There are many ways life in another country changes you. Some of them we are not even yet aware of. As we prepare for our first Stateside Assignment in a little over 9 months, I'm sure many new changes to our life and persona will be made aware to us.
However, I can already see some of the changes that have occurred in our lives. When I left the states, I had a standard set of muted clothing, never anything too bold, never anything too bright. Since moving overseas, and then moving to Indonesia, my everyday wear has definitely taken on a more colorful flair.
The photo below chronicles the shirts I left the states with (on the right) and roughly traces the clothing that had made it's way into my wardrobe most recently at the far left. Years ago, it was drab, followed by patterns, and now, the national "Batik" patterned shirts that make up my every-day uniforms and clothing at the seminary.
The clothing I now wear on a daily basis often has gold flecks in it - a far cry from the drab shirts I wore when I left Alabama in 2015. None of it is wrong... or right... it's just different.
