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Saturday, October 19, 2013

And On and On it Goes...

We are excited. The waves are picking up, fall is starting to show, and we are enjoying fall in the Algarve. We have lately been prone to homesickness and culture stress. This has been conflicting because we are enjoying or time and friends here. We have missed birthdays and celebrations back home, yet have had them out here. Living overseas has a way of making you feel two opposing emotions simultaneously.

We have been stressed at the prospect of decisions about where to go and what to do when we return, which is ever-encroaching. On top of that I have to keep up with school work. But we could not forget how blessed we are, and have been, to be here.

Now that most of the tourists have left, life has settled down for most people. People scramble to keep income coming in. The Algarvians are nothing if not diverse. The oddities of the culture, have become normalcy, sort of... We are more versed in the Portuguese language, understand more in public conversations, and are more capable than ever. However, we still struggle from time to time, or use wrong conjugations and grammer from time to time.

We are getting into more deep conversations with our friends, which is great. But we still have to understand individuals, without insulting their intelligence. They may have different presuppositions, but they are not idiots.

Getting in the water and surfing has been cathartic for me. I have been worrying a lot lately about getting into grad school and work. I must continue to remember that I need to pray and trust.

“May you live every day of your life.” 
― Jonathan Swift

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