As you are probably aware, 2016 has recently ended. I consider this an incredibly positive development, as many things happened in that year which I found somewhat troubling.
What you may not know (but have likely surmised, you clever devil) is that it was a challenging year personally, as well. There were significant highs, unique events which will never be duplicated, friendships which developed with people I never dreamed I'd even meet, the continuation of relationships and friendships which have proven (as I suspected they were) invaluable and vital, and a shift in perspective that I would describe as visceral, necessary, and altogether unexpected. Oh, and personal bests in weight lifting. [And this is totally just me bragging, but I hit 286 on dead lift as of today. Super stoked about that.]
But there were lows as well, of course. Broken and shriveled promises, disappointments that came to take on an air of inevitability in their constancy, disillusionment (and disappointment) with PC national, a near-constant state of frustration and irritability, withered friendships and potential friendships, some undoubtedly unhealthy habits, and an existential dread (tied mostly to the state of affairs in the US and the world at large).
I say these things not to complain -- not really. Why mention them, then? I suppose I just wanted you to know.
It's a winning bet to say that, when we come back (after a certain amount of separation), Em and I will wax poetic about our time here. We will remember the way the sky could take your breath away if you weren't ready, the kindness showed to us by people who barely knew us, the free time that we're still learning how to use to the fullest, the students who impacted us almost as much as we impacted them.
We'll not forget the trials and tribulations, though -- and as far as cold is concerned, we'll never let you forget it, either. God help anyone who says, "It's cold!" when it hits 40F. These two years will be filed away in our memory banks as the part of our lives that we're pretty sure happened, and the good and the bad will be emphasized in their turns.
So it is with all experiences. This realization -- or at least the acceptance of that realization -- is at the heart of my shift in perspective. My time in Lawrence, for example, I remember (at this moment) as some of the best times of my life. Yet if you read through my journals from that time, you'd take in a picture of an extremely anxious person with impostor syndrome desperately hoping that 'fake it til you make it' was more than just an aphorism.
Reflections are rampant around this time of year, I know. I'm no different.
Some general updates:
Emily has been making headway with our local "wellness center", and will be holding a Bake Sale at her school tomorrow to benefit it. The center is a nexus for orphaned children, the disabled, and the elderly with no family. Given the scant work available at her school, this has been a godsend for her. For my part, I've been... bored. My teachers haven't had much use for me over the past two or three weeks, my weekly community classes have stopped for the holidays, my clubs are getting low attendance due to the cold, and my advising sessions have dropped to almost nil.
We realized only yesterday that this December was the last we'd spend in Mongolia, which is pretty gat'danged cool. That said, the winter so far has been way, way warmer than the previous; something like 5 degrees C above normal. Still cold, mind you; in the -28 range instead of -33.
We had a Christmas/New Year's party on Christmas Eve, and a Thanksgiving Party in November. Both were fun. Pictures of that below. Note the puppy, which belongs to Amy, and is called Muus (or Moose, if she gets as big as we think she will), which means "Ice". Amy found her shivering and near-death in the hallway of her apartment building.
I suppose that's enough. Here's some pictures.
The first is actually the Christmas party. You can play "Where's Waldo?" for the cat.
The second is Emily and I acting all fancy prior to the Thanksgiving Party -- we had a fancy cocktail hours (White Russians made by yours truly was the signature drink).
The third and fourth were part of a larger photo shoot in full Mongol steel mode. I think the girls did it better.
The fifth is us throwing around a football the day after Thanksgiving in what I'm pretty sure was -20 degree weather.
The sixth is a quick group picture before our friend Jiuen left (she finished her service with KOICA, the Korean version of Peace Corps). Incidentally, Amy was leaving for vacation the same day.
The last is a picture of us with some good friends having hiked up Red Mountain in... I think mid November.
