The Journeys of a Wanderer

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52914592011-12-23T20:00:46.558-08:00The Journeys of a Wandererroberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.comBlogger3651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-35535303252193820252011-04-22T22:01:00.000-07:002011-04-22T22:01:19.927-07:00Photo blogging... becaust it's easier than writing about it

Sometimes when I travel around the world... actually most times, the experience is so overwhelming and demands so much of my immediate attention that I have no time to process it. And since blogging is one of the ways I process my world my poor blog gets neglected and slowly grows cobwebs. At one point my blog went through three-ish years of being neglected because I was traveling ALL THE TIME.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-8037179642470460832011-04-18T09:54:00.000-07:002011-04-18T09:56:19.177-07:00Beautiful Costa Rica

It's been a crazy week. Good, but crazy. I arrived in Jaco, Costa Rica on Saturday last week really not knowing what our first week here would look like. I knew I was going to be helping the team out with a morning workshop and there was talk of our trafficking team consulting with a local ministry in the afternoons. But other than that.... Our morning workshop ended up being well attended with

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-72922912992590264382011-04-05T11:08:00.000-07:002011-04-05T11:08:44.976-07:00Costa Rica Update!

I've updated my Projects and Get involved; Join me pages on my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. Check them out for info and progress on my fundraising efforts. All I can say is that God is soooo good :)

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-81844839109085843102011-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:002011-04-04T22:26:22.132-07:00A good week.

My time in Tijuana was absolutely lovely. I know I was supposed to be working, and don't get me wrong, I definitely was, but compared to the craziness of finishing up my EMT course while trying to prepare for a week of teaching, actually doing the teaching was a fabulous break. The Tijuana YWAM base is amazing and the housing they offer to visiting speakers is like something you would find in a

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-74884725461981773542011-03-29T16:00:00.000-07:002011-03-29T16:00:10.080-07:00getting all inspired

I just finished my second day of teaching at the Tijuana YWAM base. It's been a long time since I've done any kind of speaking on human trafficking and it's pretty refreshing. I realize I actually do know things and I do have things to say and I guess I am passionate about this issue. Either that or I'm a really good faker... but I don't feel like one. The funniest thing happens when I speak; I

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-56689436525640688692011-03-27T10:08:00.000-07:002011-03-27T10:37:52.770-07:00the airport

I'm having a moment of appreciating the Portland Airport. I'm sitting in the terminal here on free wi-fi, listening to live piano music. The music is beautiful; reminiscent of the haunting tunes from the Lord of the Rings movie. Yes, there are many reasons I hate airports, but sometimes I appreciate the cacophony of humanity that find themselves thrown together for a few hours (or a few days).

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-85956528323422431262011-03-26T22:52:00.000-07:002011-03-26T22:57:10.258-07:00i.passed.

i took my emt state practical exam today. i passed-- and writing that entirely ruins any sort of suspense i may have been wanting to create in this blog but i'm just too tired. my own suspense from the day topped anything i've ever experienced... i'm not joking. i didn't sleep last night... all i could think about was everything i was going to forget. and i couldn't eat breakfast because i very

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-25130409102293306402011-03-19T22:35:00.000-07:002011-03-19T22:35:57.922-07:00a million entries

There have been a million blog entries floating around in my head over the last month. I haven't had the time to write them down and now they're sadly lost forever. But what I do have are a bunch of random photos I took for these now-never-to-exist blogs. I shall now commence a bunch of mini-blogs inspired by these photos and try to remember just why I took them.... This is posted on the

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-70620373151127125712011-03-18T11:11:00.000-07:002011-03-18T11:11:42.393-07:00Update

Update on fund raising for my trip to Costa Rica! For info on the trip go here: http://roberry.blogspot.com/p/projects.html For info on how the fund raising is going go here: http://roberry.blogspot.com/p/get-involved-join-me.html

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-81715993508981177652011-03-17T15:44:00.000-07:002011-03-17T15:47:06.088-07:00what a week

This week has been one of a kind-- not in a good way mind you. My ability to process life has ground to a halt. It's turned into the art of survival; don't think about what's been going on-- just deal with the here and now. I always knew March was going to be a hard month, I was dreading it all February. Starting March 2nd I had two and a half weeks of final skills exams for my EMT class

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-58636875498558327752011-03-11T22:53:00.000-08:002011-03-14T10:21:22.376-07:00Devastation

I'm silenced by what I'm watching on the news. I don't have the mental space to process it all. I've stopped reading the articles and watching the clips. I don't want to know. I feel so removed from Japan right now... like the Pacific Ocean is a yawning chasm a million light years wide and a universe deep. Helplessly watching the disaster unfold from this distance reveals my powerlessness. My

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-301314071871914622011-03-09T11:07:00.000-08:002011-03-09T11:52:20.978-08:00Beyond Awareness

I read an article recently about human trafficking that echoes something I've been sensing recently. Let me back up. Seven years ago when I first got started in anti-human trafficking about 80% of the people I chatted with didn't know what it was. Most of my time was spent raising awareness; helping people understand the term, talking about the gravity and broadness of the injustice. Job

