TWENTY LESSONS LEARNED IN A SINGLE WEEK OF REENTRY:
1. Change is not necessarily lethal.
2. Change, however, can be relatively painful.
3. A little bit of pain can be an important wake-up call.
4. It really is possible to buy an ADORABLE little car for 1,500 euros less than it’s worth–it just requires a little divine intervention!
5. There’s no place like home. (There’s something to be said here about Toto and Kansas, but I’m an underpriviledged MK who can’t quote accurately from The Wizard of Oz! Top Gun? Yes. The Wizard? Uh….nope.)
6. God is good even when circumstances are bewildering.
7. Ahram could yell the bark off a tree.
8. I LOVE MY GIRLS!!
9. Music is a state of mind, not necessarily a planned activity.
10. Where there’s God’s will, there’s God’s way.
11. Pushing beyond one’s natural reserve yields a great feeling of accomplishment! (Picture me attending my first “BFA’s single ladies’ luncheon”…I left my nun’s habit at home)
12. When German, French, and Pig Latin fail, a smile goes a long way. (Picture me in Freiburg negotiating for my car with a German-Italian salesman whose only English word was “Uh-ké”)
13. Is it completely unnecessary and uncalled for for German men to do their gardening in their underwear! (Ew–my missionary eyes! 
)
14. Nothing tastes better than French pastry devoured in a supermarket parking lot.
15. I miss the alumni. I really do.
16. Star Academy is the very best television show that ever existed, but it takes a Maggie, a Lydia, and an occasional Jessica to watch it with complete abandon (come on back, ladies!)
17. The Altbau…er…Janz Building is STILL under construction. I’m officially adopting it as a symbol for my life!
18. My dad’s birthday was yesterday. I miss him. But I know he’s in Heaven celebrating my miracle car and having a celestial beer in honor of its “cute butt” (Storch girls will understand…)
19. In life, as in emails, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and click “send”.
20. God is all I need. He is Truth, Comfort, and Order in chaos.
Are there any lessons you’ve learned lately? I’d be happy to share in your discovery…..
Love you all,
Michele
drea_christine
moved by what you wrote. missing you. loving you. feeling similar growing pains.
nickel_for_a_penny
*sigh* that was really good. I ‘m so glad you’re back Michele!
armie2007roses
Yes!! So, I’m in the coach’s office write now… Online.. of course. On Coach’s computer… that’s why I can write comments on your site!! Muhahahaha! I know, I know. you told me NOT to write that but… I just could NOT resist!! you know how people tell you not to do something and all of a sudden, you want to do it more?? yea… well, gtg. want to go to stupidvideos.com
Lady_Bug43
cute butt…haha yep sure has one of those! thanks so much for last night, was so much fun!!
armie2007roses
alright alright… your car does have a cute butt… have to admit… but i liked the car that you had before better.
mizpah_watchtower
holy cow.. that’s a lot of stuff that you learned in a week.. i only can remember learning school things.. not anything practical… i was talking to maggie the other day and she told me to tell you what I thought of you. *shy shy*…
i think of you as an admirable woman…:)
and you should post up a pic of your car that cost 1500 euros less.. something like that. 😉