And the fruit of verbal processing is.....

Bonjour!  The most recent time I updated this blog was LAST YEAR!

My life has become a grand balancing act, edging back towards normality.  Can anyone tell that all I've been doing for the duration of this week is sleeping off jet lag?   Thus, not much interesting to write about.  :)  I did have a really special Christmas with my mom, dad, and brothers, and delightful extended family gatherings at our house over that weekend.  It really is great to be home.

I've started to reconnect with friends from high school as well (plus a fortunate visit from a very loved college friend and her family who were on their way to O'Hare!).  With that joy comes a lot of picture sharing and what I like to call 'verbal processing.'  A whole semester abroad, and it's not an exaggeration to claim that I've undergone some growing up, some changing.  But I'm still uncovering and pinpointing those changes.  In many ways I sense that my life and my heart have become a bit more refined and elaborate, but I'm still discovering exactly what areas the Lord was transforming.  Needing to be specific with someone else helps me discover.  In recounting the story of my semester to others, I begin to recount the story to myself in a way that ties in the pieces of many different experiences and revelations.  I begin to verbalize a perspective altogether new and intricate, but suddenly my own.  It's a perspective I hadn't even given much focused thought to until the words left my mouth.  In recounting my semester to others, I begin to realize all that I did learn.  And I begin to remember all the ways the Lord was abundantly faithful.

And so I keep writing... not from France anymore, and that is really sad sometimes.  Many people ask me if I miss it, especially my family (who ironically enough are the ones who are most glad to have me back).  I do miss Grenoble.  Sometimes it's harder to be clear about exactly what I miss, but most days I know it : I miss living in the mountains....I miss the fresh air and the daily walks around the city, up to Rabot.... I miss hearing, reading, and speaking french like it was second nature....I miss the fresh food...I miss the beautiful buildings and the accessibility of city life....I miss my friends.

That tricky reality called 'reverse culture shock' has definitely taken its toll.  I'm really thankful that my mom (who has lived in Europe as well and remembers clearly the adjustment back) will listen to my comments, as biased or harsh as they may be, about America, American culture, American hobbies, etc, etc.  I tell most people that apart from my family and dearly loved friends in the States, there was not much I missed about the U.S. while living in France.  On the contrary, I left a whole lot in Grenoble that just cannot be replaced or replicated here, though one tries....

My parents and I drove down to Missouri on Tuesday to settle me into the house I will live in next semester with two of my favorite people from college....excitement about that certainly helps me look past the slight dread I feel about resuming the pace of life at Truman.  And of course, I am still holding on to the anticipation I have surrounding the moments next weekend when I will finally reconnect with the beautiful people I love in Kirksville, people who supported me in incredible ways throughout my semester.

I'm doing my best to reclaim and resume my life here, all while learning how to incorporate the new perspective I've gained over four months, one that touches many facets of who I am and what I experienced.  One would ask about the 'lessons I've learned,' but rather than be so predictable and formatted, I'd rather frame my reflections within this ever-sharpening way of seeing things.

These next few posts over the last few days of break will (hopefully) reveal several perspectives that have been transformed by France, by french people, by living abroad, and by the Lord who holds my heart.

*A New Perspective on Travel
*A New Perspective on Expectations
*A New Perspective on Listening
*A New Perspective on Trusting
*A New Perspective on Family
*A New Perspective on Journey