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-64852318315136642062011-03-07T23:10:00.000-08:002011-03-07T23:35:28.340-08:00Ambulance and Other Things

In order to graduate EMT class I'm required to do a shift in ER and a shift on an ambulance. I did both this last week. Honestly, ER wasn't that interesting. I trotted along behind an ER tech observing everything he did while not being allowed to touch anything. So frustrating. He didn't even allow me to help make the beds so I just stood there... watching. The ambulance was a lot more fun. On

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-79966010593056959852011-02-15T11:01:00.000-08:002011-03-09T15:17:05.989-08:00Justice Conference

Lots been happening recently and I've had absolutely NO time to write about it. I still don't have time, but I'm going throw it all out there in a disorganized fashion because if I don't do it now I never will. This past weekend I was in Bend, Oregon attending the "Justice Conference" hosted by World Relief. Impressively, the conference was attended by 1,050 people even though it was the first

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-26552866751817691252011-02-11T00:18:00.000-08:002011-03-23T10:59:16.641-07:00con artist or unintentional mislead-er?

I think I’m a con artist. Not really, actually a conner (can you say that?) but I have conning tendencies. What I mean is, I can speak somewhat authoritatively on things I have no idea about... and what’s weird about it is that people not only believe me but I end up believing me too. For example, I don’t know the mechanics of the inner working of a dam (aka water-restraining-facility to all

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-16743904724374475642011-02-09T10:32:00.000-08:002011-02-09T10:47:20.229-08:00back is back again

I've spent the last week and a half hunched over desks and tables at a million coffee shops around town studying for my monster midterm. The good news is that I passed it with an A (hooray!). The bad news is that all that hunching and stress threw out my back... again. So now I'm at the office, it's 9:54 am and I'm trying to get some much needed work done and I can't concentrate. It feels like

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-6597756303669911502011-02-03T21:39:00.000-08:002011-02-06T22:18:35.786-08:00'Tis the way of it

Remember back when you were a student and you had a major test looming and you just didn't organize your study time well enough to do a good job on it? Happened to me all the time. I remember wishing the school would mysteriously get flooded by a monster typhoon or hoping that the trains would go on strike without notice and oh, darn it, the test would be rescheduled for next week (I commuted

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-24841233398907073182011-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:002011-02-03T15:50:31.768-08:00mysterious tapping

A few mornings ago I had the strangest experience. Well, experience is probably the wrong word.... It was 6 am and I was minding my own business snoozing away the hour or so I had left before getting up for work when I felt two sharp taps on my left shoulder. I was befuddled (very common at 6 am) and my brain grasped around for possible sources of the tapping. I immediately thought it was my

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-34453711867786673292011-01-26T12:03:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:04:31.747-08:00photo-ing

My roomie Karisse and I took a little adventure around Portland over the weekend. And let me emphasize little adventure. I was recovering from throwing my back out and Karisse had a cold. After a few hours we went home exhausted from ALL the activity. Pretty pathetic of us :) Anyway, I took a few photos that I thought I'd share. I've always wanted to live in an urban apartment, especially one in

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-20481411347291892522011-01-08T12:09:00.000-08:002011-01-08T12:09:24.809-08:00Pics from here and there

A few creative-ish and nature-ish photos from life... I was out walking with some co-workers yesterday and came a cross a women throwing food to seagulls. The birds just snatch the food right out of the air! . . Portland is a nice little city but kinda hard for me to capture on camera. When we passed these benches I asked my co-workers Matt and Lance to sit for a photo. They chose to sit as far

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-40367604591172782632011-01-04T22:41:00.000-08:002011-01-04T22:45:40.615-08:00Scenery

It's strange isn't it, how we float along through time one year, one month, one day at a time. We create these markers and designate a number value so we can tick off the days. Nature itself doesn't count the years, only season and those are entirely circular so you find yourself back where you started before long. Our time counters give us a sense of progression, a sense of forward movement

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-20093211512794706022011-01-02T23:27:00.000-08:002011-01-03T13:26:04.461-08:00Making Plans

I was reading My Utmost for his Highest this evening and came across a very interesting discussion. Here are a few key sentences that caught my attention: "One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is 'What do you expect to do?' You don't know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what he is doing." "Have you been asking God what he is going

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-74968774972856182972010-12-25T13:43:00.000-08:002010-12-25T13:43:48.341-08:00Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas. I have to admit, it's a little weird that today is December 25th but it's not actually Christmas. Not in my house anyway. With three out of five "kids" married, this year is the in-laws turn for actual Christmas. Family Christmas is delayed until the 29th. Christmas isn't tied down to the date for me. The 25th... the 29th... as long as it's still December I'm okay with

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-22028848777532484662010-12-18T17:06:00.000-08:002010-12-19T20:25:38.973-08:00Unfortunate things about Christmas

