Change

I have now been in the trailer for a month. Living in the trailer things are always changing. With the change in weather means changing the wardrobe. Preparing for school to start means preparing for a place for the books and a place to study.

Change is inevitable. With the New Year we often make resolutions in hopes of change. Change is hard and challenging. Sometimes change rattles us to our core. It's seldom easy since it often involves stretching. So why change? To become better; better communicators, better individuals, better at what we do. That does not make the process any easier but seeing the purpose and knowing there is an end to this particular struggle can be encouraging. Knowing that one day not every experience in the trailer will be new and be so challenging, knowing that one day I will be able to do it myself without calling my brother after 10 pm is encouraging. This is more than a lesson in independence. This is more than a lifestyle change.

I am glad to not be alone in this process. There is God who walks with me. He leads me and guides me. His mercy truly is new every morning. He has not abandoned me . My brother and his wife were the first I have known to live full time in an RV. I have learned a great deal from them and their experiences. They have introduced me to others who do the same. The coffee shop where I sit now has at least two regulars I have met who live full time in an RV. I know that in a time of need I can call on any of those for a tip, hint or help.

School starts again in a little over a week. I think I found what I want to do for the rest of my life. It's new. It's exciting. Although it's similar to Counseling it's not. I still have some research to do and it's too late right now to change so I'll carry out this semester with the classes and in the degree program I'm enrolled in.

For so much of my life I lived focused on the goal and the task set before me. As a result there were things I missed. There were missed opportunities. As with so many other graduate students I question if I am doing the right thing. I continue to search for an answer to whether or not this is for me. I continue to search for the answer to what I want to do for the rest of my life. This is not where I thought I would be in this phase of the game when I was a child, but who is?

For those of you wanting to try something new; this is a gluten free dairy free recipe I have found and love. It's close to a black beans and rice. It has a bit of a "bite" to it. Try it and let me know what you think.

Quiona and Black Beans
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and
drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and
saute until lightly browned.

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until
heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Next time, a new soup,
until then
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