the Great Time Sucker

This whole moving and visiting and traveling back and forth business between countries sure can do a number on ya!

Transplanting to a third world country will reveal so many things about yourself, but you might not ever think about how all of those new findings will affect you once you return to the land you know the best.

I’ve been home 7 weeks now (FYI, I return to Cambodia on March 5 for all of 2013) and am past the Holidays to get back in the groove of “regular” life for just a bit.  And I must say-I’m learning even more new lessons here, back at home!

Ok-seriously-where the heck does all of our time go?  America is the great "time sucker".  I mean… is there really that much stuff grabbing my attention?  What am I doing half the time?!?!?!  It’s insane how I am already fighting for the time that I found so easily in Cambodia.

BUT-the one thing I don’t feel bad about, is putting time towards PEOPLE.  And after tracking many days, I do believe most of my time is being put into relationships.  But, what we are doing with those relationships and how we are behaving is the most important part.   I am putting great effort into making those moments count. 

Here is all the other nonsense that I have detected is sucking my time…

uhhh, pumping gas.  Seriously?  It takes FOREVER.  What happened to my $3.50 service guy who does it in like 25 seconds?  And… pumping gas in the COLD.  Major thumbs down.

Driving!  Siem Reap, on a moto means you can zip in and out of everywhere in no time flat.  It’s fantastic.  Here, I actually have to stop at stop signs and red lights and other really important stuff.  

Random, pointless TV shows.  Ok-I do watch shows and movies in the Bode, but that’s pretty much because that’s all there is to do for leisure.  But there is so much junk on TV that it can totally suck you in-and I am proud to say, I have not caved and watched that much.  Not even The Bachelor.  whoah, kids.  I’m growing up.

Social Media.  I just went ahead and took Facebook and Twitter off my phone because I have GOT to be ok with not always looking at it.  I honestly believe it is our country’s most obvious idol and it could possibly be the death of us in some capacity.  (That’s a whole separate blog!)

Getting ready.  Yup.  I said it.  The shallowness of girliness has consumed me yet again and I just find that the older you get, the more you think you have to hide and cover up and create a façade that you really are skinny and haven’t lost your awesome metabolism of when you were 18 years old.  The high top ponytail makes sense in 100 degree weather but I just can’t do it everyday here.   

You know what’s crazy?  A few months ago, some of this stuff was all that I was longing for.  And here I am, in the midst of it and am reminded-yet again-none of this junk matters and none of it makes me who I am.  Ugh.  How many times will I have to learn this lesson?