Have I ever mentioned that I live within very close proximity to a large mall here in Portland? Well I do and usual my route home off the freeway takes me right through the mall parking lot. Which is normally no problem. Except now it is. Because it's Christmas of course. So I've decided to be a total scrooge and write down 10 reason why I don't like Christmas starting with overcrowded mall

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-43979527220378903762010-12-09T11:33:00.000-08:002010-12-09T11:40:12.912-08:00sometimes i have to defend my intelligence

I'm blurry-eyed and possibly on the verge of falling into a coma (and yes, I do like to exaggerate... it comes so naturally). I'm going on about four days of either not sleeping well or not sleeping enough; a bad combination when I've had nothing but exams to study for and exams to take. But it's done! Done. Done. DONE. Well, for a few weeks anyway. I have three more months of classes until I've

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-37181298592965286132010-11-23T21:30:00.000-08:002010-11-23T23:12:42.732-08:00Evidence and Other Things

Here's evidence that I'm learning stuff at EMT school.... or at least that I'm supposed to be learning stuff. My friend Drew looks like he's strangling that poor guy and I'm definitely looking like his accomplice. The manikin can't breath but instead of ventilating (or fighting Drew off) I shall stand here holding the bag-valve mask and smile encouragingly. Good thing I haven't graduated to real

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-90453367044046450752010-11-21T13:36:00.000-08:002010-11-21T13:36:21.066-08:00Blood Chocolate

Here's a trailer for a very enlightening documentary on human trafficking and the chocolate industry. Chocolate is wonderful... but the companies who produce it are cutting corners at the expense of children in Africa. If you're interested in buying the movie it's only $4 (includes shipping!) at Not For Sale.org

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-13400624222796792242010-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:002010-11-11T18:32:46.623-08:00Explody Head Syndrome

I've been having some serious pain in my head over the past few days. Initially I thought it was due to my brain rebelling from insane amount of info I've been trying to cram into it at EMT school but now I realize it may be something more sinister. As usual WebMD tells me I have a cancer (watch this video if you don't understand what I mean) but I personally think it's a sinus thing. Today at

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-61893592459035863162010-10-29T10:36:00.000-07:002010-10-29T10:36:53.684-07:00and then we became abolitionists

A few weeks ago, we the anti-human trafficking team from the Women and Children's Advocacy Centre took a trip to LA to attend a conference hosted by Not For Sale. We had fun, learned a lot and met some cool people. And I made a video about it. You should watch it!

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-91234895400892582392010-10-28T19:30:00.000-07:002010-10-28T23:01:50.591-07:00Captain Procrastination

About a week ago while I was avoiding studying for my exams by practicing fire dancing in my living room and trying not to destroy my furniture (don't worry, I practice without fire) the blinds rustled and I saw this tiny man in a blue superman-ish suit with a cape standing on my deck. It took me a minute to get over my shock of seeing A)a tiny man on my deck and B)a tiny man on my deck in a

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-84809343145497863252010-10-24T10:45:00.000-07:002010-10-24T18:26:42.318-07:00Patches are Super-Cool

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. That wasn't supposed to happen. Just a few days after my last post I got in to EMT school and started classes, which was great because that's what I was working towards but which wasn't great because now I had INSANE amounts of homework. I know it's been a long time since I was a student but seriously... it was out of control. Things have calmed down

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-49717950454508873792010-09-19T11:26:00.000-07:002010-09-19T11:26:38.027-07:00Math Killed Me

Ah the beautiful art of procrastination. I cleaned the house, went on a bike ride, bought a few things from the store including a much needed couch, schemed up a menu for the week so I wouldn't have to keep on eating sandwiches, watched Lie To Me, checked email. And now I'm writing. I feel like a Jr. Higher all over again. I'm trying to get everything sorted out so I can apply for the EMT

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-24952481638434633472010-09-09T14:58:00.000-07:002010-09-09T15:02:37.591-07:00Family Vacation

A month or so ago I went on vacation with my family and on a whim I decided to take a few videos of what transpired. My movie making skills aren't awesome and I know that family videos aren't super entertaining for the masses but hey, I had fun and I thought I'd share. . . .

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-24301873260995772782010-08-28T21:01:00.000-07:002010-08-29T11:52:42.679-07:00I Didn't Just Dream That Up

I travel a lot and I usually do it alone. And because I'm alone when I travel I have no one to share the memories with (good or bad) and reminisce about that one time I waited in the airport for forever because my friends didn't get the message I was coming or that other time when I barely made it on my flight and then got in business class or the time when I fell on top of a bunch of Dutch

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-9295538822084899782010-08-25T23:44:00.000-07:002010-08-28T19:45:41.989-07:00(singing) memory oooo~ memory lalalala~ i can't remember the words~

Something happened the other day and I swear it was funny and I wanted to write about it but now I can't remember what it was. Did I mention I think I'm losing my memory? Well I am. I'm developing a few theories about how and why this is happening. Theory #1 Security Clearance Level: Top Secret "If I tell You I Have To Kill You" Subcategory: Aliens Date: 6.15.2010 Yes, Aliens. You see I have

