Chacaltaya.

My friend, Isaac, and I went Mtn. Biking on Saturday 5/22/2010. We went to a mountain called Chacaltaya (5000+ meters). There used to be a ski resort at the top until the glacier disappeared.

We took bikes to the top and rode them back down to La Paz, Bolivia. It was a beautiful day of cycling in the mountains of Bolivia.

Isaac and I, with our friend Phil Kittelson, are hoping to go down the Death Road on the 29th. Hopefully, I'll have some good pictures and good stories to tell.

(The Mountain pictured above is Huayna Potosi.)

Ain't No Sunshine

9 weeks.

In 9 weeks I will be a married man.

2 months.

65 days.

I just had a wonderful 10 day visit from my fiancee, Carolyn. She got to see where we'll be living together next year. She got to see the school where we'll be teaching. She got to meet my friends here.

We went to some of my favorite spots and restaurants around the city. Blueberries. Alexanders. The Star of India. (We like the Royal Taj better:) We saw the home where we'll be living next year. A beautiful place. Open. Surrounded by mountains. Cute and cozy inside. We were thrown an engagement party with a Mariaci (sp?) Band! We saw movies and got sodas and popcorn! (It's really cheap here:) We went for walks to the grocery store. We had grilled cheese and tomato soup. We went for a beautiful hike. We just enjoyed every moment we had together.

I really miss her.

We will be married in 9 weeks, but we will be together again in 6! I'm really looking forward to being home for the Summer and all that we have to look forward to. I have to make this flight alone only one more time.

This 6 weeks will be hard. But I think it will be good, too, as we focus on the Lord, really focus on being present where we are, and get ready for the commitment we will be making on June 26.

I can't wait:)

Part of Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday speech.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came to a compliment."

haha.

28 years old.

It's going to be a great year.

(the 8th graders made me a birthday card:)

Zongo Valle.

love it.

Fast Pive Months.

I decided I didn't like my most recent post. So I'm editing it:)

I did like the last line, so I'll keep that.

I think, really, I just wanted to share that I'm engaged! However, seeing as how the only people who read this blog already know that, it's probably kind of a silly thing to blog about.

I guess I could explain my subject. It comes from our engagement story.

I was standing with Carolyn at the church in Mt. Adams shivering, enjoying being with each other, and enjoying the view. The ring was weighing heavy in my pocket. My mind had gone blank...However, this was the moment I'd been thinking about since around September...asking Carolyn to marry me! I had some things planned to say, but standing there with my girl in the freezing cold trying to get up the nerve to get on one knee, i couldn't for the life of me recall what some things were.

The cold was becoming really cold. I finally remembered sort of what I was going to say. Either way, I needed to say something. I turned to face her and began. This spot is where we had our first date back in June. It was a lovely evening together. I think we were together for close to 8 hours and there wasn't one lull...It was just an amazing evening. However, back in June I was struggling with reconciling the feelings I was feeling for her with the fact that I was leaving the country in two months to Bolivia to teach... On the night of the engagement I explained that the last time we were at this spot (for our first date) I had no idea what was going to happen. We decided to date long distance. I told her the past five months, but I actually said the "fast pive months" (I was nervous!:) had been amazing. That I loved her so much and that it was nice being back at this spot again (on the night of the engagement) knowing that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. At this point I pulled out the ring, got down on one knee, and said, "Carolyn, will you marry me?" She said yes!

A lot has happened in the fast pew months. I finished up the first semester of teaching about half way through December. I had a wonderful 3.5 week Christmas break at home in Cincinnati with Carolyn. With my family. With my friends. It couldn't have been better. Now I'm back in La Paaaaz, beginning the second semester of classes. Carolyn is going to visit in April! We can't wait:)

At this point, Newandis' comment doesn't really make any sense, so I guess I should add again that after being engaged I learned that fiancee is spelled with 2 Es:)

I'm now back in Bolivia. There is so much to look forward to. My heart aches for Carolyn. I think it will be a long semester...but a good semester. I am thankful to be teaching again and with the students. I'm praying for focus and for peace and for joy. I trust that God knows what He's doing...

Life is good on the road to God only knows.