Simply Intentional

“I am born and raised from Hawaii” and I know I am lucky to be able to say that. But for many of the years that I lived in Hawaii, I don’t think I fully grasped how blessed I was or appreciated home the way I should have. I remember watching “Wheel of Fortune” episodes and contestants would cry or go crazy when they won a trip to Hawaii. What’s the big deal I thought. It’s an island. I’ve seen it all.

I haven’t seen it all.

The truth is I never left Hawaii to appreciate it more. I left because I felt that I wanted to experience other things in the world, to cry or go crazy for other places the way the Wheel of Fortune winners did. That’s why I left and that’s why I love traveling today. But when you return to the place where you grew up, it’s suppose to feel like home and at first it didn’t. I felt like an outsider. A visitor. A tourist (it stings to even write that). Things seemed familiar to me, but yet, very foreign.

As the days went by, I started to remember what it meant to be from Hawaii. It started with the food. The diverse, rich blend of cultures and flavors unique to this place. The land of sweet and savory.

Then it was the beautiful landscapes that I’ve driven past hundreds of times, but never truly appreciated the backdrop they provided.

But most of all, what brought me back full circle, was spending time with my family. Doing the things we love doing together like fishing, surfing, playing games, eating, and hanging out. All of the things that I had missed these past couple of years.

If you want to appreciate home more….leave it.

But don’t forget to go back and rediscover everything all over again, and new things.

Uncategorized

On Being Intentional

June 7, 2014June 7, 2014 simplyintentional

It’s our six year anniversary! Michelle wrote on our travel blog about how being Intentional has influenced our marriage and set us on a course for travel…

Intentional Travelers

The word “Intentional” has been a part of our lives for some time now. Today, we celebrate our six year anniversary, and this particular word has truly shaped our marriage. To us, it means being conscientious and deliberately choosing the way you live your life.

So often we make life choices based on what’s “normal,” what we feel is expected of us, what we see others do, or what we’re in the habit of doing. We usually don’t think twice about these choices because we’re not in tune with the fact that another way is possible, perhaps even better.

The problem with doing things the normal, conventional, expected way is that it’s not always what’s best for you.

The American Dream has become: work so that you can buy lots of stuff and eventually retire in self-indulgence. We think we’re pursuing happiness yet what we’re actually doing is…

View original post 481 more words

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates

Home

June 2, 2014June 3, 2014 simplyintentional

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been back in the United States for a little over a month now. First, we went on a road trip from Orlando to Chicago to reconnect with family and friends. Then we went to Oregon to see more family. Finally, for the last two weeks Michelle and I had a chance to spend some quality time with our own families, Michelle in Oregon, and me in Hawaii.

Being a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (the official term – RPCV) everyone seems to be asking 3 major things:

1. What was it like? How was your experience? – We’ve talked about the difficulty of this before for any volunteer to sum up their 2-year lives as volunteers and how we’ll probably be reflecting about our experience for months to come.

2. What’s next? – We’ve sort of mentioned things here and there but we are working on a post to better explain what we’ll be up to this coming year. As we said in Jamaica, “soon come.”

3. How has it been to be home? – This is the focus of today’s post: Home.

Bellows Air Force Base - Waimanalo Hawaii

Home….Not Yet Home

As travelers, I’ve come to understand that “home” is different for everyone, especially for us wanderers. I grew up in Hawaii. That’s home. I felt a deep connection to Portland. That’s also home. Jamaica has a special place in my heart and life. There’s a part of me that calls that home now, too.

Here are my favorite recent questions we’ve been getting that I struggle to answer:

Where are you from?
Umm…where did I grow up? Where did I just come from? What country?

Where are you living now?
Well…right now I’m visiting family in Hawaii, so I guess there??

Ok, then, where will you be living?
Good question. We will be traveling for awhile so…yeah.

How’s home been since you’ve been back?
When I landed in Hawaii 2 weeks ago I thought I would feel as if I returned home. For anyone that has been to Honolulu, once you land, you actually go outside right away as you walk to baggage claim. It’s another small thing I love about returning “home.” The warmth, humidity, and trade winds gently remind you that you’ve arrived. Yet as I walked through the airport, I didn’t feel home. The local people that I grew up with seemed different to me. I started wondering: will people know I was born and raised here? Will they see me as a tourist? I didn’t feel that I fit in.

What’s crazy is how things change and don’t change in two years. Honolulu has more new condos and big buildings. They started building a rail system. Yet Diamond Head, the mountains, and valleys are still there and still beautiful. I love surfing. I love the local Hawaiian food. And most of all, it’s been great to see family and friends. It’s been great to see so many people I haven’t seen in years that have changed and in many ways, haven’t changed at all, too.

But I didn’t go home to the house I grew up in. My family moved while I was away. I thought I would be sad about it but being with my family, I’ve realized wherever they are is where home is. I’ve forgotten about the old house.

And really that’s it. Home is not a place. Home is not a physical structure. Home is a familial structure. Home is a feeling. Home is being surrounded by the people you love that also love you. That’s why I can be home with just Michelle, or in Portland, Hawaii, and even now, Jamaica.