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-8395889907449143422010-08-17T14:42:00.000-07:002010-08-17T14:51:35.398-07:00

Slackerness. For some reason I'm resisting being responsible. I'm not choosing to be irresponsible... it's just happening. For starters, I think my memory has been destroyed by deep space radiation. I know that sounds pretty unlikely but so does every other explanation. The point is, I can't remember things. Names have always given me problems but things have reached a whole new level. I've

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-37321196506669327512010-08-12T23:33:00.000-07:002010-08-12T23:34:13.250-07:00

Dear People Who Drive Up and Down 82nd Looking for a "Good Time" Just because I walk on 82nd by myself with my cell phone in my hand does not mean I'm a prostitute, people. Geeze. Go honk your horn at someone else. I live on 82nd street... again. The first time was excusable because my college was practically on 82nd and so the apartment I rented with friends was of course in the same place.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-44046296102191779592010-08-08T01:03:00.000-07:002010-08-08T01:03:21.087-07:00

It's late and I'm tired. There's no good reason that I should be writing anything right now other than I promised myself. Oddly I write best late at night maybe because my conscious analytical brain is slowly checking out and my poetic late night delirious brain is taking over. I'm moving tomorrow. Really moving. Well, I take it back. In my world really moving means cramming everything I own

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-64218408622030039262010-08-07T01:27:00.000-07:002010-08-07T01:27:34.235-07:00

It's pretty brutal, this season of self reflection. I feel a bit bi-polar. One minute I'm carrying along in my life minding my own business when I suddenly realize that I'm out of touch with myself. I'm not as happy as I know I should be, I'm not taking in the world around me. And so I take a deep breath and try to dig past the walls that I've set up to protect myself and allow a hint of

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-17055529073376467202010-08-03T23:32:00.000-07:002010-08-03T23:54:58.805-07:00

It's been impossible for me to write anything comprehensible over the last long while. My life hasn't been anything that I really want to reflect on or even take in and acknowledge. I caught myself telling a friend this evening that I used to be a writer. Used to be... Am I not any more? Is it possible to have writers block for two years? I'm learning that I need to rediscover myself, I need to

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-61009092038384641642008-12-26T01:01:00.000-08:002008-12-26T01:02:16.930-08:00

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-68108628834548459392008-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:002008-10-31T13:52:59.481-07:00

The past few days have been a blur. I've been working with a team of seven, getting things ready for this leadership event that we're staffing, starting tomorrow. It's been interesting getting used to life at this base. Things are... different. I'm worried that some of the haphazard way we as visitors have been treated will translate to the students. I'd like to insulated them as much as possible

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-37787866495879500942008-10-27T10:56:00.000-07:002008-10-27T11:06:21.828-07:00

I'm wondering if my blog is being blocked. Things here at this ywam base are a little more "big brother" than I'm used to. It's so strange, how people treat you differently. In one context you're a cool person, treated decently and respected. In another context you might as well be a mosquito; you're just as welcomed. The contrasts of the past week has been incredible. I can't get into it now,

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-28618166031862179122008-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:002008-10-24T12:37:26.792-07:00

I wish you could have seen what I saw tonight. There was no way a camera would pick up anything in the twilight. Description will have to do. I was in a car being driven along the very bottom of the African continent, the raging wind catching the spray from the wild sea sending it streaming sideways. I've never seen such a thing. Each wave created its own horizontal waterfall giving the illusion

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-84837649524390791322008-10-24T07:12:00.000-07:002008-10-24T07:39:15.177-07:00

A moment to think........but I don't even know where to begin. What story should I tell? Me falling down the double-decker stairs on a full train from Amsterdam, large luggage in hand (flattening a man at the bottom)? Flying 11 and a half hours to South Africa all the while anxiously wondering if I should have a visa? The interview with a former criminal, ex-convict, pimp, trafficker, who

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-27805202659040644632008-10-08T10:04:00.000-07:002008-10-08T11:11:21.642-07:00

I'm in Russia. Weird. For some reason, I've never expected to visit Moscow. I was always naturally drawn to countries that I thought were really exotic. Countries like India, Thailand, China, Kenya, Iceland and Antarctica (is Antarctica a country?).After doing a bit of traveling I realized that rating countries based on predetermined exoticness is ridiculous. No matter how in awe I am of a

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-65595508524931432332008-09-16T10:49:00.001-07:002008-09-16T11:12:33.527-07:00

The sunlight is low for mid morning and there's a hint of fall in the fields outside. The haziness in the sky reminds me of my childhood, of hot summer skies thick with humidity. This is the first summer in seven years that I have not spent some time in Asia. A few weeks ago I was haunted by a feeling that I was missing something. Everything was reminding me of somewhere else; that smell, those

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-30859138487260338592008-07-26T18:43:00.001-07:002008-07-26T19:13:38.149-07:00

I've recently been coming across a lot of media that has been highlighting human trafficking. It's been encouraging to see the arts and entertainment industry rising up and investing their talents and influence for an issue like this. Someone once told me that artists/musicians are the prophets of our world. Secular or religious it doesn't matter, artists and musicians peer into the deep, dark

