Come along on our journey...

I still love fall...in all its allergy messiness :p I've felt better...I've felt worse. I'll just get through it til winter.

This past weekend was a lot of fun. Saturday, Raul and I spent a good part of the day at IWU's homecoming. Having graduated 6 years ago and not gone back yet, I figured it was a good idea :)And it really was. I was able to see a few professors, namely the Williamses (Wilbur and Ardelia) and the Bences (Bud and Carol), which really blessed my heart. Mrs. Williams was selling some of her stained glass, which I loved since I've always wanted to own one of her pieces (we bought 3). I spoke to Dr. Williams about his 144th trip to Israel (yes, I said 144th!!). I was able to talk to the Bences about the years in China. It was just really nice. Raul and I walked around the student center, had a greeno at McConn, shopped a bit at the bookstore, took a tour of the new chapel (to be completed in January), had lunch at the homecoming fair, and got to see some old friends...mostly at the soccer game :) It was a really fun day...surreal at times, but fun. Surreal? Because in a way, I really miss college. The weekend before was my 10 year high school reunion, which I skipped if you remember. And when I think about it...I don't miss high school at all, the drama, the confusion of it all. But my IWU days, I really miss those. I found myself at IWU, found out what it was that He had for me, and discovered my calling in life. In addition, I made some of the greatest friends and had the greatest professors as mentors.

But with all that said, I'm starting to miss China. I miss my girlfriends in China. I miss the closeness at NICF. I miss certain parts of city life. I miss teaching. I miss (and don't make fun of me) the silly little things. For example, Raul and I were in Walgreens the other day after I'd gotten new passport photos taken (need to change my name on my passport), and I was silently marvelling at all the "American medicine" on the shelves and thinking, wow, I really need to stock up! Then I stopped myself. "Catie, you live here now. This isn't new to you." This is just one instance, but it's happened a few other times where I subconsciously found myself thinking "wow! look at all the American stuff!"...Wal-Mart, Target, and in a mall where I could actually find clothes that fit. After 5 years in China, and 3 years of not even having a vacation in the US, it's those little things that just strike me. I told Jamie in an email the other day that I feel pathetic...I actually miss the shopping she and I would do at Times Grocery and My Shop where we would marvel over all the American stuff. Here, there's no new excitement. She told me I wasn't pathetic (I love that girl and miss her to pieces).

Another story about Catie's reverse culture shock, happened the first weekend we were back. We went to Ryan's buffet with some of my extended family and my brother and sis-in-law. My mom, Aunt Cindy, and I went to the bathroom together (yeah, I know), and when I went to use the automatic towel dispenser, I was confused. It had a motion detector on it, but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me, so I was waving my hand in front of it, trying to get it to stop. My aunt, meanwhile, is giggling, and these 2 little kids standing next to me looked up at me like I was crazy because I couldn't figure out something that should be so simple. My aunt, in my defense, did say that they'd come around since I'd been overseas...but she still couldn't help giggling (I love you anyway!).

So anyway. There's a whole hodgepodge update of the readjustment period of being back in the US. I have an interview with a Japanese company on Friday, to teach online classes, and I'm officially on the substitute teaching list for my school district. Please continue to pray that it all comes together...we could really use the financial blessings right now.

Some Photos:

at the Mississinewa battle of the War of 1812 reenactment