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Hello Folks,

I just returned from the Balkans, which is an eerie type of experience. I know most people will ask me how I enjoyed it, what my favorite places were, what I saw, what I did, how I changed, but the truth is I'm not sure of the answer to any of those questions.

For instance, I know I absolutely enjoyed the experience. I've got the travel bug, bad, and I loved wandering these old cities. Everything was new and exciting because every day I was in another place, seeing another sight, sampling another dish, smelling another new scent. I was stimulated to the point of near-intoxication. But that, in itself, makes things stressful. There was no routine or familiarity because everything was always new. I learned I could cope with that better than the homebody that left Coopersburg almost 9 months ago to go do that college thing, but it was still challenging.

My favorite place is also a complicated question. It's rather like asking what my favorite $100 bill is, because I loved almost everywhere. I know the few places I DID NOT like, such as parts of Belgrade (stinky,ghetto-like mud-bucket of a place) and Venice with tourists (which more than compensates for its charm). But as for my favorites, there would be an eight-way tie between Zagreb (the charming, historical capital of Croatia), Krk (the island and the main town, both of which were gorgeous), Boshko (on Krk Island with a dramatic view of the Adriatic as far as the eye could see), Dubrovnik (the fortifications outweighed the touristy parts), Sarajevo (which was the most Islamic place I have ever been, except certain parts of Allentown), Plitvice (gorgeous waterfalls) and Padua (which I saw on my own).

I saw everything from a car being rescued from the Mediterranean in Trogir to St. Anthony's tongue and vocal chords in Padua to the ringing leaves of the Baptistry in Trogir to the Ghazir-beg Han in Sarajevo. Some things saddened me, many things outraged me, most things fascinated me, all things excited me (even the pigeons, which are so much fun to kick *licks chops*).

And finally, how did I change? Truthfully, I won't know that until I'm back in the USA for, say, 3 months. I have a lot of processing to do, a lot of thinking and analyzing and feeling. I'm on overload right now. But I can say that I've learned to be confident, assertive and relational, all of which are pretty good for a guy still getting this whole grown-up thing. Other than that...I'm still thinking. I do know that, spiritually speaking, my life has taken off from a very dry last month or so at school. Perhaps it was all the statues and pretty paintings - I did discover that paintings help me worship and focus on God in a way that almost nothing besides music and...ahem...thinking allows me to do.

I'm starting my first day back in the USA, so I'm signing off,
A still confused, bumbling American,

Pondering the First

Welcome to my humble abode (virtual, online and otherwise non-real but still an abode nonetheless in the howling wilderness of cyberspace)! I just moved in (ok I set up the blog 20 seconds ago).

I started this blog to keep people I know up to date about my life. I've just finished my first year at Houghton College. This has been a crazy year, really. What with settling in as a Freshman and then going through the EMW honors program and in the meanwhile weathering who knows how many crises, I think the year has been productive. I'm now in that part of the semester where I start packing up to go home. Campus is vacant, almost deserted, with everyone either studying for finals or gone home.

I have a hard time believing I'm in college. I've spent most of my life trying to get here. Ever since I was a little kid, really, I've wanted to go to college, learn, get a Ph.D and then torture undergrads in the name of "teaching them." I've even got the arrogant attitude down...

Well, I have a bibliography and title page to write, some friends to bother and a room to clean.