Sabbatical: Week One Continued

Our adventures in Poros were fairly low-key. I think my sister and I both needed some serious downtime - to be honest, we didn't even talk to each other much. We both read books, enjoyed the walks into town, ate great food (the french fries were to-die-for!!!), met interesting friends and slept a ton.

Early in our stay we found our way to Oasis, one of my favorite spots there - mostly because the locals who worked there chatted it up with us (and as my sister will attest to, I talked with everyone in sight). Michael, a partial owner of the restaurant, was gregarious to say the least. The night we headed there for dessert, he practically forced us to sit with two unknown sailors and the ensuing hours were spent talking about everything from life and love to politics and faith.

Edvin and Michel, brothers from Holland, were engaging. We learned all about their families and their love of sailing - Michel owned the boat that was in port in Poros. They gave us a tour of the boat and we wished them well on their early-morning journey and said our goodbyes. It was 2:30 as we made our way home that night, yet I felt so awake. In large part, I think it's because Michel and I had the chance to talk about God. It was humbling to hear about his life and reasons he doesn't think God exists. We talked about suffering and the way it has shaped his worldview. It made me sad as I understood his losses and why he believes as he does. Our conversation gave me hope as I remembered that God loves him and passionately pursues a relationship with him.

Other highlights included sharing breakfasts at the hotel with Jonna and Leif from Denmark. Both teachers and excellent conversationalists which made a delightful start to the days away. One day we rented a car and experienced the island - it took about a half-hour to see it all. :)

Our little car - I revisited my knowledge of driving a standard and freaked my sister out on some of the narrow roads.

Views of the Aegean. Have I mentioned the beauty of this place?

Another view. Wow, it was breathtaking.

Here I am in front of a Greek olive tree. The olives were amazing...

Sabbatical: Week One

Greece. I don't remember what drew me to the idea of this place years ago, but now I know why I want to return. Early Saturday morning (4/11), my sister and I headed back to Heathrow via private taxi (less expensive than those cool London taxis that we see in the movies) - we got an Audi instead. :) The driver played a variety of techno 80's music. It was 3:30 AM.
I arrived at Heathrow at 6:35 AM the morning prior.

Our driver drops us off and we discover hiccup #2 of the trip: not enough cash to tip him properly (Oh dear!) - he generously accepts $5 (USD) and tells me he's going to keep it as a souvenir. Sweet, sweet man...

We find Costa just outside of security (this is my sister's favorite coffee spot in London) and order our beverages - truly an amazing latte, I must add. I also have a chocolate muffin unlike anything in my life. Suddenly, the reality that it's 4:30 AM doesn't seem so bad. We finish up and head for security, the gate and well, Vienna. That's where we're stopping on the road to Athens today.

Two hours pass with a lovely breakfast - can you say that about plane food? - and we land in Austria, deplane onto the tarmack (see, I've been there now!), passports stamped by the new Austrian friends and we scooted off to board the flight that will take us to GREECE. I was excited.

Landing in Athens, we experienced no passport control (strange we thought), grabbed our bags, figured out how to get to Port Piraeus via bus (Yes! Public Transport at the bargain price of $3.20 EURO each). Took the bus (stood for most of the hour-long ride), arrived at the Port and searched for the Flying Dolphin Ferry that would take us to Poros Island. Arriving in Poros, we grabbed our bags and looked for a taxi - a Mercedes this time. An aside: The Europeans know how to do things with style! He pulled up to a driveway and pointed up the hill saying, "I think that's your hotel."

There were no signs. There were no stairs. In fact, after manuevering our luggage to the hilltop, we couldn't decide where the Lobby might be. We started knocking on doors. After a few minutes, a woman walked towards us from the alleyway; we thought nothing of this until she handed me her cell phone and made a gesture towards it, then me. I said, "Hello. We are supposed to check-in today. Is this such and such hotel?" Affirmative. The woman on the other end gave some brief instructions - the jist: follow the woman who gave you the phone. So, we did. Evarina was fabulous to us during our time in Poros!