So yeah, it’s been great to be home.

“Where is home again?”

Wherever I’m with my family and friends….I’m home.

—

Here are some things I’ve been up to since being back in Honolulu (including some random part-time jobs).

Helping setup AV equipment:

Helping setup a wedding:

The latest “Jumping Jedd Photo” – Surfing out by Diamond Head

Aki-No-No Sushi – My Favorite

Black Sesame Ice Cream & Fried Mochi Balls

My best Mahjong hand EVER!!!

Strawberry Lilikoi Scone – Morning Glass Coffee & Cafe

Ready for fishing

Fishing with my Dad at Bellows

* Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps

Culture 101 for Returning Peace Corps Jamaica Volunteers

May 27, 2014 mcmeeshi

This is a (mostly) fictional guide for Peace Corps Volunteers who are readjusting to the States after serving in Jamaica. It’s meant to be a light-hearted look at the cultural differences between Jamaica and the U.S., through the imaginary trials of a PCV who has adopted host country norms and forgotten how to be American. We got nearly three months of cultural training about Jamaica before service- what would we have learned if the roles were reversed? Although some of these things would probably never happen, others are legitimate concerns. Enjoy and, please, add your own in the comments below! Continue reading “Culture 101 for Returning Peace Corps Jamaica Volunteers” →

* Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps

Top Tips for Teaching Literacy (and working in Jamaican schools)

May 22, 2014July 9, 2014 mcmeeshi

For the past two years, I’ve learned a whole heap serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a rural, Jamaican primary school. My official position title was: Youth Literacy Advisor. On a daily basis, I was pulling out small groups of students from their regular classes and helping them with basic reading skills.

I was not a teacher before, nor do I plan to become one. But teaching kids to read sure has been rewarding. If I can save those who endeavor down the same path, from avoiding some of the bumps I hit in the road, then my lessons learned will be all the more worthwhile. Continue reading “Top Tips for Teaching Literacy (and working in Jamaican schools)” →

* Life Updates, * Michelle Thoughts

Home Sweet Home

May 20, 2014 mcmeeshi

We have completed our first Post-Peace Corps Road Trip which gradually brought us closer (mentally and geographically) to home. We arrived in Oregon about a week ago and have just barely gotten started on reconnecting with all our friends and family. We’ve been reacquainting ourselves with many of the things we have missed over the past two years: strawberries, hiking, appliances, driving, sushi…

Birthday/reunion dinner

Saburo’s in Portland

Fresh strawberries!

1st time geocaching

Silver Falls hike

The scariest part about being back in America is how easy it is to forget that we were away at all. Sometimes it feels like we just time traveled, skipping over the past two years. What we once lived and breathed- our daily reality- is now just a memory. Sometimes it really feels too distant.

On the surface, our readjustment has been a breeze. But we certainly see things with new eyes now that we’re back. The way people behave and some of the habits people have suddenly seems “so American” because we’ve had the chance to analyze and reflect on our culture from the outside. We always have a little comparison going on in the back of our minds- how much more space we have in the car, how many more errands we can get done before lunch, how much colder we are, how much more helpful the customer service reps are, how quickly we spent the equivalent of one month’s living allowance…

One thing I didn’t expect to be so different when we returned, are the subtle smells. As soon as I step outside, I am reminded that even though the smell of the Oregon outdoors is immediately and unequivocally familiar, its absence from me for the past two years is also apparent. Even the parking structure at the mall smelled so familiar yet new- it was weird.

So where do we go from here? Well, right now, we’re each spend about two weeks with our respective parents. Then we’ll spend the next two weeks all together in Hawaii to reunite with that side of the family!

If you’re interested in seeing more photos from our road trip and first week in Oregon, head over to our new travel blog, Intentional Travelers or click on an image below:

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, Other Travels

2 Weeks in America After 2 Years Abroad

May 12, 2014May 13, 2014 simplyintentional

So many options

Concert series in Nashville

Where MLK was assassinated in Memphis

Brother in-law and his awesome style

Amazing BBQ

A store dedicated to spices – I wonder what Jamaicans would think of it

For fun, people in Nashville hang out at vineyards

I saw the sign after touching. I promise.

For the last two weeks, Michelle and I have been on a “Welcome Back”/”Reintegrate to American Culture” tour. Leaving Jamaica after our 2-year Peace Corps service, we headed to Florida to visit family, drove to Atlanta, Nashville, and Birmingham to visit friends, and concluded our trip driving to Memphis and Chicago to see more family. For a more detailed look at each stop (including pics), check out our travel blog – http://intentionaltravelers.com

As we prepared for our transition back to the states, PC staff and friends had told us there would be a time of readjustment. It might be difficult, strange even.

I laughed. How hard could it be?

It turns out, the one thing that really bothers me about readjustment hasn’t been about whether or not I fit back in being American. What bothers me is how EASILY it has been to go back to living life the way I had before…as if two years of a different life didn’t even happen. It feels as if our time as PC Volunteers in Jamaica was so long ago.

It’s only been two weeks.

