  But my own family hadn't had a chance to go away to a camp until this past weekend.  And I'm so glad we went.  Here are three reasons why.

1.  The Fresh Air and Scenery

Where we live the land is flat and not particularly interesting.  There are no lakes, rivers, or ponds in our community, nor are there many flowers around, even after all the snow melts.  So it was lovely to enjoy the view at the water's edge and see the green hills of the Qu'Appelle Valley on our way there and back.  I spent many hours roaming the grounds with my youngest daughter and skipping rocks at the shoreline of the lake while my other children explored and collected rocks and shells.

2. The Food

I was unsure what to expect from the dining hall.  Memories of camp food from my childhood did not inspire me to expect much.  However, the volunteers at our camp made some fantastic meals and evening snacks for us.  The highlight was fresh donuts.  Move over Tim Horton's. Eunice makes some of the best in the country!

3.   The Freedom!

The best feature for me and my husband was that our kids were not always with us.  Not only that, I was free from my household responsibilities like preparing meals and doing laundry, while my husband was able to leave his job responsibilities at the office for the whole long weekend.  So we relished the opportunities to listen to Bible teaching twice a day while our children were engaged elsewhere in the children's program.  And there were other moments to sit and talk when our kids were busy playing and running around the campground.  We came back truly refreshed.

What are your summer camp memories?

Do you have a favorite spot you like to go for getaways?

I'm sharing this at the Pintastic Pinteresting Party and Thrive at Home Thursdays.

A Springtime Picnic Snack

Today is graduation day for the college students in our tiny town.  While my husband dons an academic robe, I am home with the kids, two of whom are asleep.  On my second daughter's list of things to do today was "surprise for Mom." After lunch, she invited me outside for this:

 

 

Learning Moments

With only one child around, it's easy for me to get caught up in tasks I want to accomplish.  A cleaner house has seemed almost within reach some days (though not this past week).  But perhaps, instead of pursuing my agenda, what I should be doing is taking the chance to sit down on the floor with my little guy or go outside together and play.  That is where some of the best parent-child memories are made.  And these tender, teachable moments are what mothering a preschooler is all about.  Right?

Sorting Coins Together

What is helpful is to have a plan for each day I spend at home with my three-year-old son.  Until they both went off to school this fall, he's always had one or more of sisters around to occupy him.   We've both had to adjust to their absence.

Hopscotch!

Several of our most enjoyable learning and play activities this month have come from these activity calendars from Quirky Momma.  They have helped nudge me along in the right direction and be more intentional as a parent.  Choosing just one simple activity to do together (in addition to reading books) adds fun and purpose to our days.

I'm linking up to Steady Mom's 30-Minute Blog Challenge this week.

Looking Back: Things I Learned, Loved and Miss from Asia

As my husband and I contemplate our ten years of marriage this summer, I was reminded of the importance of looking back to some of the formative experiences he and I have shared so far. In a new multi-part series, Looking Back, I am unpacking several episodes that influenced us from the time he and I met until now. Today, Part 1 offers glimpses of what we loved and learned during our years in China and Vietnam.

                         photo by Viajar24h.com 

Three months after I graduated with my bachelor's degree, I got my first passport and headed across the ocean to work as a university EFL teacher in China.  Many Americans and even a few Asians said they admired that I was willing to give up so much.  However, by living abroad for seven years, I came to admire and relish the simpler way of life surrounding me each day.

A majority of the college students I knew mostly lived without:

1. Refrigerators
2. Washing machines
3. Electric dryers
4. Hot water
5. Different outfits for each day of the week
6. Ovens
7. Cars
8. Personal computers
9. Cell phones
10. Air conditioners

In the years since I taught in China and Vietnam, things have changed quickly, with technology becoming more available to the masses.  Many students now have their own cell phones and computers, especially in the big cities like Hanoi and Changchun.  But I doubt that the overall ease of living has changed that much, as you can see here.

As a foreign teacher (and then a stay-at-home mom) in Asia, I possessed many things that many local people did not.  I had a computer, a refrigerator, a toaster oven, and a passport.  However, I also learned that I could live with hot water just four nights a week, no car, line drying clothes in my apartment all year, and teach with only a chalkboard and CD player.  I came to enjoy my frequent trips to the open air markets, my visits to the dorm rooms (which sometimes held ten to twelve girls each), and the amazingly authentic local Chinese and Vietnamese food that sprang from just a wok, a gas burner, and an electric rice cooker.

In both China and Vietnam, it was true that babies didn't wear diapers, not every family had a refrigerator, and electricity was not a 24/7 guarantee.  But once I learned some of the local language, shopping was a true pleasure--even without coupons!  Each outing was a chance to chat with the shopkeeper or seller about what I needed and answer a few personal questions.  Admittedly, my fair skin and blue eyes meant I was not just another face in the crowd, but there were plenty of regular customers who would sometimes linger to chat before leaving with their purchase.  It wasn't "just business," it was personal.  And that familiarity is one of many aspects I miss still.

I wonder, whatever happened to the kind old man who stood outside guarding motorbikes across from the rose sellers?  He would often run to the pile of discarded but still-beautiful fresh flowers (which were too short to sell in the standard bundle) and give a floral bloom to my daughter as we passed by that day.  And what about the Vietnamese English teachers who met with me and my American friends for an intercultural play group?  Do they ever recall our conversations about differences in child rearing and family life?  And I wonder what has become of the student who spent so much time with me that she once said (in amazement) that she forgot for a moment I was not Chinese.  It is a little painful to bring back those precious moments, knowing how far away they are from my current life in the American midwest.

