In the late afternoons when the heat isn’t as intense, or at night when Buddy and Dori are hanging out on the ceiling above me, I’m working away on a couple new book projects. Yep, a couple! I’m so excited! The contracts have not been finalized so I can’t say much more than that right now, but as soon as I can…you BET I’ll spill the beans with all of you!

There are so many wonderful memories we will be taking home with us when we come to the end of our time here, and writing in the heat of the jungle will be some of my favorite personal memories.

But what do I mean by personal? The types of moments that weren’t so much about family adventures and discoveries, but more so about feeding my personal growth. You must understand, I’m not even a good camper! Don’t mistake me for the REI goddess! It’s not me! You can ask my parents and brothers, I’m usually the first one to pick up my dinner and forfeit the sunset off the back deck b/c of ONE yellow jacket buzzing around. The fact that I’m living with a camping stove to cook on, and steroid pumped geckos above my head, and typing this under my mosquito net b/c of the flying termites and over zealous heat, heat, did I mention the HEAT?!…is…well…let’s just say these conditions are not necessarily me!

In many ways, I came to the jungles of Thailand because I knew it would be beyond me. It would stretch me. Take me to another level of knowing myself and yet not break me. I came with a hope to not only ignite the sense of wonder in my kids but feed my own creative spirit. Photography feeds me in numerous ways, and writing, writing is a gateway into my most intimate self.

When I look at the image below, I feel like Brian caught me as my writing self. The look of peace in my eyes, the quiet around me with only the laptop to illuminate my face, the absolute rest I feel inside as I write away (even though it’s 95 degree heat in the shade), and there is sweet Pascaline working on her homeschool behind me… All of these details and emotions come to mind when I see this image. This is a moment in time I will always treasure. This is a place my heart will come back to when the stress of life starts to swell in height.

Thanks hon, for catching this moment of me.

xoxoxo, m

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