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-75671275287127130902008-07-22T10:51:00.000-07:002008-07-22T11:34:00.779-07:00

I'm speaking tomorrow in the YWAM school I'm staffing. Panic! What will I say? How will I say it? How will I do? I don't have enough time to prepare!Strange that no matter how much time I have to prepare the sense of panic lurks close. The franticness I feel inside demands that I prepare NOW! and get it all done NOW! even if I've only been working on it for an hour. Something else lurking close

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-45816128250013579282008-07-17T19:05:00.000-07:002008-07-17T19:40:25.677-07:00

I have a past, I really do.Two years ago, my laptop was stolen. My compy was my diary, my photo album and my record of life and it was gone. I mourned the loss of my past for a while and then moved on, what more could I do? I knew I had burned a few CD's of information from my old compy but I was scared to go digging. What if I found nothing important on those CD's? What if they just reinforced

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-80412856828077329572008-07-15T23:35:00.000-07:002008-07-15T23:43:32.024-07:00

I have my own room again... for the first time in six months. And I love it. I have a good house with a huge deck, I have a good room, and I have good roommates. Summer in Oregon is beautiful and I love the fact that I'm here with my good living situation to enjoy it. Having my own room allows me the space to think, to close the door on the world and enter into my sacred space where I can't be

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-85025987952486237952008-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:002008-06-26T19:56:29.655-07:00

slowly the blog is left at the waysidecovered in dustshiveringand aloneit doesn't have much to say any morethe world spins about so fastit can't keep upfingers can't type fast enoughto communicate anything morethan a cryptic poemonce upon a timelife seemed a little simplerand wasn't so abstractthings were easier to expressthe world was still largebut a simplicity wove a story through the hours of

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-89404205109482643252008-05-28T03:31:00.000-07:002008-05-28T03:39:34.086-07:00

I made it to Slovakia safe and sound. Unusually, my travel was uneventful. The plane almost completely empty so no weird stories about weird seat mates. My layover in Amsterdam was surprisingly short and sweet. My arrival in Vienna was without incident as was my bus ride to Bratislava, Slovakia. I did have a bit of mild anxiety when I arrived at the bus station in Bratislava and had no idea where

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-8206217869157567922008-05-14T22:26:00.000-07:002008-05-19T13:49:39.026-07:00

Leira walked down the road, hunched over slightly to keep the dreary rain from drowning her face in black mascara. Rain smacked the leaves of the trees lining the street and plicked into mud puddles.Mud puddles feared for their lives, always. Their existence was never certain. Here one day, gone the next. Occasionally one lucky mud puddle or two finds that it had a more secure destiny, say

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-41385087641478494132008-05-11T14:11:00.000-07:002008-05-11T14:13:52.380-07:00

There’s a first for everything. Last Friday I was on the radio. Well, not exactly... more like I was recorded to be on the radio. The topic was human trafficking of course and the radio station was Calvary something or another. The program airs in Hawaii. Other small Christian networks across the US pick up the program and air it at a later date. It was a little surreal to be “the human

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-53146270100340833982008-05-03T01:11:00.000-07:002008-05-05T00:37:37.207-07:00

I just finished watching Amazing Grace, the movie about the life of William Wilberforce and his fight against slavery. The movie leaves me in a peculiar state--hopeful about the ability of one person to influence great change and yet discouraged about how hard the journey is. I feel bittersweet.A snapshot of my life right now would reveal some interesting trends. On one hand I've experienced some

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-25893703289531192012008-04-29T12:10:00.000-07:002008-04-29T13:04:17.331-07:00

I've been trying over the past few weeks, to get back in touch with myself. If you would have asked me six months ago if I was obsessed with work, I would have told you no, silly. I'm just committed and very dedicated to seeing progress in fighting the human trafficking issue. If you would have asked me how often I called my good friends, how often I went for a hike or wrote on my blog, how often

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-69603169588911848152008-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:002008-04-13T21:04:25.804-07:00

I watch the ice melt, like a surgeon studies a patient,with silent calculation and fascinationFrom ice, to waterslowly forming a puddle belowI look closely and examine the dropslike tears falling silently into a poolforming a lakebecoming the seaWhy so much water?Where did all that melting ice come from?My mild curiosity takes it no furtherAnd days passand then weeksand then a yearor maybe twoI

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-28927309245819085882008-03-21T23:53:00.000-07:002008-03-22T00:33:46.063-07:00

I walked into my room this evening after and discovered that moonlight was streaming in my very high, almost skylight windows. The silvery light suddenly made my boring old room so mysterious... and before I knew it I was spinning stories in my head.Normal by daylight, Roxeena's room transformed in the moonlight of only the deepest nights. Realities met here like old dust laden spider webs long

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-28024952964408796422008-03-10T22:09:00.000-07:002008-03-10T23:01:38.814-07:00

living dreamsthere's a part of who i am that's forgotten who i amlife has taken on a life of it's ownand i don't know where it's goingor how to get offi don't think i want to get offbut it's the thought...life is out of controlspinning wildly down a coursei feel like was set outthe moment i was bornall i can do is hold onand scream sometimesand laugh other timesand the whipping wind makes tears

