the blog lives!... OR... an update of the last few weeks

Good news: My blog is not dead! I have taken a brief sejour from blogging, yes, but I am back again!

It has been an intense last few weeks. I had a pleasant time in Texas with family. I left Portland on Dec. 11th and returned to Texas for the first time since I moved. It was a great time with family. I feel like I had been holding my breath for the past few weeks in Portland (between moving apartments, writing papers, and some little bitty personal dramas)...and when I got to Texas, I just let my breath out. And slept. And slept. And watched way too much TV. It was luxurious. I had been really going hard and holding things together pretty well, but I just needed to let my guard down a bit and spend some quality time with family. My mother is such a restful presence in my life. She is refreshing to be around and I miss her dearly when I'm in Portland.

Time with my family began with a short trip to Lynchburg, VA. My step sister is a senior at a performing arts high school, where she performed the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy for Tschaikovsky's The Nutcraker. The performances were magical. The town of Lynchburg was less than magical. It bore signs of severe economic depression over the past few decades. You could tell that it was once a thriving railroad stop and small town. In addition, one cannot help but be struck by the very visible signs of a history heavy with racial oppression and division. The class difference between blacks and whites was shockingly rigid. Many of the places we ate at were patronized only by white townsters. All the high profile jobs seemed to be taken by whites whereas all the low-paying service jobs were done by black townsters. Racism is alive and well in America. And not just in Lynchburg. It is easy to stand in my white, upperclass shoes and be oblivious to how prevalent racial oppression is. We have come far, yes. Let us not forget, however, that we have a long, long way to go before we are free of racial oppression.

We returned to Dallas for a bit for some pre-Christmas shopping craziness. Jesus, save us from what has become of your birthday! It is so difficult to remember what exactly we are celebrating amidst all the gift-giving madness. It was a confusing Christmas.

Daniella and I took a brief trip to San Antonio to visit our dad and stepmom. I LOVE being in their house at Christmas. It really feels like home at Christmas time. They have a lovely house, but it truly feels like a home at Christmastime. We were blessed to be able to spend some time there, celebrating a very italian Christmas with my papa.

Returning to Dallas, we could finally relax a bit and not travel for a week or so. I was relieved and finally unpacked a suitcase. :) It felt good.

Some thoughts I've been having:
I think that your twenties are a time to learn about setting boundaries in your relationships. I am constantly learning about boundaries I have put up in my relationships that need to come down, and I also learn constantly about boundaries which I currently do not have which I need to develop so that I don't get walked all over and used.

Kids grow up way too fast. I am one of them.

What ever happened to dating? Is it too much to say "I'd like to take you out" instead of "We should hang out."? Call it mere sematics, but it makes a huge difference and shows a lot of maturity to be able to actually ask someone out. C'mon guys. Be clear. (Do any of you gals know what I'm talking about?)

Portland and Dallas really could not have more different American cultures. I am constantly in culture adjustment going back and forth being in relationships with Portlanders and Texans. Most of the time I love the challenge of jumping back and forth. I also grow more and more thankful for this new home I've made in Portland. It is a fitting place for me. It is a grand town with lovely people. And tall trees. Yessss!

I just finished reading Khaled Hosseini's two bestselling books (1. 'The Kite Runner' and 2. 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'). I have not had so much fun reading in a long time. The novels are heavy, to be sure, but I have been deeply blessed from journeying through the stories of men and women in Afghanistan through the artistically unique point of view Hosseini provides. I highly recommend picking up these books. And, PLEASE read the book before you see the movie. Trust me, you will be better for it.

I think I'm going to go back to Europe in a few months. At last! More on that later.