Planes...Trains...And Salt Lake City
I'll be the first to admit that I love the idea of adventure a whole lot less than most of my family- I like my everyday adventure not the big, big, big travel writer kind of adventure, but I can do it - and this time once the vicious anxiety passed - has reminded me that there are things that are fun outside of the normalcy of everyday.
Yesterday, I started my Salt Lake City adventure. I despise goodbyes, don't really love being alone (think Golden Retriever "be my friend, be my friend", and to be honest, we've been surrounded by a lot of really hard and really crummy situations lately. The kind of stuff that makes you think about your own mortality and when an over-thinker and feeler like me spends too much time thinking and not enough time praying about it - well, it creates a lot of anxiety. So yesterday I spent a lot of time with 1 Peter 5:7 (Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you) and Psalm 91:2 (You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust). But I also spent a whole lot of time talking!
My mom and D dropped me off at the airport. Sweet D made me tear up (really all three of the rascals were especially sweet and were sad about my departure) but D held onto my hand super-tight and was pouting saying please don't go. What a heart breaker - but Mom said a quick stop at the Dollar Store quickly distracted him (ha! Fickle little mister). In the airport there were some fun moments - like the big, surly TSA agent that chuckled about my Christmas socks, the random conversation with a Nurse heading to Chicago for a training, the coffee order that they made perfectly - you know those kind of things!
The plane, now that was entertaining. I ended up sitting next to someone who has worked in the trucking industry for years. He was on his way to Arkansas for what he called "charm school" as he and another employee of his company had been picked to represent their industry on a significant transportation board. At first I thought "oh, we'll just chat while we're waiting for the plane to depart" but nope - we talked the entire way to Chicago. Found out he and his wife have three girls ranging from 11 - 28 years in age, learned he goes to a Carlisle sister church that is a sister church of the church I attend. Learned he's volunteered over the years in short-term missions and we chatted about everything. It made the flight easier to have that distraction!
Chicago it was a quick gate change. By the time we landed the airline was beginning boarding for my next flight. Another packed flight and I could feel the anxiety starting to build again. This time there were three of us in the row. Seat C immediately put in hear ear buds, slapped an eye mask on and fell asleep much to the chagrin of Seat B. Seat B (her name was Markie) started giggling and asked me if I thought she should nudge Seat C because Seat C kept resting her head on her (Markie's) shoulder. And just like that, I made a friend. We talked for the 4 hour flight. She was a SLC resident born and raised and from there on out - her story would make a great book. She's 34, in her second marriage with three kids from her first marriage. She and her stockbroker turned firefighter met on tinder. She's a breast cancer survivor facing the second fight of her life as she starts leukemia treatments in a month (apparently a side effect of her breast cancer treatments). She was visiting a friend in DC and they ventured up to NYC too. Her three kids weren't old enough to remember her first round of cancer but she's worried about them this time. They're thinking about getting a puppy and she hates the cold. I truly met a kindred spirit and I was sad to see her go when our paths parted at the baggage carousel.
But, let me back up a second. Can I just tell you about the mountains? The snow capped mountains- the green-brown, pine tree covered mountains? It looked like the hand of God shook out a duvet cover and the wrinkles were still there. The views were stunning! The descent into Salt Lake and the views of The Salt Lake were gorgeous! It was so different from the views of PA that it made me pause and wonder at the creativity of the hands that created such varied beauty all on one continent.
After the airport I had a choice to make to get to the hotel as their shuttle wasn't running. I could cab, Uber or train. The train sounded like fun (and also the most budget conscious choice). So off I skipped with my luggage (oh, my bag was the last one to be loaded onto the carousel - seriously - I was ready to file a missing bag claim because I was the only remaining passenger from my flight standing there and there were no bags unclaimed). But anyway, off I skipped to find a train ticket and my trusty suitcase and I hopped on the Greenline to head to the hotel. Pretty uneventful except the stop that they told me to use was about 3/4 of a mile from the hotel so that was fun. But I made it, got all checked in and the view from here is stunning!
Now today, conferencing begins at 8:15 a.m. with the first plenary session and then breakouts. Woke up at 4:30 a.m. PA time so that was fun. I think I'm off to find coffee, and water - lots and lots of water - that flight dehydrated me! Then after sessions, I do believe I'll explore! Stay tuned friends!! And than you for the travel prayers!
