What Stays and What Goes?

        My time in Lithuania has left me changed. These years have transformed many parts of my life and have left others entirly alone. In preparation for the inevitable reverse culture shock movement coming my way in a couple of months, I started making a list of the things I want to take back to California with me and the things I am planning to leave behind...

1. Continue walking to the grocery store. Its good exercise, a good break from the day, a chance to enjoy the outdoors, and you buy less because you have to carry it all home.
2. Continue cooking the majority of my meals. I have learned how to cook for myself and more importantly how to recreate many restaurant food favorites in a healthier and cheaper fashion! Knowing every ingredient that goes into my food has allowed me to completely avoid any negative side effects from my food allergies.
3. Continue starting each morning with 30 mins of exercise. Workouts never happen after work, and this way I feel more alert and upbeat in the mornings!
4. Continue learning new languages. Being exposed to many different languages these past two years has inspired me to commit to learning more languages. Russian, French, Spanish, & German.
5. Continue Graduate school. I love my grad school program and am almost half way done!
6. Continue traveling. Being back in the states doesn't mean I have to stop exploring God's world, there are so many places I still ahve left to see and experience.
7. Continue leading women's Bible studies. I have discovered that journeying through life's trials and joys with women is one of my main joys in life. God has given me a passion for women's ministries and I want to continue exploring that.
8. Continue drinking tea. I have become a major tea drinker and I greatly admire the slowing effect sipping a cup of tea has on my constantly busy schedule. 
9. Continue living on a budget that is below my means. I have been stretch financially over my time in Lithuania and I have discovered that I can live on a lot less than I previously thought I could. I want to continue living on less and giving more away. 
10. Continue heavily relying on God to solve my problems. When time zones prevent you from calling your parents, sister, or best friend, you have no where else to turn with your problems but to God in prayer. God has now become my number one confidant and I hope it stays that way.
11. Continue making friendships with unlikely candidates. I have discovered that I can find common ground with most people I come across, friends are everywhere just waiting to be made!
12. Continue eating fresh, and shopping at local markets. I love eating seasonaly, thats the way nature intended it. 
13. Continue community with International people. My heart for International people will not fade anytime soon.
14. Continue meetings with mentors. I find great growth in meeting with Christian women who are a wiser and usually older than I am.
15. Continue seeing out health. I am on a journey of health and I must stay consistent in my prayer for healing.
16. Continue drinking green smoothies. YUM.
17. Continue spending money on experiences rather than possessions. Who needs things when you can have memories and stories of adventure!?
18. Start spending more time in the sun and outdoors! I miss the sun so much.
19. Start paying my student loans back. FINALLY, I am excited to have a job that will allow me to start doing this again. 
20. Start spending more quality time with my good friends. I never realized how deeply connected to my core group of friends I was until we were all scattered accross the globe with no plans of reconnecting in sight. Luckily thats all about to change!
21. Start attending a church! I have not been able to find an English speaking church here in Lithuania so I committed to watching Saddleback Church online for the last two years. I am eager to be a part of a congregation again!
22. Start practicing the art of waiting on God. Amen to that. 
23. Start speaking only words of life. My mouth is my most powerful tool and weapon. May I develop the wisdom to only use it to promote life. 
24. Start making time for people that make time for me. Don't go chasin people who aren't chasin you. The ones that make the effort are the ones to keep around. 

24 points is very fitting since this is my 24th year, I think I'll just focus on these for now...