Life...as normal

Adjustment back to the US is harder than I'd imagined. Not only do I miss Asia like crazy, I suffered from intense jet lag for a good four days (and by the time of this posting it's obvious that I am still a little off). In these early mornings and late nights, I've contemplated how vague and unknown my future is. For the first time in my life I don't have external things to "belong" to. No sports teams, school, job, or church group. My mom kindly reminded me that I belong to a family. It is so true. I love my family! I dug up a photo out of the archives...I'm the baby=)

An experience I had in China helps me to remember the bigger picture. Elder Christofferson (the newest apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) stopped by the Shanghai District Conference. In the evening on Saturday, there was a special Single Adult mingle with Elder Christofferson. In a room of about 30 people, he shared how we should develop our spiritual gifts and use them where ever we go throughout the world. He encouraged us to develop the gift of charity to become "more compassionate and more softened, and even more compassionate and more softened." What matters most is the love I have and express towards other people.

I spoke with a professional in the museum field yesterday who said to me, "I am very impressed with your courage--that you are not panicking, because this is a golden opportunity for you." (I am trying to see the vague, nothingness of my future that stands before me as a golden opportunity!) She gave me three questions to consider as I begin an introspection into my life and my future.

1. What is it that I am good at?
2. What are those things that fulfill me?
3. Where does my passion lie?

It seems I have a few things to consider.