My trip stateside was a blast. It was a lightning bolt fast trip--over before I knew what happened. My fortune with weather seemed to follow me as it rained most of the time I was there. It also snowed. What a Wisconsin welcome! I had a bit of a climate shock going from around 40 degrees F to 80 degrees when I returned. Being in the familiarity of home was pretty nice though. I forgot how much I miss the beautiful Baraboo bluffs in full fall color. I really enjoyed seeing some friends and spending time with my family and wish I had more time. The good news is I'll be back soon for the holidays.
When I wasn't traveling (by air, car, or bus) or chilling at home during my 5 day excursion in the US, I was at the Upper Midwest Navigator collegiate fall conference for the 4th time in 5 years. This time I was attending as staff. It was such a blessing to be there! I am so grateful for the unexpected opportunity of being recipient of the missions offering project. I had lots of fun playing frisbee, enjoyed big breakfasts, and learned some good lessons to take away. It was refreshing worshiping in English again.
The thing I learned that stands out the most came from a session on performance and perfectionism. I tend to strive for perfection in pleasing people and proving myself through achievement. I don't strive for perfection in housekeeping as my family can easily attest to. It was good to think about why this is and ask "what defines me?" We're all so wrapped up in what we do, we lose sight of who we are. So lately I've been focusing on the heart--the only place where real, lasting transformation can happen. Our heart/soul/'however you name it' (interior) is more important than what's displayed to the world/performance (exterior). That isn't emphasized enough in our culture. It's hard to keep this as our focus because it's not something that can be measured, but it fosters authenticity. And the world needs genuine people. We have more than enough actors.
Something else I realized about the cultural difference, is that America is a little obsessed with drive-thrus. Have you noticed? There are drive-thru restaurants, coffee, pharmacies, and banks. You don't see that in Argentina. I think you would be hard pressed to find them anywhere else in the world.
It's fall in the Northern Hemisphere, and I've been conditioned to want pumpkin during these couple months. Unfortunately, big round orange pumpkins don't exist in Argentina. Butternut squash makes an okay substitute for most things pumpkin related though.
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