One year ago, this was my life:

Christmas morning (please notice the kids at the windows and door)

Living on a river island, hanging out with and teaching kids English, taking naps by the river, and celebrating Christmas with my team.

When we first started our month in Cambodia, on the island, I was not excited; by the end, it was so hard to say good-bye to everyone.  Now, I would love to go back there, to see the kids, to find out how they are doing.

At the beginning of the month, we weren't sure what it was going to be like to celebrate Christmas there.  How could it feel like Christmas with these people we had only known for a few months, with no family and with no snow (try, sweltering heat instead)?  But Christmas was awesome.  The days leading up to it included making paper snowflakes, decorating our room and tents and creating wrapping paper from the red, green and white paper in our room.  Christmas Eve we sang carols and spent time together talking; Pastor Gideon even joined us for a while.

Christmas. Surge 12:9 style.

Honestly, this year it doesn't feel like Christmas at all, to me.  I don't know why that is.  I am with family, I'm not with strangers, no, there isn't snow, but it is cold and there are Christmas lights and decorations everywhere.  I'm thinking it's because my heart isn't really here.  Don't get me wrong, I am excited to see family and spend time with them, but I want to be somewhere else; I don't know exactly where that is yet, but I will in time.  

Thinking about all this, reminds me how God has given me so many opportunities and provided so much in my life.  Just because the race is over, just because I am Back from Japan, doesn't mean God will stop taking care of me.  He has a plan and I can't wait to see it start unfolding in this next season of my life.

With Emily, Christmas Eve 2007.  Our traditional with tree pic.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

much love

When I was finishing the race, I had no idea what was next.  Less than a month after being in Michigan, I left for Japan.

My three months in Japan were good.  There were frustrations, and it wasn't easy; but I am definitely glad that I went.  I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to work with people affected by the tsunami and with volunteers from all over the world.

some of the damage and destruction in Kesennuma over 6 months after the earthquake / tsunami

piles of rubble from houses and buildings in Rikuzentakata

Usui-sensei and his wife.  We worked with him quite a bit.  And he always had that smile:)

Now I'm back.  Back in Michigan.  Back to having no idea what is next.  Back to feeling like my life is going nowhere.

Over the past few months many people have asked me about my dreams or desires.   Honestly, I'm not completely sure what they are.  I have all of these jumbled up thoughts in my head, but to verbalize and clearly think through them just hasn't been working out so well.

A few things, I think, I do and don't know about my dreams:

I don't want to be in Michigan 

I want to be in another country

I want to go back to Africa

I don't want to go corporate again

I want to help people out of poverty

I want to work non-profit or NGO - maybe even start my own

Thank you for all your continued prayer and support.  I'm excited to see what God has next in my life.

much love

I left Michigan to start the World Race one year and five days ago (That's almost hard to believe sometimes).  Anyways, on my flight over to Japan, I started thinking about random statistics from the past year of my life:

flights taken: 19

miles on a plane: 42.206

beds slept in: 50

nights under a mosquito net: 75

different modes of transportation: 28

our "ghost busters" van in Uganda

trains ridden: 15

long-distance bus rides: 10

countries been in: 17

languages dealt with: 19

different types / forms of bananas eaten: 22

insects / reptiles eaten (that I know of) 9

rice served at 1+ meals a day: 224

Looking at these numbers is an interesting way to think about the past year, at least I think so:)  

You may have seen this on other people's blogs, but this video was made by two teams from the Q; about measuring 11 months of being on the race.  I hope you enjoy it!

much love!

What does one do after a year-long trip around the world?  Some become a Resident Director at the university they graduated from, some go to G42 Leadership Academy, some decide to lead a missions trip, some go back to Africa for schooling and loving on kids, and others go home feeling just as confused as when they left America.  

Amy (going back to Africa!) and me in Nepal

Since being home, actually since the last couple of months on the race, I have been trying to figure out what to do with my life.  Well, I've figured out a little bit for now.

I will be going to Japan for about 3 months.  While there, I will be working at an organization helping with relief from the earthquake and tsunami back in March.  I had been thinking about this for a while, and things just kind of came together in the past couple of weeks.  I am actually leaving Detroit tonight!

If you will be willing to partner with me in prayer and/or financial support, that would be awesome.  For more details or information, feel free to contact me.  And, of course, I would love to receive emails and updates from people while I am gone.  Feel free to contact me at: bethany.eason@gmail.com.

much love!

Well, if you'd like, you can try on the shoes I wore for the 11 months of my race . . . I made this video to share with you what my life this past year was like.

Enjoy!

Sometimes I wish life had a pause button . . . 

when the most common question I have heard since being in America is, what's next?

when it is weird to not be with anybody from the Q 

when we were having fun white water rafting

when i actually get a good night of sleep

when we were riding elephants in Thailand

when eating soft-serve ice cream (sadly I have not had as much in the States)

 . . . but I'm also really thankful it doesn't.

If I had paused life, I may have missed out on some of the things I have done since returning to America.

Spent time in NYC (and visiting Erin:)

Going to my cousin's beautiful wedding on the beach

Receiving two baskets from my sister, full of gum, mascara, shampoo and other such goodies

Since being back, I feel as though I have done a lot, but also not much at all.  Still not sure what is next, but that is still okay.  I am taking things one day at a time; among other things I have been spending my time figuring out how to process things, working on a video for the year (yes, I will be posting it when I am done), looking for jobs and catching up with friends.

much love

Go big and go home

Check.

Flashmob the city square of Brasov, Romania

Check

A grand finale to the Q's World Race.

Enjoy!

One year ago today, training camp began in White, Georgia.  Throughout the following week we had sessions, activities and began to know fellow members of the Q.

Q squad at training camp (July 2010)

One week from today, we will be leaving Brasov, Romania for the United States of America.  It's hard for me to comprehend that sentence.  At training camp and even launch in the Philippines, it seemed like an almost unending amount of time until we would be done; now I feel that way but in reverse, how can it be over already?

It is also hard to comprehend that we are really done (last day of ministry on the race was Friday), because this feels like just another transition.  This next week will be squad time, with final debrief in Brasov, then on to the next country, which just happens to be America.  We have made so many transitions, flown on planes at least 7 times this past year, and been together as a squad for travel and debriefs.  

I don't know at what point it will really hit me.  Hit me that the race is over.  I guess we'll see...

Q squad at India debrief (April 2011)

much love