Family Matters

This past week I had a fantastic visit from my sister, Becky. She was scheduled to attend a software workshop on Monday so she came down from Erhard (a small town located between Pelican Rapids and Fergus Falls, Minnesota) on Sunday and decided to stay with her brother "in the big city" for three days--right on!

Ever since returning from India a few months ago it's been rather quiet in my life, not like the noise and activity of my experience in Bangalore. This quiet often feels nice, but also feels a bit empty. One of the things I miss most about my expat life is having the other expats around. Living in our apartment building, Zen Gardens, was like a college dorm and Melrose Place wrapped into one--some excitement, some drama, some challenges, but lots of time together. It was my expat family! Even though we all had our own apartments we were never more than a few steps away from one another. Now I'm back up by myself in my corner apartment and I only know one of my neighbors so far... quite the change.

While Becky was here we spent the first couple of nights setting up her new laptop and watching episodes of The Office on DVD--what a hilarious show! We just sat there laughing. It was great :o) On Tuesday Becky came into work so I could give her a tour of Target Headquarters. We stopped by the Bullseye shop, visited the Target history displays, and stopped by my office before we headed off to lunch at Bank, a unique restaurant in the old Farmers & Mechanics Bank building which is now the new Westin Minneapolis Hotel. What an excellent time! Tuesday evening was a dinner party at my apartment with Becky joining my friends Blaine, Ryan and Megan. We had a great time breaking-in my new dining room table (purchased at Target, of course), eating Blaine's amazing dinner, laughing and sharing stories. It was so fun to bring people together. Between my monthly mixers, visits from family, and now a small dinner party, it's been so nice to have people in my apartment--it warms the space and keeps my apartment a "home".

Yesterday afternoon Becky's husband, Jim, and my nieces Nicki and Natalie stopped by to pick her up as they headed over to the U of M campus to watch Pelican Rapids play in the high school basketball tournament. Our mini-vacation came to an end, but not without three days of fun, laughter and good conversations. Sometimes it's those little spontaneous visits that make all the difference!

Whether it's my expat family from India, my family here in Minnesota, or my family of friends in Minneapolis, I am reminded once again that "family" comes in many forms--and spending time with them is so important. For family does, indeed, matter.

Peace.

Weekend With Uncle Mike

This past weekend I had the privilege of hosting my sister, Becky; brother-in-law, Jim; and nieces Nicki (15) and Natalie (12) as they came down to Minneapolis for the weekend from Erhard--a small town between Pelican Rapids and Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Becky runs her own business designing custom greeting cards, websites and recruiting materials for an international recruiting firm while Jim is a regional supervisor for a copy & duplicating company based in Minneapolis with an office in Fargo, North Dakota. They arrived late Friday night and we stayed up talking, laughing and watching episodes of The Office on DVD (thanks Ryan!)--a fun night, indeed.

Now the best of the weekend was that Jim and Becky were here to attend Jim's annual office holiday party on Saturday night which left the girls to stay with Uncle Mike. Woohoo! A slumber party was in the works :o) After an excellent birthday lunch for Jim at Buca di Beppo, we dropped off the "old folks" and proceeded on Uncle Mike's tour of the downtown skyway, shopped at Target (of course), and then headed over to the Utrecht art supply store to pick up sketch pads, pencils, paint canvas frames and other crafty fun stuff. We also took a moment to stop by St. Mary's Basilica and walk through the amazing cathedral and look at the sculptures and artwork. Dropping in to visit my neighbor, the Basilica, has become one of my favorite "moments of spontaneous spirituality" while living downtown. I embrace the beauty and silence within its walls, and take several deep breaths giving thanks for those moments of serenity. In return for my gratitude the bells of St. Mary's serenade me each weekend :o)

So Uncle Mike and the girls spent the evening eating pizza and ice cream, watching movies, and playing with the new sketchpads. By midnight Uncle Mike was fast asleep on the couch (now who's the "old folk"...) and eventually the girls zonked out as well. Sunday morning brought chocolate chip pancakes, a few lunch leftovers, and the return of Mom & Dad. Before I knew it the troops were packed and gone... time always flies when you've having fun.

How thankful I am for my family and the times we spend together--and now it's so nice that I'm only 3 hours away instead of 32! Making it a priority to spend quality time with friends and family is always an investment that pays off in happiness and joy--and for that I will always be thankful. Peace.

The Ambassador of Goodwill