Vegetarian

I got an e-mail yesterday from my Australian housing coordinator in regards to my "vegetarian status." She asked me if I was opposed to living with people who eat meat.
At first I was rather offended by the question. What kind of person would be unwilling to live with someone else just because they have different beliefs about something like meat? But then I started to think about it, and in our society, people are used to being accommodated to. They are spoiled. If they don't want mustard on a McDonald's hamburger, they just ask for no mustard. If they want a smoking hotel room, boom, it's theirs. If they want a triple, grande, non-fat, no foam, one pump vanilla, one pump chocolate latte, their Starbucks barista makes it with a smile on their face (side note: no, that is not what kind of coffee I order).

People have gotten so caught up with the idea of being comfortable and having everything their way, the word compromise is becoming obsolete.

I don't mind living with people who eat meat. It wasn't that long ago that I myself was eating meat. If anything, I think non-vegetarians worry too much about accommodating to our needs, when in reality, vegetarians are the inconvenient ones. When I went home a few weeks ago, my parents stocked up on nuts, hummus, cheese, etc. in order to meet my needs. They keep trying to make me special vegetarian meals and were concerned with what restaurants we went to and if they had enough things on the menu I could eat. Now, I understand that parents are a little different, but the idea is the same. Vegetarians should realize that they are inconvenient to others. Meat has become such a staple of American cuisine that many people would be lost without it, and to expect others to change their meat filled lifestyle to match your meatless one is unreasonable.

I don't eat meat, and I won't for a very long time. But just because I made a personal choice to give up that part of my life does not mean I expect others to. Although I won't eat meat because it is more convenient for someone else, I also do not expect any one else to give up their love of meat to accommodate me. It is about finding a compromise, a happy medium, and working together so everyone can be satisfied with the outcome.

Now let's hope that the Australians feel the same way...

A few pictures

Today I actually went to the ASC (Australian Studies Center) website to look at pictures from previous sessions of the trip I'm going on. It was so exciting! Here are a few pictures to let you know what I'm getting myself into :)







You're probably not as excited as I am... but that's okay! I'm starting to feel ready to go, which is saying a lot. Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Love,
Kristin

16 Days and Counting...

Well... I leave for California in 16 days and straight to Australia from there. It's a weird feeling knowing that as soon as I leave, life goes on here and everything will change when I'm gone. Jon will be graduating, Tim and Carlee will be getting married, I'm missing every birthday in my immediate family, all of my roommates are turning 21, etc. Four, almost five months is a long time to be gone. It's 1/3 of a year.

I'm taking this trip to learn more about myself and more about God. Since I've been in college I've spent a lot of time struggling to know myself and to reach out to those around me. Being sent to a foreign country knowing no one is a good way to push me out of my comfort zone and help me learn to be dependent on God and a friend to strangers.

Obviously I'm nervous. I've never been away from Jon for more than a week. I've never been away from my family for more than a month. I've never been to Australia, let alone lived there. Basically, I'm a little freaked out. But I'm trying not to think about it too much. The more I think about what it's going to be like, the more nervous I will be to go. I feel confident that I will be forced to change, grow, and stretch in more ways I knew possible, and I have every intention to make the best of this once in a lifetime chance.

In the meantime, your prayers would mean a lot to me. I just need a little love and encouragement as I embark on this adventure.

Love,
Kristin