Final Christmas Days

December 28th & 29th, 2007 Grand Rapids, Michigan

Final Days with the Family

We spent the last day together as a family and then the next morning we drove to Chicago were I boarded a plane to Houston and then Ecuador. Mom did a good job of not crying too much. The rest of the family held up pretty well. I can hardly wait to get back next Christmas.

I am glad I came home for Christmas. It was great to see the family and friends and remember what life is like in the States. I think over the past year and a half I have developed certain illusions about the reality of the States. Hopefully, now I will return with a different perspective and see things more clearly. All in all, I think it was good to recharge. I am returning refreshed with energy to really tackle these last few months with enthusiasm.

December 27th, 2007 Grand Rapids, Michigan

Time with Chad

Chad and I met the first day of Welcome Week at Baylor. We instantly clicked and were roommates sophomore, junior and senior years of college. Chad is now a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda. Although he has only been serving for 10 months, he made the trip home to serve in his best friend from high school´s wedding. Dad took us out for Texas BBQ. We spent a couple hours sharing similar experiences and then I rode back with him to his house. I hadn´t see him for 18 months, so we had a lot to catch up on. It was great to see him and I am sure we will have several more stories to share next time we meet up.

December 26th, 2007 Cannonsberg, Michigan

We woke up from my Uncle´s and headed back to Grand Rapids. We quickly changed into our ski wardrobes and hit the slopes. I love skiing but hadn´t been since sophomore year of college. The park wasn´t overly challenging but was fun enough to curb my appetite until I can get back to Colorado.