Wednesday, January 4

We're on our way!

Early Monday morning we met up for the final time in Washington. It was the day after New Year's Day, and let me tell you, it seems like it was a week ago already! Our 3-van caravan headed south down I-5 with plans to arrive in Bend, Oregon in the late afternoon. I would say mid-afternoon, but we were scheduled to be here for dinner between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and it gets dark around here way before that time.

This was our first day of long travel, and we did relatively well getting everyone in and out of single-restroom gas stations at our various stops. We slipped and slid over the base of Mt Hood as we made our way into the high desert that is central Oregon.

It's beautiful here - mountains tower to the west while barren, rolling hills surround us. For our first week on the road we are all staying at a Catholic camp about 30 minutes outside of Bend. Comfortable beds, beautifully paved & graded walking paths, and the magnificence of creation surround us at this spiritual retreat. And did I mention the sun? How I've missed seeing it in the last month. We've been given the run of the campground, even providing our own breakfast, which is a nice change. As long as we have eggs of some sort, everyone is happy.

As I said earlier, by the end of Tuesday I felt I had been here a week already - and we had only been on the road two days. And this isn't in a bad way. We are constantly changing schedule, adjusting plans, slowing down, speeding up, as we get our bearings and really start to work with the people on this team. There are no others around us anymore. There is no going home at the end of the day. There is only the tour, the choir, the team, and the lessons that God will teach us along the way. There are kinks - there will always be kinks. There is also a bet that I will marry one of the guys on the tour before the year is through. Did I mention we've only been here since Monday? Oh, the adventure!!

The sunrise yesterday morning as I was on my way to breakfast. I've missed the sun.