We are getting ready to head to the Portland airport and return to our lives in Memphis. It's been a great two week adventure, and here are some of my highlights...
Weather - I hear that it’s going to be 100 degrees for the next few days in Memphis. That’s so sad. The weather here on the west coast was wonderful. Crisp and cool in the morning. Sunny but not too hot in the afternoons. And most of all, NO HUMIDITY!!!
Books - As someone who has purchased primarily kindle books over the past several years, I must say that after spending some time by myself at Powell’s last night, physical bookstores are great.
Food trucks - I look forward to living in a world where there are great food trucks in every city. Mandy isn’t quite as fond of food trucks as I am, so I shall pray for her.
Memphis - I know that Memphis has a bad reputation in many parts of our great country, but I have to say that there were times in Oakland and Portland where I was more cautious walking around than I am in Memphis. Case in point: yesterday we saw a man walking on the street, yelling and with a paper bag over his head. Never seen that in Memphis.
Friends - While in the bay area we got to catch up with friends. Grateful that even though years have passed and we're separated by 2000 miles, we can pick up like no time has past!
Walking - Mandy was tracking our miles walked. She said we walked around 60 miles over the two weeks. For Micah and his little legs, that’s got to be the equivalent of over 100, right! And speaking of mileage, Mandy says that we logged over 4000 miles of driving this summer. No wonder I’m tired of driving.
Creation - our family’s verse for our two week trip was Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of His hands." We all memorized it while at Yosemite, and throughout the trip we recited it back to one another. During our time I was reminded that our God loves beauty. Whether it was the granite rising up thousands of feet into the sky at Yosemite, the canopy of Redwoods we saw driving to Mendocino, the ocean crashing against rocks as we curved above on Highway 1, looking up at the stars (and even a planet) from a meadow in Yosemite, or seeing Mt. Shasta and Mt. Hood peeking above the clouds as we drove on interstates, my response each time was one of awe and gratitude. This trip was so good for our souls.
Family - Finally, the four of us made some great memories that we’ll hopefully never forget. We laughed a lot. We rested (a bit). Mandy and I broke up the occasional fight between the boys, but for the most part they did great together. The boys got to experience culture in ways that they normally don't. I’m grateful that we could spend this time together!
