roller coaster

Darian, Brenna, and Aunt Jane at the beginning of a great day at Cedar Point for a HalloWeekend in October of '07.

I love ridin' roller coasters! In fact, one of my favorite summertime destinations is Cedar Point, "America's Roller Coast" in Sandusky, OH. Tons of rollercoasters, yummy park food, and great memories.

But lately, I've been on a different sort of roller coaster. Still lots of ups and downs, often in rapid succession, but not nearly the fun. Though sometimes I do get that queazy feeling in my stomach.

Adusting to a move can be hard. I had no idea how challenging it would be to add culture shock into that mix. It seems silly that we could experience culture shock in a country that so similar to our own. But it's definitely had it's shocking times. I think that it just might be more frustrating because we should understand the language and so many other things. But truly, it is a different country. Not only do they use some confusing words (or words in confusing ways), but there's also a difference in values and customs, things you can't see or touch.

While I ride this roller coaster, I'm trying to stay connected and share what's going on. Sometimes, that doesn't seem to work. Hopefully that will change, I'd like to bring you all along this journey.