Back in Skjolden, once again... this summer has flown by all too quickly. I'll be back in America in just five short days, but I'll leave here on the 22nd in all likelihood. Sad. I'm still working on compiling my experiences/emotions/thoughts from Latvia, but I need to stay rooted in the present as well. Yesterday was a busy day of travel - woke up at 5am, and spent the next 14 hours making our way back to Skjolden via plane and bus. It was a bittersweet moment to leave Latvia... I love it there, the people and the culture and the country, but I was also excited to be returning to Norway (which I also love).

It's felt like the past week has been one giant, prolonged farewell - by the time we said goodbye to the UK team (as well as Lidia and Inna, our marvelous translating tag-team), I felt emotionally empty. I'm not sure I'll be recharged enough for the last "big sad" moment, when I'll bid farewell to the rest of the team.

On Wednesday afternoon, while we were still hanging around in Riga, I had a good chat with Darrell and Annette, and also with Adam S. I feel like it's taken me a while to really connect with him, which is entirely my fault. I think at the early stages of the summer I looked at him as a peer, and when he started sliding into more of a leadership role once everyone else arrived I started to bristle and felt some resentment. The worst part of it all was that he was good at the role I found myself inexplicably coveting, far better prepared, equipped and gifted than I may ever be to do what he did (and Renae as well). But, since my competitive nature can still get the best of me, I have a hard time recognizing others as being better than I am, and always want to prove myself as being capable and able to do anything, anytime, anywhere. That can manifest itself in sports, in relationships, work, you name it... I need to be on the guard against letting my internal desire block out opportunities to stand back and let others display their gifts.

Anyways, God's been helping me to accept my role, to utilize my gifts where I'm at, and to shut out those feelings of jealousy and inferiority. As a result, I feel like I've been able to tap more into Adam's wisdom, experience, and advice. he offered me some very pointed advice and guidance in regards to future plans and dreams while we were chatting on Wednesday, which has given me even more food for thought. I'll try and outline that line of thinking and pondering later on, but I need to do some more meditating and praying on the subject first.

Today is a mostly overcast, rainy sort of day - we may go for a hike later on, but I think the idea is for it to be a pretty laid-back, casual sort of day... just what I (and we) need. I think that later today I'll try and revisit Zosna camp, and attempt to recall and record more about the campfires in particular, since they were probably the most important part of each day and of the week.