redefining adventure

i used to have grand ideas about the kinds of fantastic and exciting places i would go and crazy things i would do. i used to dream of backpacking across europe. roadtripping all over the united states. eating exotic foods. skydiving. going to glitzy, star-studded events. drinking coffee in european cafes. finally seeing italy. moving to india and living with those of lowest caste. moving to uganda and living with my beautiful friends there. camping in the national parks. and i pictured myself in well-planned outfits to match each adventure.

i haven't accomplished any of those lofty and wonderful goals. i'd still like to do those things. but i find myself living out very different kinds of adventures. adventures that i would have previously scoffed at and certainly never would have willingly participated in.

i am living in a small farm town that doesn't boast a single european style cafe. and i wouldn't have the money to enjoy it if it did exist. i have done a lot of roadtripping in the last two years, but it has been mostly confined to the tri-state area of michigan, indiana, and ohio. i haven't eaten many curries, but i have sampled the southern indiana staple of persimmon pudding (and i am not at all convinced of it's deliciousness). i still haven't seen italy and i definitely haven't gone skydiving, but it turns out that the hills of salem are so breath-takingly beautiful when in the throes of springtime that i haven't craved the retreat into any national parks. in fact, i find that some of the adventures i thought i wanted to have are easily replaced by others that are just as wonderful and valuable.

i am learning to bake - i'm quite proud of my very first two layer chocolate cake and my delicious chocolate chip cookies.

we are doing our very first vegetable garden and i honestly have no idea what i'm doing, but i am having fun learning about soil and seeds and watering.

i learned how to make homemade strawberry jam thanks to a wonderful family from our church.

i got married to the only person i've ever met that i'd consider marrying (though if i ever met hugh jackman i could conceivably change my tune) and it turns out to be one of the most joy-giving adventures of all.

steve and i are testing out our parenting skills on the cat, toto baggins. i am hoping that, in the eventual adventure of having children, we will be more successful changing diapers than we have been changing cat litter.

so, my current life is much smaller and less ambitious than i once hoped that it would be. but, i find that in the simplicity of my existence i have found something that often eluded me in my city life.

joy.

maybe thoreau had it right all along. maybe all this time i just needed to "simplify! simplify! simplify!"