simply homemaker

Written in Summer 2023, when I lost my job, broke up with a boyfriend, moved out, and traveled around the world.

—-

7 weeks ago, I did something pretty crazy. 

I packed a little bag, told a couple friends, and I left. 

For the past two years, my life routine has been: wake up at 6:30, work out, go to work, take a walk on Saturday, call friends in the evening, read during lunch break, travel for work, volunteer a couple times a month, babysit whenever someone needs, take classes on Saturday, and sometimes sit down with friends for coffee. Every year I take a couple short trips for mission or to go home or to see my friends in Texas. It’s been wonderful, but I have always thought I would like to do a couple things when I have the time. Yet at one point, I realized I would never have this time back again, and so I left.

I’ve always wanted to go see the little coastal towns, so my friend Brooke and I drove 16 hours down to Florida and we spent the night in Savannah, Georgia. We stayed on an island, whipped up gourmet recipes based on what’s in the fridge, and ate ice cream before watching sunset everyday. In the solitude of having an empty house and driving countless miles, we talked about the Lord.

I wanted to see my grandma, so I flew halfway across the world to have a sleepover with her in Hanoi, in my small and beautiful city.

I wanted to visit my extended family, so I stayed in Saigon and sat on the back of the little moped as my aunt drove me around the market and filled the front with everything you can possibly eat, some of these things I’d never seen before.

I wanted to do something for my parents, so I spent a week cleaning out their kitchen and almost got caught secretly replacing their dining room furniture, which turned out to be a really hard task.

I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, so I applied for a visa the week before and vacationed around the whole country with my family for two weeks.

I missed the mountains, so I booked a tour to climb Mount Bishop. I wanted to learn more urban geography, so I went around Melbourne with a tour guide and had many flat whites on the way.

I missed worship, so I went to Hillsong on a Sunday, and a new friend sat next to me. We went out to brunch together and then to Melbourne’s most famous bookshop, just hours before her flight out of the city.

Yes, I left the prepaid rent. I still have three boxes of kitchen things in the living room unopened. I left my Cyclebar subscription and my Solidcore subscription. In fact, I cancelled them. I left my baking recipes at home and haven’t baked anything for 7 weeks because my parents don’t have an oven. I hung clothes in the scorching sun because we don’t have a dryer either, and I washed dishes because we don’t have a dishwasher. I lived slowly, and I loved it. I relearned the joy of homemaking through simple labor and serving one another.

Yes, I also left my car Halley in the outdoor parking lot for 7 weeks straight. Yes, it did keep me up at night sometimes. My friend Blair did have to make a sign so they wouldn’t tow the car. But no, I didn’t regret it.

The truth is: I had no plans of being to 4 continents and 12 cities in the span of 4 months. It’s even hard to think about how to settle back into a routine after having been on the air more than I’ve been on the ground. But, like dancing, the more exposed you are to the advanced and adventurous moves, the more you appreciate knowing the basics. You don’t look at the basics the same way anymore.

I have come to appreciate the people and the things I love that remained after so much change.

I’ve also learned this: The same kind of bravery that pushes you out of a flying plane or causes you to climb up a mountain should be the kind of courage that pushes you to be kind to a stranger, apologize for a mistake, or hold true to God’s Word in the face of adversity.

This year, I choose courage.

Love,

Tram