May 6, 2018

If we were having coffee...v4


I miss my "usual" coffee order at the International Cafe at home (my Romanian home).

You know what to do...grab your favorite mug full of coffee (or tea, if you'd prefer) and let's chat!

If we were having coffee...I'd probably talk the whole time because I have SO much to say. I've actually been avoiding blogging for awhile because I've been so full of thoughts lately and I don't know what to share! Not only have the last few months been a bit of a whirlwind, but I also feel like I've been learning so much and taking in so much information (books, podcasts, music, conversations, etc).

As you all know, the last two months, specifically, were a bit more than a whirlwind. While I thoroughly enjoyed being home, I felt like I was all over the place (physically and mentally). I traveled to Grand Rapids, Kansas City (MO), Lenexa (KS), Indianapolis and St. Louis. In Illinois, I made my way to Lewistown, Smithfield, Galesburg, Bourbonnais, Rosemont, Lena, Ashton, Shannon, Dakota, Rockford, Madison (WI)...and I'm sure a few other places that I can't remember at this moment.

I spent quality time with family and friends, met lots of new people and even reconnected with a few people I haven't seen in years! Overall, it was a very successful and enjoyable visit but if I'm honest, it's no surprise that this introverted homebody is ready to be back in her apartment with her "normal" routine. For those of you who have been following #CBtakesRomania for three years now, you know that I tend to put normal in quotes because even my "normal" routine is far from normal!

If we were having coffee...You might like to know that I'm not back to my apartment in Sighisoara just yet. I arrived back in Romania yesterday (Saturday) evening, but I'm staying in Bucharest until tomorrow morning. I'm going to a conference in Hungary for a week so rather than taking a 5 hour bus ride from Bucharest to Sighisoara twice in 24 hours, it worked out for me to stay in Bucharest.

The conference that I'm going to is called Reaching Europe's Children so although I'll be a bit tired, I'm looking forward to it! I'm a bit of a conference/workshop nerd. I love taking notes and observing people so I'm usually pretty content at conferences!

If we were having coffee...I'd definitely be recommending the last few books and podcasts that I've
been reading and listening to lately. So here's your list...
- 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs...I started this devotional at the beginning of the year and finished around mid-April. And let me tell ya, it's literally the best. It serves as an encouragement, but it also comes with lots of practical challenges. The subtitle is "Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self", which I think we all need. I want to start it over already, but I'm going to lend it to others first because it needs to be shared!
- Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis...If you're not already on this train, get on it. The subtitle for this one is "Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Are Meant to Be", which is spot on. It's a quick read, and yet you'll want to read it slowly to really take it all in! Sadly, this book didn't make the cut when I was packing so if anyone at home (America) wants to borrow it, it's on my shelf. But, just as a warning, I underlined A LOT of stuff so if that type of thing distracts you then you might want to check it out at your local library :)
- For the Love podcast with Jen Hatmaker - Never Leave the Gospel Behind: Lisa Sharon Harper...I don't even know where to begin with this one. This is the first episode of Jen's new series called For the Love of Exploring our Faith, which follows another great series called For the Love of Women Who Built It. Anyways, this episode talks about race, the gospel, and so so so much more. Honestly, if you only take one thing away from this blog post, let it be this podcast episode! 
If we were having coffee...I'd probably stop while I was ahead because neither of us currently have time for me to go on and on. And I might stop because I have to get up at 6:00 am to catch my flight to Budapest. So, until next time...enjoy your coffee :)