Searching out a Fuller Life

Signing in from Texas.

We began this blog to document our world travels. Starting in England and documenting trips to China, Korea, across the continental United States, Hawaii, etc. has been fantastic. This blog has also witnessed the expansion of our family, our fellow travelers in life and the joy of our existence.

And now we've taken a new step in our journey, this search for moments that swell life to its fullest. Moving away from family, familiar mountains, comfortable surroundings, we've taken a step out into a new and stretching adventure. We are, for the foreseeable future, Texans.

Making this decision was exciting. We grabbed a great opportunity, eager to experience new and more and different. But then we faced the realities of being separated from family--from cousins our kids saw as best friends, from parents who had real time and need and love for us, and from a large and welcoming extended family that nurtured close and enriching relationships for all of us. That is still the most difficult facet of our time here, and it's getting harder.

But when Dustin and I flew down to house hunt we felt the need to be here. Later, when we drove a car down for him to use at work (he started his job while the kids and I had finished summer in Utah) we felt it again: a resonating pull and sense of right-ness being here.

And so, based on prayers and that reverberation of home, we are here. And our drive to have not just a full life, but a fuller life--one we choose, one we conscientiously expand, one where we seek for deeper and whole-er impacts on our souls--has landed us in a new and wonderful place where we will keep expanding the good we've gathered. This blog is a receptacle, for now, of what we find.

Can't wait to share it with y'all!

Snow fun

Yet another year passes and I failed to get my kids out on a sled, whooshing down a hill (although their Uncle Boston obligingly built a five foot tall snow slide in the back yard over new years--awesome!)

But we did get a  few fun snow days in. And we started teaching Rosie how to cross-country ski! She had a a much more positive experience than her dad recalls having as a young kid.

Thanks Dustin's work for the free passes to Sundance for an afternoon date of downhill funness!

Okay, winter, thanks for the fun--we-re ready for spring now.

A new hobby-job

I've never been a writer. Not really.

I mean, I've written a lot. That's unavoidable with a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in English. Lots of words from my brain have made it into black-and-white and been read by others. And I guess I have this blog, and a journal, and lots of emails, so yes, I do write. But I'm not a writer.

Now writing is my job.

It's not as dramatic as I've made it sound (like most things in my life). I've taken on a 4-8 hour a week commitment to concoct creative, short passages about any topic under the Humanities sun, accompanied by half a dozen intellectually challenging questions with explanations--I write the verbal reasoning (now known as the Critical Analysis and Reasoning) section of an MCAT practice test.

I really like having a creative outlet that pushes me. And it keeps me searching for new information--I've learned about national holidays, animation computer programs, MoMA art exhibits (like the Rain Room by rAndom [sic] International), and Toni Morrison, to name a few. And I figure the job fits me well, seeing as how standardized tests are something I am reasonably good at.

But creativity--it is stretching my figurative muscles right now. Do any of you know of cool and happening things regarding (but not limited to) Architecture, Art, Dance, Ethics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Popular Culture, Religion, Theater, or Studies of Diverse Cultures? Or better yet, places to read where I will run across such things? My Facebook feed isn't quite at this level yet :)

It feels good to use my hard-earned academic degrees to accomplish something--and I still get to be at home with my two darling girls. Life does't get much better than that.

So, higher-brow sources to learn about cool new things? Any leads? I'm seeking Muses to guide me as I fit into this new cap in my collection: Lauran, the writer.