The Travel Bug

I’m pretty lucky to have a job that helps assuage my Travel Bug. As much as I sometimes gripe about being a low-level munchkin who doesn’t get to do the fun overseas travelling, the reality is, in the last twelve months, I’ve gotten to fly to three states for work purposes that I’d never been to before. The important thing is: being in an airport. I LOVE airports! Most TCK’s (third culture kids) would agree that airports are their favorite place to be.

Obviously, my preference is international travel. (I know, I sound like a snob, but I so dearly love to use my passport!) The good news is that I get to go to Peru in November! The real Peru, not the town about 20 minutes from here. (The locals tend to pronounce that one “Pee-ru”) My whole department is going to do a media work trip: we’re going to get video footage for a field video and web clips, photos for publicity use, web content, brochure content, stories, etc. Basically, anything media-related that we can do to help the missionaries, we’ll do.

Peru is a relatively new field to WGM; we only have three missionaries there right now in the city of Cuzco (Emperor’s New Groove flashback!). They are partnering with several national churches and working in humanitarian outreach. They’re all veteran missionaries from Bolivia, so they’re doing great as “pioneers.”

And for our day off, we’re going to see the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu! Man, I love my job! My only real concern for the trip is the altitude. Cuzco is really high – about 10,000 feet. And, well, I grew up in a place that was about six inches above sea level, and now I live in Indiana, which is, of course, known for its majestic peaks. The last time I was in a place that elevated, I got winded just turning over in bed. Fun times, let me tell you.

Maybe I should give my Travel Bug a name, like Hermie.

Love for the fam

I've been thinking lately about how very much I like my family, and so I'm bringing them in to my blog. My own blood family is very interesting: we have Dad, a OB/GYN development worker in South Asia who is "chief cook and bottle washer" this year while Mom is getting her masters in ESL, Mom (who is getting her masters in ESL) teaches English and MKs, older sister Becky, who just got married, has a masters in English and is now trying to find herself in Grand Rapids, younger brother Joe is a first lieutenant in the Army Reserves and married to Karley, who is as weird as Joe is. In a good way.

Joe, Becky, and I at Becky and John's wedding a few weeks ago.

Dad and Mom in South Asia with some friends.

Steve's parents are missionaries in Budapest, Hungary, and they're the best in-laws ever. His brother, Phil, lives in Wheaton, Illinois, and he's all artsy and awesome.

Oh, and then there's my amazing husband, Steve, who is crazy studly in this picture! Funny thing my outfit (Both my skirt and purse were from Thailand): A guy came up to me at the wedding we were at, and asked me if I'd been to Thailand. I said yes, and he said, "I was pretty sure when I saw your skirt, but then I saw your purse, and I knew it!" It made me feel good. :)

A Scot in America

On Wednesday, my second family from Clare came to visit. Cathy and Jack sort of adopted me during college when the folks were out of the country. (Geez, some people. You’d think they were following God or something) They are missionaries with OM (lived in Britain for a long time), and have two daughters, Caroly and Susan, and Susan married a Scottish dude she met while serving on OM’s ships. Andy has the thickest accent you ever heard. And amazingly enough, a lot of Americans have a hard time understanding him. In fact, one day they were talking to one of the older ladies at church, and she said to him – totally innocently, “Andy, it’s okay. I know a lot of people here can’t understand you. But I work with mentally disabled kids, so I can understand you PERFECTLY.”

Fortunately, he can take it. We went to Payne’s for dinner, and he had a fun time trying to get them to give him some “tomato sauce” with his dinner. (Except he pronounced it “to-MA-o soos”) “Oh, you want ketchup?” said the confused waiter.

Steve’s birthday present was Rockband for the Wii, so of COURSE we had to break it out. There’s nothing better than rocking out on fake plastic instruments with two MKs and a Scot.

Two MKs and a Scot would be a cool band name.

Daddy's Girl, Part 2

So, the reason I haven't blogged in about a month is because I GOT THE PART!!! And four nights a week, for about three hours, I'm at Marion Civic Theatre, trying not to be too awful.

It's a fun part, though. A confused, sort of clueless waitress. And it's okay that I haven't done very much waitressing because I'm supposed to be a really bad one! It really has been a lot of fun to do something different and get to know new people.

You should come! We're showing the first two weekends of October. Tickets are $11. Check out the Marion Civic Theatre's website for more info!

Daddy's Girl

Yesterday, I auditioned for a part in Daddy's Girl, at Marion Civic Theatre. And I really hope I get it. I got asked to come back tonight, so a call-back is always a good thing.

I guess if I don't get it, I'll have to delete this post out of shame and remorse.

If you can be remorseful, can you also be morseful?

Hmmm? Think about it.