When you travel, go without a map... it’s more fun

One of the things about traveling that I thoroughly enjoy is getting lost. Sometimes this creates stressful situations but for the most part, it takes me to places I would never have gone otherwise. (For example, try to drive through back roads from Nashville to Charleston without a map and a questionable sense of direction but with a big sense of adventure. It is the most gorgeous drive, albeit long, one you will ever take!) This time, I was going with a map and it gave us the wrong directions. My grandparents graciously offered to drive me to the train station Monday afternoon. We had printed off directions and the directions were wrong. Thankfully, I’d been that way before so after a few wrong turns we made it to the station, and on time at that!

The train took me to Minneapolis and my friend Mikalia’s apartment (though the train took an extra hour and a half with technical difficulties. Technical difficulties are just there to remind you that you aren’t in control despite your best efforts). The next day was full of visiting with friends. I got to talk with Mikalia for a few hours then we met up with Amanda, my dear friend Abby, some of the girls in the Bible study (who are like my family), and some Northwestern friends. I even got a call from my roommate who is currently climbing big things out in Colorado. My friends were so encouraging! Seeing the love in these women’s hearts was such a blessing. I hope you ladies know how much you mean to me.

Amanda took me to the airport the next day and I was pretty nervous. I figured that as long as I made my first flight, it would be easy sailing from there. I met up with a few members of the team in Chicago and the rest of the team in London. We were all really tired by this point and it made for some funny conversations. We walked around the airport trying to stay awake so we could adjust to the time zone difference, a challenge to be sure.