I recently had 2 very different conversations with 2 very different people. One of them, with Natalya, was engaging, fun, and really helped us connect on a deeper level. The other one, with Sylvia, was flat and uninspiring, and ended quite quickly. The catch? Sylvia is a native English speaker. Natalya has maybe 100… Read More Your attitude makes all the difference
I was recently asked to be in the inaugural class of a new mentoring program between current students and alumni at my alma mater, Berry College. My first reaction was excitement at a regular excuse to return to my beloved college. My second reaction, following closely on the heels of the first, was trepidation. What… Read More You’re not as poor as you may think
In my last post, I talked about my blossoming relationship with a foreign exchange student. But I left out one important detail about Natalya. Natalya has cerebral palsy.
I wrote an article a while ago about the pain ex-pats go through when they return to their native land. (Otherwise known as reverse culture shock.) I was thinking about that article this morning when I went to teach my ESL class. Usually all of my students make their way to class on their own, but… Read More The difference between friendship and charity
Just over 3 months ago, I married my best friend. My wedding day was the closest thing to perfect I could have asked for. Perfect weather – both for the guests and the pictures afterwards – no logistical problems or emotional outbursts, lovely decorations, a fun reception, helpful staff and a great bridal party. But that… Read More What my wedding taught me about life
Merry Christmas! By now, I imagine you’ve cleaned up all of the wrapping paper from the living room, recovered from any Christmas-day bloatedness, and maybe you’ve even already started putting up the decorations and writing thank-you notes. I recently wrote an article with suggestions for how you can make your own holiday traditions as a… Read More The one thing all young couples need to remember
I grew up in the church. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone shares the same vernacular that I grew up with. After writing about “learning other people’s languages” last week, I decided that probably needed a bit more explanation.
I spent a little over 1 year in South Korea after I graduated from college. One of the main reasons I chose that country was because I wanted the challenge of learning another language, a language completely different from the romance languages that I had dabbled with in college.
