Tuesday, May 20, 2014

I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, mountains...

Well, I made it. If you don't know, I'm working at a Young Life camp in Antelope, OR this summer until August 31st. I'll be in the kitchen on the PM shift, praise the Lord. Truly. I wouldn't make it if I was on the AM. 

When I was offered the position, I accepted immediately and decided then that I would drive to Oregon. Why? I don't know. But that was my decision, and I stuck to that. If you have the ability and the opportunity to drive halfway across the country, do it. It's harder than you could imagine, and way more exciting than I thought it would be. I drove around 1,700 miles in the last three days. The first day I drove from Wichita to Ft. Collins, CO. I've done that drive multiple times, so it wasn't much of anything to me. I got to spend the night with Zach from Work Crew. We've been friends for four years. Crazy. So good to catch up with him.

The next day, I was driving from Ft. Collins to Boise, ID where I would be staying with a friend from Summer Staff at Malibu. That was the long day; it was about a 10.5 hour drive. I wasn't quite looking forward to it. However, once I started driving and I caught glimpse of those foothills and mountains (I drove in the day before in the dark) I started grinning, and I don't think I stopped for two hours. I love the mountains, so much. I don't know what it is about them, but they just captivate me. Driving to Boise, I stopped in Twin Falls, ID. I was planning on grabbing some dinner and killing a little time before coordinating with my friend in Boise. However, I crossed a beautiful canyon with the Snake River running through it... So, I got out at the scenic overhang. Then I read the map and noticed that there were two waterfalls nearby. With some crafty GPS-ing, and some questionably legal, semi-off-roading, I found a spot to take a picture of them. It was awesome. Well-worth it. It's hard for me to not be in awe when I see such wonderful creation, and know that the Creator of all of that is a god that loves us more than that gorgeous scene. 

Today I jumped in my car again and drove to the camp. Don't listen to your GPS when it takes you off the highways. I was on some kind of county road that was NOT intended for my Pontiac Grand Am for about 50 miles, and it took me about an hour and a half. Then the GPS abandoned me, so I was grateful for my map of Oregon. It was the sketchiest thing I think I have ever done. I will not be doing that again ever. So stressful. A cow tried to headbutt my car, I thought I was going to slip off the road and go careening down the mountain... It was just a rough time. 

But now I'm here. This place is stunning. The interns that are here already... woof. I'm already quite fond of them, and we hardly know each other. "Excited" doesn't begin to explain how I feel about this summer, the community that will exist here, the kids that will come through those gates, and the lives that will be changed - including my own. 



P.S. Forgive any typos. I'm exhausted and don't care to proofread this.

No comments:

Post a Comment