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-9638607423484816232008-02-27T20:57:00.001-08:002008-02-27T20:57:24.531-08:00

Inarticulate.There are a lot of things that need to be said, a lot of stories to be told but not enough words to express it. Too many thoughts, too many developments, too many changes, too busy. To explain it all in coherent sentences is impossible. What about in phrases? long flightscramped seatsairplane food, lots of it wandering through airportstoo much time to killwanting a massagetoo poorso

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-68113348561782908582008-02-11T05:07:00.000-08:002008-12-11T18:37:26.130-08:00

Images of Amsterdam

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-40562827634619616772008-01-25T10:29:00.000-08:002008-01-25T10:41:57.289-08:00

Last night the moon was outthe earth was coldand frost clung to blades of grass.Last night the trees were motionlessthe deer listened to the silenceand tiptoed through the fields.Last night the stars were brightthe night sky darkand time stood still.Last night was like no otherunique in detailand never to be repeated.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-91336697818821250702008-01-13T21:35:00.000-08:002008-01-16T23:29:27.490-08:00

I got myself into a weird situation today. An acquaintance asked me what I was doing in YWAM and, being somewhat familiar with the vague details of my life went on to ask if I had joined up with The Freedom Project. His actual words were, Are you helping K with the trafficking thing she started up?Funny. If I remember correctly, I started up The Freedom Project so it's a little hard to not join

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-18814774212502680472007-12-25T00:25:00.000-08:002008-12-11T18:37:26.459-08:00

What lies beyond the mist?

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-7529987151893403422007-12-23T17:31:00.000-08:002008-12-11T18:37:26.824-08:00

Where does the door lead?

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-25784454801955359042007-12-14T23:05:00.000-08:002007-12-15T00:14:27.194-08:00

I have not felt very articulate the past couple of days, which is a complete shame since so many cool things have been happening.I happen to be in Hawaii at the moment, at a major YWAM base on the Big Island. I came here hoping to gain greater insight into this thing called Youth With A Mission, to network with people and ministries and to learn a few things about leadership.I've networked myself

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-84013284401286376812007-11-30T01:30:00.000-08:002007-11-30T11:48:42.600-08:00

This clip totally caught my attention. There's something about it that sort of sinks in... I can't put my finger on it.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-21219910300656598012007-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:002007-11-18T18:17:40.337-08:00

How to get the cops almost called on you during class at Bible college....During my third year of college, I took a course called creative classroom communications. The point of the class is obvious from its name; learn to communicate creatively in a classroom setting. Our major assignment of the semester was to take an entire class period and to try out our new found skills on a small

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-13269027725431176902007-11-17T23:38:00.000-08:002007-11-18T00:02:04.433-08:00

I forget sometimes that Japan and I are connected. I forget that I spent 15 years eating, speaking, breathing, experiencing Japan. It's become a distant thought in my mind, something with only an abstract impact on the day to day. The difference between me and the rest of American used to constantly reminded of Japan. Slang, dress, cultural understanding; almost daily my ignorance of these

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-41541593756646232522007-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:002007-11-16T14:12:51.224-08:00

In musing again about my tendency to be a tortured writer, I came upon a bit of an epiphany-esque question. Do I have a love for writing or a love for story? Maybe the written word is simply the most accessible mode of expression. Drawn by the need to tell stories I simply pick up whatever avenue is closest at hand... pen and paper (known in these modern days as the computer). Tortured. Annoyed.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-84106874672455750662007-11-13T23:49:00.000-08:002007-11-14T00:14:23.955-08:00

A one of my conferences this past month, I found myself sitting across from a young girl listening to her story of how she found herself forced by her supposed "boyfriend" to become a stripper and a prostitute. At first, she didn't know her boyfriend was part of a large gang... and once she found out it was too late.She is afraid to go to the police because she knows they have been infiltrated by

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-15581963134275079822007-11-11T11:14:00.001-08:002007-11-11T11:32:43.203-08:00

This morning I woke up twice thinking, Where am I? The surrounding room looked unfamiliar to my sleep laced eyes and I couldn't for the life of me remember the events of the last few days that would have led me to this place. Oh. It's my room. I'm home. I laugh to myself and fall back asleep only to repeat the experience a few hours later.I've had this same experience every place I've been over

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-45118476198732650052007-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:002007-11-09T11:15:27.919-08:00

My, my. It has been a while. I've gotten out of blogging practice and I blame facebook. FB is like a one minute commercial as opposed to an hour long program; less commitment, faster communication but lacking substantial personal connection and plot. But FB is so quick and non-committal that it's addicting and completely distracting.... I'm in Colorado, been here for about two weeks now. I flew

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-66807937672547846132007-10-22T01:00:00.001-07:002007-10-22T01:05:01.660-07:00

