Twenty-fourteen.

Living in America, I feel like January is all about fresh starts.  It's a new year, and society says you should resolve to change somehow.  New Years and the craziness of Christmas had barely passed when I stepped into the stores to find dirt-cheap Santa chocolates and tons of hearts and pink glitter.  We don't have time to linger on that holiday that just ended because it's time to gear up for the next.

Seeing how I haven't posted anything here in almost 6 months I guess I got sucked in a little bit.  So what's the update, you ask?  Here goes...

I started a new service position in September.  I've learned a whole lot, ranging from how to give instructions suitable for a kindergartener to how to cook about 15 different things made of pumpkin.  Here's a short photographic account:

Exploring the garden after school.

Coloring!

Kindergarteners getting elbow-deep in the pumpkin fun.

So far my domestic service has mirrored my Peace Corps service in many ways, with lots of ups and downs, new friendships, mistakes, and victories.

So what's in stake for 2014?  As always, I'll try to do my best in my service, but keep in mind that my best effort isn't always perfection.  I'm looking forward to moving out of service in the second half of the year.  In everything, I hope I can find a balance between a desire to move slowly and disconnect, and the reality of a life that is busy and fast, between enjoying the moment, valuing where I've come from, and looking forward to what's ahead.

Happy New Year!