Traveling Mercies

So this is what summer is like...

I remember when I was a wee little tot, maybe 8 or 9. I would spend everyday of the summer sleeping in then finding which neighbors were home to spend the day playing with. We would ride bikes, play in gutters, pogo stick race around the block, play soccer, basketball, or football, or play inside by building tents and tunnels with bedsheets. Those summers were long and boring mostly but memorable all the same.

Now summer means working as much as possible while juggling road trips and annual traditions with friends. Now throw in a little fundraising campaigning and carving out opportunities to see family while I still can. This year doesn't feel like I'm getting any kind of break to recharge and relax. The first couple weeks of summer with the intensive class on spiritual disciplines then off to Maine for a week were the only relaxing times I've had so far.

Still I am grateful for the variety. Spring semester was for school and travels for research. Summer has been for saving and preparing for Brazil. This fall will be Brazil. Then Spring will be back to grad school. The variety is what keeps me going and prevents burn out.

Today I watched City of God and informed my temp family that the favela I'm going to is "not quite that bad" according to our fearless leader on the ground now. I'm going to dream about that tonight pretty sure. Kids with guns. Frightening.

The countdown to mega road trip is winding down now. We leave in aprox. 76 hours. I'm not excited at all. Can you tell? I think the trip will be an effective metaphor for part of life via the long way home. I'll update next when I get to Texas with photos and a boring and detailed story of all the boring things that we do. Like drive for 9 hours then drink a green apple dr. pepper from sonic in Soux falls. then drive for 4 hours before sleeping in Custer. or something dry like that. I'm rambling. Thanks for reading.

peace in the middle east