What’s my next adventure?

“Excuse me. Is your name Jessie Mae? Are you the author of those books?”

 

My days of stammering and stuttering when I feel so flattered are apparently behind me, because, even with a giant case of jet-lag and a time-crunch that would usually have debilitated my mind, I managed to have a decent conversation with the stranger/fellow author at my nephew’s kindergarten graduation. I loved walking into my old school to be greeted by a giant hug from Younger Nephew (who apparently missed me), a warm reception from a dear friend (whom I had missed), and a vibrant narration of the school year’s events by Elder Nephew (during the graduation slideshow).

 

This is home. And if I’ve learned anything on my trip, it’s that I belong here. Taking a step back, I have seen the impact I have here in my small town life and the impact the people in my small town life have on me. And I’m truly grateful.

The people I met and the experiences I had overseas are as vast as they are significant. My toes were dipped in the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea. They reached the top of the Eiffel Tower, climbed the Arc de Triomphe, tread where Moses tread on Mount Nebo, strolled through Notre Dame, and walked almost every inch of Paris. My taste-buds experienced Syrian food, French french fries, and Turkish coffee, while my mind interacted with people of all kinds in all places and my eyes saw the Mona Lisa and Monet’s Water Lilies and Venus de Milo. And as for my body, it has been trapped on a Metro, trapped in an elevator, trapped on an airplane, and trapped on a camel heading for a swim–just to name the tame parts of my trip.

 

All of these experiences will become a part of me. But so will the experiences of home. People have already started asking me what my next adventure will be. And my answer? Life. Just regular old life. For perhaps the first time, I’ll turn my eyes of wonder onto the world that’s nearby and see everyday as an adventure. For a girl who has never done things traditionally in her life, I think that ordinary life has some pretty big surprises in it for me to uncover.

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