Got It Good

September in the States is really great. Back when I lived there, and was teaching elementary, I always used to tell the principals that I would prefer school began on October 1st and ended in July. That way we could still enjoy the beginning of autumn without being too busy lesson planning and so forth. In a way I sort of achieved that kind of schedule this year. These past few weeks found me in several parts of the American Midwest and Northwest. It was an easy decision to trade Yangon's worst weather for Washington State’s best. I managed several hikes in both the Cascades and Olympics.

I also became enlightened on concepts that pass me by in Myanmar, such as gluten freedom and gender fluidity and gun foolishness.

Not to mention: Paleo diets, the teenage music scene, and shops that sell pot. In some places I visited, kombucha and almond milk were all the rage. Just when my head had wrapped around those beverages, I was exposed to an astounding range of liquid refreshments with names from just about every zone of life: Double Bastard, Old Godfather, Spin Cycle, Justin Blabaer, Dirty Skoog, Dog Zilla, and Quadrophenia. Life in the US moves pretty fast.

It was also a delight to join in on family birthdays, to see a cousin officially join her first church as the senior pastor, and to hang out with delightful nieces and nephews.

Man, have I ever got it good. I’m feeling very very very lucky to be able to live like this.