One Week Away!

It's almost surreal to think that in one week, I'll be on a plane to Brussels to connect to Monrovia. This is an event that would bring about the highest of anxiousness and excitement, but I'm a roller coaster these days.

I'm trying, as hard as I can to focus on the events at hand. I have an election to finish. I have to go through the motions to make sure I don't do something that hinders our chances there. I have to make sure I take care of the loose ends after the election, including working on the possibilities for after I return. I have to do whatever I can to not get caught up with the thought that one week from now, I'll be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on my way to new possibilities.

That's where the little things come in. I'm taking time off from everything tonight to watch the Big Red Rivalry, Oklahoma-Nebraska Football, which is always great fun. It's not a game where you hate the other team but you don't want to lose to them, either. I'll take an hour out of my day leading up to the flight to work out. Just me and the weights, me and the treadmill. I'll even take time out to watch a tv show or two.

I think this is what I need to do to stay grounded. if I take in the little things, then I can truly enjoy the bigger things. No, that's not right...

You cannot have a full life if you don't appreciate even the little things. Living through the big events gives such a gaping hole throughout your life, so you have to take the time out to do the small stuff. Watch a movie, take a walk in the park, and enjoy it all. This is what I'm trying to do as I get closer to my trip. This is what I hope to do while I am in Liberia. If I don't, then I could miss out on so much.

That's about all for tonight. I don't expect to write much the next few days, but I'll get back into things after the election. I implore everyone to vote. Elections are always important for our nation, and this one is too. I don't feel it is right to tell anyone who to vote for, although I have my preferences. Look at the issues and where the candidates stand on the issues. Don't listen to the press, read their own statements and determine who stands with your opinions. And pray that whoever wins does what is right for this country and not just for their party. Partisanship only should exist during the campaign, not in the execution of our government.

Highs and Lows

In many homes across America there is a ritual for the dinner table. Called "high and low," each family member would describe the low point of the day along with the highlight of the day. It's a nice way to open up with family and to keep the lines of communication open for the good times and bad.

Granted, I never did this in my life, but I like the idea. I bring this up partly because my job is a series of highs and lows strung together into a public campaign. It's much like baseball, no one really watched every pitch but a lot of people want to know who won that day. Our season ends soon, but when you mix everything in with an upcoming trip of a lifetime, your highs are over hyped and the lows are disproportionate. It's not a bad thing, it just is a part of life.

You have to keep everything check when you work in a high-stress, high-reward (and high-failure) industry. There is no ability to let your personal life invade your working life. Some people take this to mean we should turn off our lives during a campaign and avoid having a social life, or a church life, or a family life, or any other kind of life, when you are working on a campaign.

I've been trying to break this mold as of late. Most of the work I've been doing is focused outside of the public, between researching the opponent's actions and the current issues and working on the basic day-to-day operations online. Sometimes I do the pubic stuff, train station campaigning (which I am doing again tomorrow) and parades, but most of that is relegated to a few hours a week. In between, I'm trying to take in as much time with the family as possible, since this will be the last time in my life I will have such access to them, and building a life in Illinois. It's a little hard to build a life on a political salary, but there are ways. Church has been a great way.

I've always said that church is a cornerstone to many communities. Aside from the many theological reasons for church, the greatest reason for belonging to a church is the ability to belong to a community. It's an environment where you can debate many facets of life with great respect for each other and at the same time share in great memories in the most unlikely of places. For that reason, the past couple of months at church have been my high.

The low, of course, is losing a political campaign when your party has held the seat for more than 20 years. But I'm not worried about that anymore. The excitement of what is to come, built from my time outside of work, has really led me to believe that no matter how many times you win or lose, you still have everything you had before.

No matter what happens on Tuesday, I am still facing the best adventure in my life. I'm still taking a trip to do something I have never done before and to provide a new hope to many children in a country where hope has been a fantasy. This is my focus. This is my countdown. Not some campaign deadline or research project. Not some jump to the next job. A trip to a new horizon and a project to work with others hand on. I may have been born nearly 28 years ago, but my new life begins next weekend. I'm getting packed and I'll be ready.

