An American Abroad

"He was a Midwestern boy on his own..." Bob Seger

It's a strange thing to leave. 2 years of life since Michigan State have seen lessons learned, new friendships made, old friendships enjoyed, some old friendships lost, and a faith deepened. I learned who I am - coming to terms with myself. I learned who people are - every person another opportunity to serve and love selflessly. I met a girl for coffee and she became a close friend. I played catch with a guy and he became a buddy and a roommate. (but not for long enough) I bought a pair of shoes one day... and who knows what will come of that. I wish I did.

I was trained at one of the last great corporations. People went out of their way to show me they cared. I glimpsed a better way of doing business for patients and employees and it affected me profoundly. I made mistakes but there are few regrets since every moment was a teaching moment.

I count as friends men and women of all ages. Each relationship imparted to me a little wisdom and a little refinement. 1:1s, walks around the track, office chats, lunches - first Chinese and then, as we became more adventurous, Japanese. What a great birthday I had, turning 25 on the 25th. I had the opportunity to be a part of great things.

And oh, those Monday nights on Clinton Ave. in the Edison 'hood. Living in the tension as we sought the deeper meaning of those same passages we had read so many times... but maybe this was the first time surrounded by people being vulnerable and saying, "What if we actually did this?". So awkward, so good. We tasted revolution.

And then, I left... and those levels of needs that had been filled... by a job, friends, an apartment, family, romance... they were empty. And this is where I live now, in Hanoi, missing so many things, but trying to give out of my own small poverty... there is nowhere else I want to be right now.

(Pictures: Left - Me at my farewell party. The next day I packed up my office and I have not worn a suit in some 80 days. Right - Me in the Beijing airport enjoying a taste of America before boarding the plane to Hanoi. That coffee cost me at least 4 times the average cost of a dinner in China.)