Is it too hokey to do a post on thankfulness around Thanksgiving? Possibly...but hey, hokey isn't always bad as far as I'm concerned.
So as we've finished our North American travels, and we're now searching for our new WWOOFing host in Ireland (where we will be starting January 15), the climate of our hearts has naturally turned inward to reflect on all that has happened during our travels. 9560 miles, 275.5 gallons of gas, and who knows how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches later, the first part of our trip is over. Now that we have been given the delicious gifts of time and space, we are turning back more deeply into our hears and into God's arms to talk with Him about what happened during our travels. He's had a lot to say =)
It's funny the things you do and don't miss as you go on the road to foreign places. What surprised me most was how sad I was to leave Orange County after my dear friend's wedding. After being on the road for a month previously, it was more refreshing and satisfying than I can express to be with close friends again. To be near those whom you are so close to that sometimes words are not necessary, just a knowing glance; whose very presence is a comfort in and of itself no matter what you are doing; those very few friends who you can may even be able to call 'sister' or 'soul mate'-these people are truly to be cherished, and I enjoy them dearly. Siiiiiigh, what a gift! Nevertheless, leaving that place was harder than I had expected, and I was aware of my heart's initial response of panic. The thoughts of 'Where am I going? Why am I going there?' and most poignantly, 'Where is my home?' all surfaced out of the city city smog and sat with me on the desert drive to Arizona. The following interaction with God was one of the most important I have had. Once I turned to Him and asked about it, He gently whispered, with characteristically profound simplicity, 'I am your home.' He began to show me that no matter where in this world I go, no matter who is or isn't with me, since He is ALWAYS with me in ALL circumstances, I am always home. What a sweet truth for God to reveal, and what perfect timing!!
So the first big thing I am thankful for as we returned to California for Thanksgiving is the reality and experience of 'home.' In all the shapes, sizes, and places it may be experienced.
The second thing I am thankful for was definitely a direct result of the road trip experience. I continued to be stunned and stopped in my tracks with the wonderful generosity and hospitality of the people we saw. Some people we have considered close friends for years; some people we hadn't spoken with in years. And yet the warmth and kindness we were greeted with was universal and overwhelming. No matter the time that had lapsed from our most recent contact, our relationships with people picked up right where they had left off and were affirmed. In a very new way, I am this year thankful for the gifts of friendship-whether dear, 'soul mate' friendships, or the ones that continue to breeze in and out of life with the season. This road trip couldn't have happened without them both.
The final thing I am especially thankful for began before we left for Canada, when God began healing my relationships with family. As we drove around the country, I felt the support and love of family behind me, which I know not everyone has. Coming back to California has confirmed that this year, I am remarkably thankful for the wonderful family in my life.
After all we have been through on this North American road trip-hail storms and snow storms, gardening and walking goats, barely making it up seemingly vertical inclines through Canadian Rockies and being pulled over twice for speeding through the Midwest (with no tickets, just warnings!), hiking up actual vertical inclines with chains on the cliff side on Angel's Peak/Havasupai and bison encounters-those three things shine out to me with more importance than ever before. Home. Friends. Family.
As hokey as it may be to be thankful for friends and family, if it's the first time you're truly experiencing the truth of it, then it's just as important of a realization for you as it was for the first person who ever had the thought. And for me, this Thanksgiving was the most deeply I have ever felt truly thankful for those things. That, and snuggly kitties.
As we prepare for our next unknown adventure in Ireland, our experiences of this first phase of the trip will remain with us help and guide us through the countless questions that must be answered: where will we stay? Who will be our new hosts? How will we get from the Dublin airport to wherever that ends up being? What will we end up doing there, and how long will we stay? Some of these things we can answer before we board the plane, and others will have to wait and be answered along the journey. The only things we know for certain at this point are that we are flying to Dublin on January 15, and it's going to be a learning, adventurous, and most likely rainy ride! Who knows? Maybe we'll even meet a leprachaun ; )
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| Some of the beautiful Irish scenery that awaits us! |
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