At any rate, we follow her to the itty bitty elevator and then to our room. A while later, Greek phrasebook in hand, we return to the Lobby asking her for thoughts on dinner. And well, then we meet Costas. Yes, Costas. He speaks a little English and quickly herds us toward his truck. He's taking us on a tour of Poros. We drive around - he kept pointing out places to eat and continues to tell us how beautiful we are. We kind-of liked Costas. Eventually, he drops us off at this restaurant at the base of the hill below the hotel and we have our first official meal in Greece. It was delicious.

This is our first of many new friends at the restaurant. Poor stray kitty.

The view from our table. It was beautiful at dusk.

Stray kitties made themselves at home all over the island. Here one catches a cat-nap on the seat of a Yamaha. :)

A view of the harbor on our way into Poros Town. I could spend some serious time here.

Sabbatical, Day One

As promised, here are some posts detailing my adventures over the past month. In way of background, I'd say that I've been on the road to burnout for the past couple of years. There have been spaces in time that served as reprieves and allowed me to keep plugging forward (especially my summer assignment in Vail in 2007), but as time went on, I knew I needed to get away from ministry life AND that staying home for my sabbatical would not produce results that would ultimately benefit my heart. For the first two weeks, I hopped the Pond, landed in London which acted as home-base and did more traveling from there.

First hiccup of the trip:

While I was filling out my entry form for the UK just before our descent, I realized a huge oversight: I did not have my sister's address! She was picking me up at the airport, so I didn't think much about it. The only thing I knew about where I was going was the Tube line she lived off of - helpful, I'm sure... Making my way through the immigration area, I came to the UK officer and told him of my dilemma. He proceeded to look over my form where I had written "Ministry Operations" as my occupation. He thought that was a bit interesting and asked me a plethora of questions which finally included: "Are you planning to evangelize while you're in the UK?" Well... Not exactly planning on it. He also thought it strange that I was on "Sabbatical."

Thankfully, 20 or so minutes later, he let me go. Relaying the conversation to my sister on the way to her place, she said, "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N - That's all you needed to tell him!" I tend to be thorough! Needless to say, next time I'll remember her address.

Here's my first shot on the road to rest while jet-lagged and experiencing rainy London for the first time.

Forward Progress

A while back, my friend Ryan sent me a copy of a post from Seth Godin's blog. I wanted to post it here as a reminder that in this uncertain place, setting goals, risking and failure are part of what it's all about - I don't want to miss out on being remarkable... This is highly encouraging.

The Goals You Never Hear About

Farewell Sabbatical

Tomorrow (rather, later this morning) I head back to the office after a month away. I need to find my key. It's 12:20 AM and I'm not quite sure if all of the travel has changed my internal 'need-to-sleep' clock, but alas, I am so tired, but still awake. I plan to write more about my weeks away from the regularly schedule program called, My Life, and provide some pictures soon, but I will say this: I have been able to rest. That alone is highly encouraging.

Honestly, it's hard to go back to work because I know I could use another couple of months to move forward and delve into some areas where I need to experience growth. Here's the silver lining: I am better equipped to build this into my downtime now that I've had time to come down from the rest of it. Somehow, I know it'll work itself out.

For now, I think I'll try to submit to the weariness in spite of the thoughts swirling through my mind - mostly engrossed in the last four days of my sabbatical. They were really, really good days. Ironically, after spending time abroad and near the ocean for the majority of the month, these last four treasured days of freedom were spent in... Wisconsin. LOL. More soon...

Be Still My Soul

Listening to the Atlantic from a lovely balcony as I rest
and seek to be still...

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Text: Katharina von Schlegel, 1752; trans. by Jane Borthwick, 1855 (Ps. 46:10)
Music: Jean Sibelius, 1899; arr. from The Hymnal, 1933
Excerpt from www.hymnsite.com