Yesterday, I started my Salt Lake City adventure. I despise goodbyes, don't really love being alone (think Golden Retriever "be my friend, be my friend", and to be honest, we've been surrounded by a lot of really hard and really crummy situations lately. The kind of stuff that makes you think about your own mortality and when an over-thinker and feeler like me spends too much time thinking and not enough time praying about it - well, it creates a lot of anxiety. So yesterday I spent a lot of time with 1 Peter 5:7 (Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you) and Psalm 91:2 (You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust). But I also spent a whole lot of time talking!
My mom and D dropped me off at the airport. Sweet D made me tear up (really all three of the rascals were especially sweet and were sad about my departure) but D held onto my hand super-tight and was pouting saying please don't go. What a heart breaker - but Mom said a quick stop at the Dollar Store quickly distracted him (ha! Fickle little mister). In the airport there were some fun moments - like the big, surly TSA agent that chuckled about my Christmas socks, the random conversation with a Nurse heading to Chicago for a training, the coffee order that they made perfectly - you know those kind of things!
The plane, now that was entertaining. I ended up sitting next to someone who has worked in the trucking industry for years. He was on his way to Arkansas for what he called "charm school" as he and another employee of his company had been picked to represent their industry on a significant transportation board. At first I thought "oh, we'll just chat while we're waiting for the plane to depart" but nope - we talked the entire way to Chicago. Found out he and his wife have three girls ranging from 11 - 28 years in age, learned he goes to a Carlisle sister church that is a sister church of the church I attend. Learned he's volunteered over the years in short-term missions and we chatted about everything. It made the flight easier to have that distraction!
Chicago it was a quick gate change. By the time we landed the airline was beginning boarding for my next flight. Another packed flight and I could feel the anxiety starting to build again. This time there were three of us in the row. Seat C immediately put in hear ear buds, slapped an eye mask on and fell asleep much to the chagrin of Seat B. Seat B (her name was Markie) started giggling and asked me if I thought she should nudge Seat C because Seat C kept resting her head on her (Markie's) shoulder. And just like that, I made a friend. We talked for the 4 hour flight. She was a SLC resident born and raised and from there on out - her story would make a great book. She's 34, in her second marriage with three kids from her first marriage. She and her stockbroker turned firefighter met on tinder. She's a breast cancer survivor facing the second fight of her life as she starts leukemia treatments in a month (apparently a side effect of her breast cancer treatments). She was visiting a friend in DC and they ventured up to NYC too. Her three kids weren't old enough to remember her first round of cancer but she's worried about them this time. They're thinking about getting a puppy and she hates the cold. I truly met a kindred spirit and I was sad to see her go when our paths parted at the baggage carousel.
But, let me back up a second. Can I just tell you about the mountains? The snow capped mountains- the green-brown, pine tree covered mountains? It looked like the hand of God shook out a duvet cover and the wrinkles were still there. The views were stunning! The descent into Salt Lake and the views of The Salt Lake were gorgeous! It was so different from the views of PA that it made me pause and wonder at the creativity of the hands that created such varied beauty all on one continent.
After the airport I had a choice to make to get to the hotel as their shuttle wasn't running. I could cab, Uber or train. The train sounded like fun (and also the most budget conscious choice). So off I skipped with my luggage (oh, my bag was the last one to be loaded onto the carousel - seriously - I was ready to file a missing bag claim because I was the only remaining passenger from my flight standing there and there were no bags unclaimed). But anyway, off I skipped to find a train ticket and my trusty suitcase and I hopped on the Greenline to head to the hotel. Pretty uneventful except the stop that they told me to use was about 3/4 of a mile from the hotel so that was fun. But I made it, got all checked in and the view from here is stunning!
Now today, conferencing begins at 8:15 a.m. with the first plenary session and then breakouts. Woke up at 4:30 a.m. PA time so that was fun. I think I'm off to find coffee, and water - lots and lots of water - that flight dehydrated me! Then after sessions, I do believe I'll explore! Stay tuned friends!! And than you for the travel prayers!
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