Shantaram

We spent the last few days in San Juan and had a great and relaxing time.  We were lucky to surf the first day we were there but unfortunately there weren't any waves for the rest of the week.  So we spent a lot of our days reading, exploring the city, and one night we went out to a concert with some locals.


So for this post I (Megan) wanted to share some of my reflections from the book I am reading.  It's called Shantaram and is about a man who escapes from prison in Australia and goes to India.  He lands in Bombay and describes his experience with the hectic city as an immediate connection.  He knew within the first hour of landing that it was the right place for him.  He also meet a woman named Karla and said something about her that struck me: "She was so relaxed and at home, so much a part of the street and its inscrutable love...She seemed calm and content in Bombay.  She seemed to belong.  I envied her, the warmth and acceptance she drew from those around her." 


This strikes a chord in me because it is one of the fears that I am working to overcome in this pursuit that Tad and I are on; a fear of finding a place that feels like home and a sense of belonging.  I recognize that it is silly to worry about because until I try I can never know.  I think I love my community and home in Seattle that it is hard to imagine being fulfilled somewhere new.  I know that it takes time to build a home and community no matter where in the world we end up.  But I guess that is why this book is interesting to me- I can't grasp the idea of walking into a country and saying "this is it".  Yet again, that's not something that can be predicted.  


For now I try to remind myself that this desire to work abroad is a gift from God and to trust my intentions and passions.  I am excited to continue to explore- I guess the fear is just from so much unknown.  But from that unknown comes so much opportunity and  relationships.  I will also say that even after just 2 weeks of being gone, Tad and I have noticed how much more comfortable we feel compared to the first few days stepping into the hectic Manila. We just went back to Manila yesterday and were surprisingly comforted by the familiarity. But it's not just that, we also feel more comfortable within the unknown.


So for now, we are headed south to Coron- a small island south of Luzon and will be here for the next 5 days.  It is absolutely stunning and tomorrow we are planning to kayak and camp on a nearby island.  We send our love back home!!