Monday, August 24, 2009 - 
My Life
11 comments
My Life
11 comments
We're Goin' on a Road Trip
Some of you may already know that I got out of Odessa a day late. I might not have gotten out at all if it were not for my dear friend Tammy. I might have had a nervous collapse if it weren’t for her. There are lots of people who helped me in so many ways. Sometimes it was as small as a smile or a kind word when I looked like I was near the breaking point. They’ll never know how important all of those things were to me. I am so thankful!
In the end, we were able to get everything out of the apartment. I wasn’t able to fit everything I intended in the car, so I had to make some last minute decisions. I left almost all of my books behind. *sob* The only books I brought were 2 Bibles. In the end, it was a good thing because the shocks on my car were weighed down about as low as they could go, and I’m not sure that they could have taken the weight of all of those books! (A tiny fraction of my library) Luckily, there was enough space in my storage unit to accommodate all of the extras. Kudos to the guys who moved my furniture and most of my household goods. They arranged everything in there so efficiently!
Got out on the road bright and early. Most of you know how much I enjoy a good road trip, but I’ve got to admit that this one was a bit more stressful than usual. With all of the cargo, I could feel every bump in the road. Oh, and did I mention that I had my bicycle strapped to the back of car on a bike rack? I made sure it was securely fastened, but with every dip in the road, I glanced back to make sure that there was no movement or shifting. I was a little more cautious, with more frequent stops, but everything went a-okay!
My first stop was to my mother’s in Tennessee. I spent almost a whole week there, and it was wonderful. I needed a chance to recharge my batteries, and it couldn’t have been nicer. I’ll be posting some pictures of the beautiful landscaping they’ve done. It was like staying in a fancy resort. I, also, took the opportunity to leave at least 1/3 of the contents of my car at her house. A lot of it was heavy stuff, so I was definitely able to lighten my load. That made the final leg of the drive to D.C., on Saturday, a lot less stressful … Until I hit the rain. lol
The rain wasn’t bad, but again it put me behind schedule. (Most of you probably know that I hate to be late. lol) Then, the traffic when I hit D.C. was a little congested because of the rain. I called the housing office and let them know that I would be a little late (turned out to be about an hour), and they said no problem. They had a guy on call who could get me my key. That all worked out well, and I was able to get in.
It was mostly only a light rain, and I could park very near the entrance to the dorm. So I put on my raincoat and got the important stuff unloaded. The rest has been accompanying me upstairs whenever I come in. It’s pretty much all up here now.
My roommate arrived the next morning. She had just flown in from Korea! She is a lovely girl named Ji-yeon. (It’s pronounced exactly like it’s spelled.) She doesn’t speak a lot of English, but we’re working things out. :) Understandably, jetlag has hit her pretty hard, so she’s been sleeping a lot the last couple of days, but we’re both quiet and accommodating, so I think everything will work out well.
I’m learning about and adjusting to the ways of Washington D.C. (that means traffic, mostly). The geography/topography is nothing like I expected. I can’t even tell you what I expected except that it wasn’t this. Basically, the town in built on rolling hills with lots of trees and very narrow streets. It really is beautiful, but it will take a bit of getting used to. I guess it really goes to prove that no matter how much research you do, there’s nothing like on the ground reconnaissance. I haven’t taken any pictures yet because I’m not even sure what I’m looking at! lol Soon, I promise.
I brought my camera with me on a walk this evening, but I forgot to take it out. lol One interesting thing I saw was the residence for the Swedish ambassador. It’s about 200 yards from the school. Is it odd that it has Spanish roof tiles? LOL :)
That’s all the news that’s fit to print. (And probably more than you wanted to know. See that’s why Twitter’s so good. You’re limited to 140 characters, so it’s hard to get longwinded. lol)
11 comments:
I'd much rather see a long winded post full of detail than a hit and run Tweat. :)
Glad you made it to D.C. okay! You'll enjoy the subway (cleanest and safest I've ever been on), the traffic circles, not so much.
One of the first things you should do is see the Smithsonian. That should take several months. ;)
Sorry about your books but, on the bright side, they have lots of libraries there.
I think you will enjoy D.C. Keep us posted!
I know I said this already, but I envy you this new adventure.
Somehow I missed the WHY of this adventure though. What is it you are studying? How long will you be there? And what's on your agenda after that? (Little questions, I know!)
AND, Amoeba and will will be returning to Friday Harbor, WA after the New Year. He has accepted a job them from UW.
Lisa: I certainly will. Thanks for the encouragement!
Quilly: I'm going for my Masters of Theological Studies @ Wesley Theol Sem. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be here for 2 years. God hasn't revealed what's on the agenda after that. All in due course, I'm sure. LOL And oh gosh, you have to leave the tropical paradise? I was going to ask how you feel about that, but do you even know yet?
Well I'm glad you got there safe and sound and I'm so happy for your on you new chapter in your life. That is just awesome what you are doing. I look forward to going through the journey with you :) MWAH
Spike: Thanks for the words of encouragement. I need all the help I can get. :)
I still want more!!
as I said last post, I am so excited for you
watch the traffic circles LOL
once I got stuck in one for what felt like forever. Jeffrey was a teen and kept yelling at me to "make a decision, cut off a limo, do something, we're going to die in this circle"
I love DC
I may need to drive down and visit you!
Dianne: Oh man, that would be so awesome! :) And you (and Lisa) are right about those traffic circles. I actually saw the White House today! There's a link to a pic in my twitter stream if you want to check it out, not to mention pics of my mom's gardens.
I can see God's hand in the move making sure you were ok.
Spending time with your mother must have been nice.
But now the real adventure begins.
Dr. John: You said it, sir! :)
Leaving most of your books behind? You poor, poor thing!
Glad you had a safe trip! :D
Long winded works for some things...like major life changes! Good luck and enjoy!
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