The Things We Want To Keep by Lucy

Having now been abroad for almost 3 weeks, there are certainly aspects of our home lives that we all miss. Sometimes, the 9 days we have left in the village feel impossibly long, but as we settle back into our routine of morning check-ins, muddy construction work, and home cooked dinners, time continues passing us by.

After all, the hardest stretch is over. Through our work with the Lahu construction team, we built 5 bathrooms and rebuilt the village coffee roastery in just the first 2 weeks of our trip. We're spending the rest of our time here doing repair work, exploring the coffee production process, and deepening our connections with our friends and host-families.

This morning's check-in, we were prompted to think about aspects of village life that we value, appreciate, or want to bring home with us. As we went around the circle, one theme linked our discussion together: the slower pace of life here. With a decreased focus on technology and a greater emphasis on community, we have found ourselves more present than we often are back in Seattle.

Mornings are met with stunning views of the mountain and a full breakfast; evenings consist of family dinners and time spent relaxing. Although the labor done during the day can be difficult, it's always easy to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Mud and sweat are the only things we take home from work, not stress about today's uncompleted tasks or tomorrow's deadlines.

As we have near constant access to technology and a clear focus on achievement at Lakeside, work and leisure tend to bleed together. Taking a deep breath and learning to separate those aspects of our life has allowed for us to truly rest.

Lucy














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