Patience is a virtue...

As I was quickly peeling an orange for my anxiously waiting nephew, the other was so excited that he face planted into the as-yet partially-unpeeled citrus, taking a large bite out of it.

Could he wait? Yes. Did he want to? Obviously not.

Some things take time. I've driven over 4000 miles this month visiting family and friends, yet wishing doesn't make the 10 hour days on the road any shorter. All that makes it shorter is economizing on stops and staying on the road, yet the joy of the journey is often lost if I don't stop to see things along the way.

And enjoying the things along the way is worthwhile too.

Like signs in North Dakota that remind us to be nice:













Or a bathtub in the woods:

 Or hiking with a friend:

Or sea glass from a lake:

Or funky street art:

 

And as much as the destinations are great, the journey is beautiful too.

Language learning takes time, but the process builds relationships and the product is worth waiting for.

Teaching English takes time and students don't automatically learn everything all at once, but the process is important and results in good connections and is highly rewarding.

And as I start my drive back to the west side of the US a week from now I know it'll take a lot of time. But it's worth it. And the journey will be pretty neat.

In other news: anyone want to join in the road trip? ;)