I am, officially, a seasoned traveler.
It's true. I will proceed to give bullet style advice for anyone who has limited traveling experience and intends to travel for long periods of time in the near future.
1) You don't need everything in your bag. Whatever you have packed, get off the computer, go back to your room, and take out about half of it. You probably won't need it. If you do, either: learn to do without, borrow, or (if you must!) buy. It is absolutely miserable to drag a heavy bag around everywhere you go. And you don't want to be wasteful by throwing perfectly good things away! Plus, you will probably find that the people in the place you go won't have as many clothes as you do anyway. And if they do, they will note that you are a traveler and not care much about your clothing anyway.
2) Train stations do not check baggage like the airport. Actually, you won't get to check it at all. You drag it with you then hoist it above your seat... like carry on luggage. Aaaand, where I was, there are usually no elevators/escalators. So you lug your gigantic, overstuffed bag up and down stairs more than once. Please re read suggestion one at this time.
3) Korean Air is, hands down, the best airline EVER. Just a little sample of the awesomeness: When you get to your seat, you will find waiting for you a nice blanket, a pillow, a water bottle, and a goody bag with slippers and a toothbrush. Oh yeah.
4)Don't get a big bag. It will tempt you to bring more than you need. Please refer to suggestion one.
5) Keep your passport handy at all times.
6) Keep a baggy with all your transportation necessities. In mine I have: a pen, my passport, my frequent flier card, my tickets, my baggage receipt, my itinerary, and any other little oddities you may need quickly when maneuvering airports/bus stations/train stations/life.
Those are all my tips for the moment. I may think of more later.
China was cool. That's all I can really manage to say at the moment. I was inspired to write this little blog by my beautiful friends, the Morgans. I can't wait to see them again. Mary Anne took two pictures that I feel like really describe my place right now. The explanations sort of go hand in hand. China, and leaving friends over and over again, has left me rather disillusioned. I've asked myself a lot of questions the past two weeks, most of them to God. The journey can be very difficult and sometimes it's hard to remember why you even decided to leave the house. Thoughts arise like "Where was I going?" "Where is everyone else?" "Why did I leave?" "I need to sit down." I feel like I need to just lie down in the middle of the "road" for a minute and figure this all out. At the same time, I desperately want to turn my face to Daddy. Just look at Him. Let Him see my face and heart. Tell Him that it's still His. I feel like a little sunflower after a heavy rain. Sunflowers aren't that strong. I want to see the sun again.
Oh Christ, be the center of my life. Be the place I fix my eyes.
Amazing love, stronger than mountains, deeper than oceans, reaches to me.
God's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, who breathes life into earth's people, makes them alive with his own life: "I am God. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, to make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. I am God. That's my name. I don't franchise my glory, don't endorse the no-god idols. Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled. I'm announcing the new salvation work. Before it bursts on the scene, I'm telling you all about it."
He, God, will take hold of my hand and lead me in righteousness. I am not alone.
Sorry for being so mushy.