While I am still sad about the faces I left behind, I remain thankful to have seen how millions of people can get along just fine without all the trappings most Americans now deem essential.  I wish I were not so swept up in the busyness and the possessions that can sometimes crowd out even casual friendships.  To have meaningful, personal, face-to-face connections, one has to make room.

So when I think back to the people and places I knew in Asia, I did not see abject poverty at every turn. Most people had their daily needs met.  What I mainly remember is the rugged simplicity and the time that ordinary people had (and took) for relationships.  When I don't keep things simple and I allow relationships to be neglected, it is I who am the impoverished one.

A simpler life and more time for friendships--these are two things my husband and I miss and seek to create in our current context.  How do you pursue these goals in your current season of life?  Have you been able to simplify and make time for people?  If so, I would love to know how.

Putting Facebook to Good Use

 

Since I am fairly unlikely to call up a friend on the phone, it's great to have other quick options for efficient communication.   However, of my 200 plus friends who have joined Facebook, most seem to have hit the wall of Facebook-fatigue last year.  My updates have slowed as well, but I still want to put this social networking thing to good use.  I have drawn the line at the online games.  I do not play them, since I spend too much time on the internet already.  But the community spirit that Facebook games embody intrigues me.  However, instead of getting virtual help to build something on my farm, I like to use Facebook to interface with real life situations I am facing. 

Here are a few ways I've used Facebook to help myself or others in the real world.

1. In my status update, I have made open requests to borrow items, like the cup here, which I requested to hold the blueberry punch recipe I created.  And I've been meaning to put out another request soon for a crochet hook--hopefully today!
2. When I have needed to find childcare, I have tagged local friends in notes.  So far my efforts have met with success each time, even when I made a last-minute plea (which is not unusual for me).
3. I have invited friends to join me in an activity.  Most recently, I welcomed others to join me in a daily singing experiment.  It was fascinating to see who responded, near and far (mostly far).

Perhaps these will inspire you to try your hand at using social networking to build true 3-D community.  Way back in 2008, I mentioned some tips I came across for Christians using Facebook, and the above examples are ways I've tried to put that advice into action.  Happy facebooking, everyone!

You can find this and many other links to helpful ideas at Works for Me Wednesday.

Misadventures and Shared Moments

Despite a series of misadventures, we made it to
Oklahoma to see my sister and parents. We arrived minus one important purple suitcase, but that wasn't the airline's fault. It was mine! I seemed to be a magnet for mishaps on this trip. My eldest daughter, on the other hand, was a generator of creative solutions.

Her solution to the missing case of kids' clothes started with a question-- "Do they have a second hour?"
By that she meant Sunday school. Her proposal was that her younger sister wear the skirt we had with us and attend the first hour. Then my eldest would swap clothes with her and wear the skirt for the second session. Meanwhile, her grandma and grandpa came up with another solution: a last-minute Saturday night shopping spree. My idealistic, cost-free idea to find clothes to borrow did not happen, but we did appreciate having our needs met. On Sunday morning, however, the girls chose two wear two "vintage" dresses that had belonged to me as a girl.

Solution Gal's next idea was a contingency plan, in case our minivan broke down (which it thankful did not). If we had to abandon the vehicle and walk the rest of the way to grandma's, her little brother could be pulled in the wheeled suitcase--the black one I did manage to put in the trunk.

Fog and sickness also assailed us on our trip, but we enjoyed the 60 degree weather and fine views of grass further south. And there was still some of Mom's fruitcake left!

Besides marveling at my daughter's ingenuity, I also was amazed by God's goodness in providing a job to my younger sister. I had not seen her since the summer and it was important to reconnect in person. Furthermore, my children got to spend time with their grandparents, creating a paper bouquet for them to keep during the quieter months ahead.
On the way back home, we broke our journey in Kansas, where Jhona lives. After meeting over Company Girl coffee several months ago, I enjoyed getting to know her and her kids as three-dimensional people. We appreciated how she welcomed us so warmly.

Now it's back to real life. I am hoping to be less forgetful in the coming weeks as we settle back into a routine!

Craft of the Week: Turning Paper Scraps into Pumpkins

Due to my current coupon fanaticism, I'm constantly on the lookout for printable coupons. But clipping printable coupons creates a lot of odd sized paper scraps, which can get strewn about en route to their recycling destination.


This week we made use of those awkward pieces by coloring some with orange crayons, cutting them into strips, and creating a paper pumpkin. My daughter and I were delighted with the simple process and colorful results.


Paper Pumpkin Materials List:

• Paper towel tube
• Paper scraps (at least 8'' long)
  
• Orange and green crayons
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Where to Find Directions:

The project idea was from the folks at Crayola. Visit this page for step-by-step instructions.

For other craft and home project ideas, head to DIY Day for inspiration.

Narrowing One's Choices to Build Connections in a Broken World

This week I was inspired by an excerpt in the The Week magazine,"Why we hate us", by Richard Meyer, from his book by the same title. Meyer describes, quite accurately I think, how American society is breaking down and we are left frustrated and angry. The reason? We've cut ourselves adrift from tradition and one another.

At the close of the excerpt, however, he offers an idea on how he is taking a small but brilliant step to remedy the problem. He does it on his lunch break. Meyer recalls how it started with ordering a sandwich:

"...The sandwich had tomato on it. I asked for no tomato.

I vowed to never, ever buy lunch on a workday from a stranger again...So now I get lunch from Frank, Art, or Tommy, guys I have come to be friends with who run three different places. I like them...Lunch is now a social part of my day, and I feel like I work in a real neighborhood, which it really isn't. I love being a regular. I love purposefully limiting my choices instead of expanding them...I don't ever hate lunch anymore. I consider lunch one of my greatest triumphs."

-From Why We Hate Us by Dick Meyer. Crown Publishers, 2008.