Rome. What an incredibly fascinating place. The old blends in with the older and oldest. Civilizations built on top of each other....I've spent the last few days touring Rome with my parents. It's been fun to be a tourist for once. I spent a few days in Greece; invited to a conference to speak on trafficking. In one day I went from the acropolis in Athens to the colosseum in Rome. In a few days

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-24172395262296658142007-10-07T18:14:00.000-07:002007-10-08T22:36:22.461-07:00

I'm really frustrated right now. It's like I need to go soak in a tub, listen to Enya and do deep breathing exercises. All because I've procrastinated myself to insanity.I hate it when I drive myself crazy. There's no escape. I can't leave my unproductive self behind and take a vacation. I'm stuck with me day and night; constantly. I need a break.A month ago now, my computer broke (one of my many

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-47971465402824565942007-09-09T06:18:00.000-07:002007-09-09T06:25:26.566-07:00

i'm in a smokey internet cafethe sun has long since seti'm sleepyblurry eyedcoughing in the blue hazeand thinking about tomorrowmore studentsa whole entire school to tellrevealunveilexposethe plight the modern slave tootoday in church,a random church i went to randomly,i randomly sat next to a teacherand told them what i did in japan,what i will do in daejeonthey were thoughtful, absent mindedand

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-77585639143494770962007-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:002007-08-31T00:15:36.621-07:00

The conference has finished and what a conference it has been. This conference was for "young up-and-coming" YWAM leaders but it happened (and not by accident) to have taken place along side YWAM's senior leadership conference. Basically for two weeks I was hanging out with incredible young leaders in my track and then spending a lot of time with various regional and global directors and other

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-29994877450136279352007-08-23T16:30:00.000-07:002007-08-23T16:32:35.813-07:00

There's a lot to write about but no time. I'm in Korea at a YWAM conference for new leaders. Good stuff. We're hanging out with all the senior leadership of YWAM since they're holding a conference at the same place, same time.It's so awesome to be back in Korea. I feel like I've come full circle. More later.

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-856191430262015022007-08-05T22:43:00.001-07:002007-08-14T23:40:37.898-07:00

Everything ends, one way or another. Time has an inevitable control over life, over circumstances and experiences, on both the living and non-living. This morning I woke up to a day that is now over. Once I was in kindergarten, an age and experience long gone. And the future? In the light of the truth that everything ends how should I respond? What should I do with the cold, hard fact that the

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-4653078222767422852007-08-02T12:52:00.000-07:002007-08-03T14:01:22.239-07:00

There are moments when reflection is in vain, when my thoughts are muddled in my head to the point where they thicken, congeal and refuse expression. I could wax eloquent about the world at large or the beauty of summer, the starry skies, the fully rounded moon rising above the backdrop of eastern snowcapped peaks. I could tell humorous stories or dwell solemnly on the pain of life, the capacity

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-70987550173896697882007-07-29T17:48:00.000-07:002007-07-29T17:49:22.861-07:00

Human Trafficking

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-33757314106087677012007-07-28T12:24:00.001-07:002007-07-28T13:24:33.624-07:00

I never expected.... She was adamant. We had to go. All ten American Idols were performing that night in an "American Idols Live" concert and my mom was insistent. I was a little baffled. None of us are big American Idol fans, I mean we all watch it here and there--you have too if you want to get the jokes on the radio, SNL or understand what in the world the store register lady is talking about-

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-66551233160856540042007-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:28.570-08:00

After a million hours of flying, I'm finally back home. Home as in Salem, Oregon USA. It's been kind of shocking to find myself back in the States after traveling everywhere. I think I forgot this place really existed. It became more of an abstract concept. It's good to be back, it's good to stop traveling for a few weeks, it's good to hang out with my friends. But the trip is in the process of

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-49500911963885274672007-07-14T05:28:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:30.615-08:00

Joyce and I took a trip to an area of Turkey called Cappadocia. It has a fascinating ancient history. A long time ago people discovered that the rock in the area was soft and easy to dig into. They carved out homes, churches, stables, storage rooms, kitchens, and entire cities.It was hot, but beautiful.The landscape at sunset. Can you see the dwellings carved into the rock at the bottom of the

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-46627511756416216342007-07-06T06:16:00.000-07:002007-07-06T07:03:02.392-07:00

I spent 16 hours on planes yesterday, far too many hours in one day if you ask me. Here are some observations from my travel:1. Italian pilots fly like taxi drivers. The pilot drove down the tarmac like a crazy man... and then he almost forgot to turn onto the runway. He had to practically turn the plane around to get lined up. Great... that makes me feel real confident. Then in the air, he banks

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-45687683963099076982007-06-27T19:49:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:31.593-08:00

Over the past month I have been in 12 different countries. I'm pretty tired of traveling, truth be told. I'm in Japan now, hanging out at the old beach house trying to fit a vacation into this trip somewhere. It's nice to be in one place for longer than three or four days... but the problem with Takayama is that everyone here has known me since I was 6. Which means that everyone is asking me what

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-71688788565001219002007-06-10T08:34:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:32.884-08:00

Cobblestones in PraguePrague old town quare.The villa we stayed at in Plzen, Czech Republic. Sarajevo, Bosnia. The city is beautiful, a total mix of Turkish and European architecture, religion, food and people. Fascinating!

