Green Eggs and Ham

This is a philosophical post, so feel free to skip it!  Sometimes I sit here and look out the window at this strange place, and wonder how on earth I got here.  I certainly never planned to visit Africa, much less live here - and if you asked me a few years ago, I didn't even foresee ever moving out of California!  I've had a little time to ponder how drastically our lives have shifted, and it seems to me that there's one overwhelming theme that has led us to where we are now.

I know, it's rather simplistic....but Adam and I have both learned to approach our lives with an attitude that is open to trying new things.  Waaaaay back when we were just kids, newly engaged, we went to a fancy corporate holiday party.  A partner in the big firm where Adam was hired was at the party, and offered us sushi.  We hadn't ever had sushi, and the idea of raw fish wasn't exactly appetizing....but we tried it.  And just like in the story, we liked it!  We'd never considered moving to Alaska....but we figured it was worth a try.  Once we were there, we really jumped into trying new things....fishing, skiing, snowboarding, picking wild berries....and the more new experiences we had, the more we found out about ourselves.

Now Angola makes Alaska look like child's play, in terms of trying something new.  Almost every day here I find myself pushed past what I thought my limits were, and I am once again learning that I'm more than I thought I was.  More brave, more strong, more resourceful....more tolerant.  I hope that our children will absorb this outlook on life, and use it to discover where their lives can take them.  Before you say, "I can't," or "I would never," or even "I don't like," something....consider what you have to lose by simply trying.