The Busy Weeks Ahead

It still seems surreal that I am taking my first trip overseas in just a couple weeks. I always talked about it in the past, and usually said my first destination would be Beijing, but sometimes I would think it is more a passing fancy than a dream to achieve. This week, however, it is more of a means to an end. I just haven't figured out that end.

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Sunday was a fun day. Monday was a good day. Tuesday was a hectic day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Let's start with Sunday. After a candidate meeting in Geneva, I stopped by Best Buy to pick up a new camera. Normally, I wouldn't worry about what I am purchasing but this is no normal situation. First, and this is a little dirty secret, I don't actually own a real digital camera. I usually borrow some one's camera or use the old camera I have, which has outlived its purpose. The camera is a few years old and can rarely hold a charge. Sadly, it must go.

The second reason for this camera is because photography is a hobby of mine. I enjoy taking shots wherever I go. I would post the photos here, but there are too many favorites, so I'll send you to my photo album, http://www.flickr.com/photos/18218029@N07/. Whatever camera I buy will, hopefully, be the first step towards making this a serious hobby where I can convey my thoughts through the lens. Anyway, I bought the camera and started playing with it (I'm a kid in a candy store when it comes to Best Buy, it's worse when I actually buy the pieces of candy).

Monday was good because I was able to meet with the mission director to begin going over details of the trip and answer some questions I had. And I do have many questions. There were the probing queries - How can I avoid offending anyone? - and there were the selfish thoughts - Is there any way I can run in the morning while out there? While I cannot really go over everything we discussed, only because we talked about a lot, I can say that there is a growing sense of anticipation within me.

I still remain open-minded about this trip and refuse to establish any expectations, primarily because I still cannot get over the first hurdle of being in an airplane for such a long time (how does anyone endure transcontinental flights?). But the more I learn about Liberia and the more I prepare for the trip, the more I think this is going to be an event I will talk about the rest of my life. Why it will be such an adventure, I don't quite know yet, but it will be.

Which leads to Tuesday. Work was crazy, between research still needed on some financial data and a less-than-friendly website. Actually, I must say I don't understand why everyone thinks websites are easy to maintain. I find them to be a real pain in the butt.

I set a meeting after work to meet with those who were planning on taking this trip with me but had to pass for one reason or another. It was important for me, especially, to let them know pretty much what I've written on this blog so far; that they have played a big role in my progression towards this trip and that I appreciate all they have done. It was great, really, to see them again since I've been so busy. I tend to forget how much more there is in this world when I start focusing on my job. It really is a bad habit, but one I've held some times. Meeting with them Tuesday night gave me pause, something I needed. Hopefully it will last through the next couple weeks because the sprint to Election Day is crazy and it rarely feels like it will end.

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It's amazing to think that in just over a month from now I'll be in Liberia. I will have slept past the hangover of election season, figured out the political makeup of the United States, and taken my first international flight (which I really am excited about since I have always heard how smooth the flights are over the ocean).

I received an e-mail yesterday that puts into perspective how close things are getting. The director of world missions at our church provided an update of things to come. This Sunday, the director of the Liberian mission will be speaking at our church and I was invited to join the rest of the mission committee to a lunch afterwards. Then, on the first of November, I'm going to be attended all the services so the church can send me off on their first trip to Liberia.

I am torn in this situation. Part of me is excited to be taking this trip alone. I'm taking a great step forward by heading out without any real familiarity, no comfort of home or indication of America around. The other part is a little sad that those with whom I've been working towards this trip will not be joining me for various reasons beyond their control. Getting to know these people, even slightly, helped guide me towards taking this trip. But, that is what happened. And in the long run, I won't regret it.

Everything that happens around us dictates our decisions and shapes what experiences we'll gain. That is understood by most everyone. But the way the uncertainty can grow into a great fortune is truly profound. I feel so fortunate to dive into this moment in my life 100 percent. I won't be leaning on anyone else nor can I try to create a shared experience because no one will be around for me to lean on.

What makes it even more intriguing is that so many people at my church will want to know about my experience. I will be their eyes and ears in Liberia, telling them about the great work the mission has been doing in providing the children an opportunity to succeed in their lives and relaying the sights and sounds of families who have a renewed hope because of the hard work of the teachers and the mission director. It will be amazing, and I cannot think of anything else I would rather do in November. I hope others will enjoy experiencing this trip through my words and photos.