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-90114580088617900052007-06-04T05:59:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:35.765-08:00

Germany and CzechThe adventure continuesAmy and I visited a friend in Berlin last week and went out with her ministry to p.rostitutes in a touristy area of the city. The people in the ministry had been developing relationships with the women for the past six months. I was really great to watch them interact.A beautiful Berlin church.In Dubi, Czech Republic. We're eating dinner while a girl "works

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-49968773390586231522007-05-29T16:04:00.000-07:002007-05-29T16:20:49.776-07:00

Brief Update.I'm in Berlin after attending a Europe-wide YWAM conference about four hours south of here. At the conference I did a 90 minute seminar on human trafficking and got terrific feedback. Yay! I made a million connections with YWAM people in eastern Europe and feel more confident about my travels into that region.I'm staying the night at the house of an old friend, a lady whom I visited

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-31796462920014966242007-05-22T23:59:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:36.513-08:00

Pictures of SwitzerlandThe YWAM Burtigny baseBurtigny is a little village. This is town center!

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-56033189988091121952007-05-18T03:20:00.000-07:002007-05-18T03:31:55.263-07:00

For my very committed blog stalkers....I will be writing about my journeys through Europe on my website blog (www.thefreedomproject-ywam.com) as well as on this blog. This blog will continue to be reserved for my personal thoughts and reflections of life in general. The website blog will describe more of the "ministry" side of things and perhaps some of the more practical "this is where I am and

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-17862825107920173692007-05-17T06:34:00.000-07:002007-05-17T06:59:03.130-07:00

Arrived! Yes, I'm here in the great country of Switzerland... but strangely enough it looks very much like Oregon. It's green and it's raining... the kind of dull, drizzling rain that the western Northwest gets all stinking winter. The guy who picked me up from the airport kept pointing off into the white foggy clouds saying, "And that's where a whole huge mountain range is" and "just over there

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-39470395111385286452007-05-10T23:14:00.000-07:002007-05-10T23:43:21.161-07:00

Life is like a rollercoaster. Last week I found myself sort of stalling. I knew I needed to get a lot done before my trip to Europe but I couldn't really remember what it was that was so pressing. I had some large projects, but I couldn't get started on them because I'd completely lose my place while I wandered the globe. I did had a few smaller projects to focus on but then I obsessed over them

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-54222591443871993352007-05-03T11:58:00.000-07:002008-12-11T18:37:37.333-08:00

The weather is stormy today; a mixture of thunderstorms, pounding rain, beautiful sun breaks and rainbows. The landscape within these volatile shades of weather is illuminated and revealed in all it's moods. It looks different with every darkening of the sky, with every down pour, with every sunbeam. There is an essence that remains the same but a depth that is only exposed with change....

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-51749346753562732912007-04-26T23:50:00.000-07:002007-04-27T00:26:40.125-07:00

Today I went to Portland and learned all about crime victims' rights... appropriate since this is the national crime victims' rights week (bet you didn't know that). The seminar was way over my head, as usual, but I tried to be a sponge, soaking up everything in hope that one day when I needed the info, I could withdraw it from the recesses of my brain. The seminar was attended by two groups of

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-74297994458191889492007-04-25T21:03:00.000-07:002007-04-25T21:28:20.705-07:00

This evening I went to a meeting of local Soroptimists. No, it's not a cult. The Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Of course, networking with them seemed like a brilliant idea so I met them at a Chinese restaurant for one of their bi-monthly

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-35363924988484884662007-04-24T16:24:00.000-07:002007-04-24T22:00:01.630-07:00

I'm going to Europe.Sometimes, well actually, A lot of times, my life is so cool. I get to do insane crazy things like go to Europe to investigate human trafficking issues or hang out in a meeting with the FBI. I am, however, occasionally overwhelmed by great crashing waves of hugeness... the feeling that what I'm doing is so huge I don't know what I'm doing. I begin to sense that I'm riding the

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-42380249413373810802007-04-19T23:53:00.000-07:002007-04-20T00:09:42.592-07:00

I went jogging on Monday night, pleased with myself because I live in a small town and it's safe to jog at night. The residential streets were quiet, the stars sharp and crisp in the sky. The air was clean and it felt good to watch the world pass me by under the cover of night.The next day I decided to drive my previous night's jogging rout to see how many miles I had gone. As I took the first

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291459.post-13353949942454514792007-04-14T13:11:00.000-07:002007-04-17T23:08:08.284-07:00

There's something about my life that's striking me a little odd. We all go through seasons, we all ebb and flow with experiences and our reactions to them. But I've begun to wonder about myself. I used to think about life more, I used to be a little more certain of my abilities... or maybe i just thought I was. Recently I've been wondering if the loneliness of my years in Korea has backlashed me

roberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10670646782026717887noreply@blogger.com0