I realize my blog posts are becoming fewer and farther between, and I suppose that´s because life has mostly settled into a routine and I´m lacking new and interesting things to recount.
I´ve been in Colombia just over two months now, which is hard to believe! On the one hand, so much has happened since my plane touched down on July 28th that it seems like that must have been at least six months ago: I´ve moved to a new country, become a college professor, (somewhat) learned my way around this chaotic city, met a ton of great people, and adapted to the weather, speech and customs of life on Colombia´s Caribbean coast (or at least I can say I´m off to a solid start). But on the other hand, these last two months make up 20% of my 10-month stint here. When I think of it that way, I´m saddened by how fast time is flying!
Overall, things are going great here. Of course, there are the little ups and downs of life, just as there are wherever you live. There are days when my lessons go better than expected and I feel like a successful teacher; other days, technology fails, I forget some important material, or for some other reason the lesson bombs. Some days I notice the progress in my Spanish and the language flows; other days I just can´t get out what I´m trying to say. Some days I successfully navigate life in Barranquilla, both culturally and regarding transportation. Other days I feel overwhelmed and long for the familiarity of my stomping grounds and culture. Some days I thoroughly enjoy time spent with my new friends here; however, there are plenty of times I dearly miss my family and friends spread all over the world: North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, Korea, Romania.
But at the end of the day, I really can´t complain. I´m living the experience I´ve worked towards for years: living in Latin America, immersed in Spanish, teaching English. In addition to that, I have a God who walks with me through all these ups and downs, and I don´t say that lightly; He is faithful and he never fails. He provides for me daily in countless ways, and every good thing in my life is thanks to Him (James 1:17).
Contentment is a choice. Though I have many reasons to be content in the circumstances of my life here in Colombia, when I´m firmly convinced of God´s goodness and control, I can be content in all occasions (Philippians 4:12)
