Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - Travels or Travails?
Were we only gone a week? As we started on our long drive home, Daddy commented that it seemed like more than that, because of the three very different sections of the trips. But no, it wasn't travails. Sure, there were hard bits. But come on: we were away from home. We were out of our comfort zone. Discomfort is to be expected. And as for me, the discomfort was eclipsed by the good parts of the trip.
We spent two nights with my grandma and aunt and uncle. That was a quiet time of renewing a little knowledge of mommy's side of the family (not all of it - there's a lot to know!), of talking, of taking pictures (or trying to - now I know where mommy gets her aversion to cameras from: it seems to run in the family :-) ), of quietness. We picked blueberries. The time passed quickly, with many of the clocks' chimes going unnoticed (once I got used to them :-) ).
The second and third phases of the trip were much more unexpected, so I have more to say about them.
The second phase was the FORC synod/conference. I expected to meet a friend who I've known from online for three years now. That came true, and rather well, I thought. :-) I also expected to wander around the rest of the time, make some acquaintances with whom I would have a relatively pleasant though uneasy relationship, and be semi-bored the rest of the time. On that count I could not have been more wrong.
People helped us carry our luggage up to our rooms. I thought, "Okay, nice people. This is slightly awkward, though." It was very awkward, not knowing anyone. After awhile we settled down on the deck overlooking the lake with someone Daddy had met at other synods. (Mommy and I had never been to any before this one.) Gradually more people joined us. There was some amusing jocular insulting going on between two of the men that helped me relax a little. Then it was time to go to supper. I stepped off the deck and something behind me caught my attention. A teenage guy was grinning and trying to push an obviously shy girl to "go say hi".
I saw the situation in an instant. They were right next to me; I could tell she was supposed to say hi to me. But she was so shy. All at once I was both amused and, as a sometime introvert-becoming-extrovert, protective. How dare he push her before she was ready? I "rescued" her by introducing myself, and gave the incorrigible guy a hard time when he tried to get her to say something. Long story short? I ended up friends with them. And with their friends.
Three days later, when we had to say goodbye, it was like I'd known them for... I don't know. It's not like I know everything about them, but they were as easy to talk to as if I'd been a part of their group for months, if not years. How did that happen? Does it even matter? Isn't it enough that it happened? Even if we had to say goodbye? But we exchanged contact info. No way I'm giving up on them that easily. (Hear that, guys? You can't get rid of me, haha.)
And I love that when dear Chloe (my friend from online) showed up, we got along quite well. And she got along well with my new friends. She honored me with a wonderful gift - a watch that she's worn a long time, to her European travels this year, to camp last week, and who knows where else. And she had the brilliant mind to put it on an elastic hair band when the watch band broke. Think of the handiness of that and I'm sure you'll agree all watches should be sold thus in the future.
So then we left. That was hard. But then we went to spend a couple nights with friends of the family. And I was wrong again. I thought it would be awkward, since I barely knew them, having moved away when I was quite young. But there was hardly any awkwardness at all. They're just not that kind of people. There was talking and walking and taking pictures.
I think this was a necessary part of the trip, to wind down and heal before going home to resume normal life (as the first part of the trip was necessary to ease into traveling) - though hopefully not quite as normal as before, if I can help it. I really needed to get out of my comfort zone. I can see now that it wasn't as great as I thought it was. There are great things about it that I think I shall keep, but a lot of it could use remodeling.
O Lord, don't let me turn into a concrete statue again. Help me to be properly alive and industrious and aware of people who need me. Help me not to let the dust collect on me again.
So, all in all, it was brilly. Positively brilly. Best kind of senior trip. The kind we needed.The kind money can't buy. It was providence. Seriously. No one but God could have arranged it so well. And, from this blog post, you don't know half of the providential things. It was beautiful to see.
Thank you, Lord.
