“It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.” – J.R.R. Tolkien Though there were certainly points of my trip where I was struggling to embrace this mindset, I do wholeheartedly agree with Tolkien. Stories, and the conflicts that make them, are what make adventure so much fun. And what is life…
Category: Thoughts & Musings
Airports & Aimless Thoughts
I’m in an airport for the tenth time in a month. My flight is delayed, so I’ve been sitting here for several hours surfing the web, and allowing my mind to wander aimlessly. Its nearly 1 a.m. and admittedly, I’m exhausted, so there’s not a lot of productive thought happening. [Three days later.] Obviously those…
Summer 2016: Road Trip!
The Plan At Christmas, my brother Josh and I started planning our “epic summer vacation,” which included camping on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and mountain biking, rock climbing, and other general adventuring along the way. I informed my manager at the bike store that I needed a week off in July, and considered everything…
(mis)Placed
One of the phrases frequently used to describe the missionary’s homecoming experience is “between two worlds.” It is very true that I often feel the tension that comes from being home, but not home, regardless of which city I’m in–Fort Wayne or Dar es Salaam. In both places, there are things that are familiar. In…
Things. And Stuff.
No matter how many times I tell my students to use better word choice in their writing, I still find myself using the very words I tell them not to use in my own speaking (and writing). Like “things” and “stuff.” But sometimes, there really aren’t any better words to describe a blog post that…
The Adventures of the Boot
Once upon a time there was a boot. Legend has it that this boot first came into existence in the southern United States sometime in the early 90’s, but since that time, it has traveled far and wide, eventually finding its place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Just one year ago, the boot protected the…
A Good Gift
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV) Traveling to London for the second part of spring break was a gift trip from God in every way. I only made plans to…
“You’re the Most Racist White Person I’ve Ever Met”
Never before have I been called racist. But at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, I was told that I was “the most racist white person” the speaker had ever met. I’ll explain the context of the statement in a bit, but regardless of how irrelevant the comment actually was, it hurt like a knife between…
I’m a Stayer
I just realized that this year, I’m a “stayer.” (For reference, check out this post from The Culture Blend that explains what it is to be a stayer, a goer, or a newbie in the constant transition of expat life). And the “friends leaving” phase has already started. Life here tends to be very transitory,…
The ABC’s of Life in Dar es Salaam
Azam Ball Cones Azam is an enormous manufacturer of food products (and probably other things) in Tanzania. Juice, flour, milk(ish), you name it, and Azam probably produces it. However, the crowning achievement of Azam’s manufacturing genius is the ball cone. The Azam ball cone is simply a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a cone and…
Ride Fierce Racing 