On wasting time

Sometimes, I'm a procrastinator. Okay, like frequently. I try not to, but it happens. But I am getting better!! 

One thing I've really been trying to work on is prioritization. As in, ranking what's important and putting it first. Moving to Taiwan has been such a change. Things that were a priority at home just aren't now. We just have different priorities.

Some of our friends are having babies.

While I'm overjoyed for them, and can't wait to meet their little ones, I know it's just not our time right now. And I am content with that.

Some of our friends are getting married.

We've already done that. This June will mark our 5th anniversary (I know, I know). We don't have kids. We don't have a house. We don't have all our school loans paid off. But we both finished school. We both moved to another country. And we're both doing something we like. When I was sixteen I said I wanted to teach (and become a journalist). I may be miles away from where I said it, but it is being done! Dave wanted to learn to cook Asian food. While he works at a Western Diner right now, we make frequent trips to markets, and have friends who invite us out to try all these wondrous new tastes.

Some of our friends are buying houses. 

We still live in an apartment. We don't know where we'll live when we get back home. We honestly don't. We're not even sure of the city or town we'd like to live in anymore.

We don't have solid 'careers.'

We both have jobs. Granted, mine could be a career if I wanted it to be, but Taiwan is waaaay too far away from Canada for me. (Although moving here for the winter months is extremely appealing!!) Iput photography on hold when I left. Some days, I don't even want to go back to that life. I don't want to sit in front of a screen for hours every day or hope that people like me enough to hire me or spend way too many hours comparing myself to other people, other photographers, other photos.

We do have each other.

Five years of marriage coming right up. And a few more of friendship.

We do have God.

He is mighty, He is powerful, and He is alive. I've never seen people in church just be like they are here. It's as if they have nothing else to grasp so they're going to hold on with everything they've got. It's really rather inspiring.

We do have family.

And friends who are as close as family. We skype or call people nearly every week. You want to chat? Just send us a message. We'll make that 13 h time difference work.

We do have the life we're given, and the plan God has created for us. 

It's absolutely crazy to me that Dave and I celebrated my 26th birthday, and will celebrate his 27th birthday and our 5th anniversary on the other side of the world. Nothing but diving intervention could be responsible for that. There are so many little things that have changed with us that I wouldn't even know where to start. And some we probably won't or don't even notice.
We've become less judgmental and more open minded, but have less tolerance for unfairness or pettiness. Those who just aren't worth our time really just aren't worth our time. But friends can also be found sometimes in the most unlikely of places.
We're braver. Dave drives a scooter all over Tainan. I'm not the best driver yet, so I let him do it all. But I can ride through traffic without having an anxiety attack!
We're more adventurous. I'm a homebody. I love doing menial little things within the safety of the walls of my home. But here, it's so cheap to get around in comparison to back home, it would be silly to not do it. And the weather is SOOO nice!! (no, I'm not rubbing it in. Just stating the truth)

So our priorities are different. And that's really okay. Priorities change. We just need to change with them. And really focus on the good.