Here are some observations we’ve made on our road trip since we’ve been back:

Life Moves Quickly in America (and usually in a car)
You know you were in Peace Corps when you can stare and marvel at sidewalks. We hardly had them in Jamaica. Some towns and major cities had them, but most of Jamaica does not have sidewalks. Yet a majority of the people walk. A majority of the people do not own cars. The towns and cities are not designed for cars.

On our road trip I loved looking at the layout of neighborhoods, towns, and cities. I was amazed at the beautiful sidewalks, well kept yards, and attractions. The only problem is there were little to no people walking on these sidewalks to enjoy everything. Most people drive in America (if they can). People get around here more efficiently, no waiting, and I like that. But I’ve also realized that the slower pace in Jamaica forced me to notice things, to observe and watch more. When you are driving, you’ll probably miss something you didn’t see if you were walking.

Choices, Choices, Choices
I remember a story from a former volunteer who went to a grocery store in the US after finishing their service in Kenya. They were astounded by the amount of options to choose from. In Jamaica we had an American-style grocery store and had way more choices for food and things than the volunteer from Kenya. However, I am still amazed at all the options and choices we get to make as Americans. And I’m not jut talking about food.

Where would you like to go? What would you like to do? What would you like to eat? How would you like that cooked? If that doesn’t work, we have plenty of other options.

It’s overwhelming.

It’s also a great opportunity to be thankful for the little things. I missed variety and the freedom to have so many choices. I also never appreciated this before I joined the Peace Corps. But I’ve also realized that life has become way more complicated than it use to be. Also, I’m starting to see that my ability to make good and healthy choices (as it relates to food) is challenged by my mindset of having been away. Two servings of something I haven’t had in awhile? Yes, please. Another chocolate chip cookie? Sure, I’ll make up for all the times I didn’t have it. I’m starting to see that this excuse could lead into other issues. As the great philosopher Notorious B.I.G. said, “More choices, more issues”. He said money, but same idea.

People are People
Our host mom in Jamaica would say this a lot. What she meant by it was that regardless of where you go, there are things about people that you’ll find universally. A smile will usually indicate happiness. Rude in any country is rude. Sadness and tears. Laughter and joy.

Being back in the states, though my host mom is right, there are still a lot of differences between Jamaicans and Americans. I realize that Americans keep to themselves whereas Jamaicans are more communal and sometimes too much in your face. Americans are a little cautious about putting themselves out there. Jamaicans are not afraid to sing, dance, or be loud- ever. Jamaicans we be more direct and blunt. Americans will try to find a more delicate way to say something.

—

As the PC staff and former volunteers have said (Michelle wrote a post about this too), this is a process. It’s only been two weeks back in the USA. Who knows what two years in the country might do to us.

-J

* Michelle Thoughts, Other Travels

Post-Peace Corps Road Trip

May 7, 2014 mcmeeshi

We’ve been in the States for a full week now! Our goal to reunite with friends and family has been successful, and we’ve been enjoying the many amenities and foods that are now available to us. It’s still hard to believe that Peace Corps is completely behind us. Although we’re enjoying our freedom and return home, it’s bittersweet. Even though we can always return to Jamaica- it won’t ever be the same as when we were living there as Peace Corps Volunteers. We’re forever grateful for that opportunity.

We are posting trip recaps with more photos from our road trip home on the travel blog: Intentional Travelers. Please stop by!

Nate and Lisa and baby

Wooing Eliana with food

Jedd not paying attention

Cocoa Beach

Nate getting ready for work

Giant papaya, Atlanta

Jedd and his second cousin

College friends reunited

College friends

Tennessee “music in the vines”

Florida/Tennesse

RPCV Riley in Birmingham

Yellow Hammer Creative

Birmingham overlook

* Peace Corps, Videos

Julien Does Jamaica: Fun Video Interview

May 4, 2014 mcmeeshi

We never got around to sharing this video, although we’ve had it for a while. This is Jedd’s co-worker sharing various thoughts about Jamaica. Don’t you think he should have his own TV show?

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, * Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps, Videos

Two Years in Peace Corps Jamaica: A Video

April 29, 2014April 29, 2014 mcmeeshi

What do you say when people ask you, “how was it?”

Today we say goodbye to what has been our home and lives for the past two years. It’s been a roller coaster ride, almost 4 total years of our life if you include the process we went through just to get accepted and placed to serve as volunteers (which was typical at the time, not so typical now). The last couple of months, weeks, and days we’ve had the chance to reflect with other fellow volunteers, get in a few new adventures, and more importantly, say thanks to the people of Jamaica who have taught and given us so much.

It’s incredible to think of all of the challenges, the fun, the adventure, the work- everything that makes up the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer. There’s just no way to really answer question, “how was it?”. I guess we could say, “It was everything we’d hope it would be and more,” and that still feels like we are cheapening the experience.

Two Years Video

It’s impossible to summarize two years, but these short video clips will hopefully give you a taste of our experience in Jamaica as Peace Corps Volunteers. We’re so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to come and live in a Jamaican community, to share life with people, to be challenged and to grow. It was not always easy, but we have gained so incredibly much in return.