I'm here!!!

I forgot to write earlier when I got here so...: I'M HERE!!!!!!

It was a long road coming (literally) but a good road. I'm not sure if its a good thing to spend 30 hours by yourself after leaving everyone that you love and a city that you love as it provides a lot of contemplative time. But I did and God definitely carried me through. I did not, in fact, turn around as a threatened a few times. After about a few hours of crying intermittently (don't worry, I could still see the road) I listened to a speaker I had on cd which just opened my eyes to God and got me to realize that I was holding to my life in Mpls too tightly and losing focus on Him. I was able to just spend time talking to God about how I was feeling and how sad I was and just felt His arms wrapped around me, comforting me. I felt His presence so greatly in that car. He affirmed so strongly throughout the trip that He understood this is hard but this was where He wanted me: from the realization that He wants all my attention, not just what's left over to the the so incredibly beautiful mountains of Idaho to the waterfalls in Oregon. Yes, this is going to be an incredible time, lonely but incredible.

The one major prayer request I had for this trip was that I would become comfortable with my alone time with God. As a 200% extrovert I have become very comfortable and rely on my communal relationship with Christ (small groups, discussing the bible with my roommates, church-all very good and important things) but the thought of spending any alone time with God was really quite daunting. Throughout my 30 hour car ride (during which my ipod crapped out on me) I spent much time talking to God. That's the great thing about car rides alone... you can talk to God out loud and nobody really notices!!! God is just so good- so steadfast, so faithful!

It was incredible to drive here; I drove through every imaginable landscape from the green barren of ND to mountains in Idaho to brown desolate of SE Washington to waterfall and green rolling hills of Oregon. What creativity the Lord has!

Life since arriving has been a bit of a whirlwind but definitely good. The town I'm in is a good mix of po-dunk and retirement-ville. :-/ Hospital is good and my furnished housing is pretty stinkin nice! But I'm excited to meet more people and get out hiking!! Pictures to come! (when I get my camera back...) Tomorrow brings work, tennis, and live music!!!

Lesson learned today? Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer need to come to Minnesota!!!!

$80

Great News! I've made it as far as Spokane, WA!

Here is what I learned today:

$80 and no planning at Miles City, MT at 11 p.m. will buy you:
*a smoking room (only room in the entire city left) at Motel 6 in an area that makes the 'wrong side of the tracks' in Maynard look good (which as a non-smoker attempted to avoid smoke smell by opening the windows and sleeping with very little clothes on... on a blanket from my car to avoid getting into the sheets...)
*garbage on the bathroom floor from the previous guests
*no anemities
*the Town Pump next door that were 'sold out' of wine bottle openers (at 11 p.m. after 10.5 hours of driving a glass of wine sounded delightful)
*a front desk that did not have a wine bottle opener
*close proximity to the interstate
*jake braking and honking throughout the night due to the close proximity to the interstate and the need to have a window open

$80 in Spokane, WA?
*a little planning (thank you hotwire.com)
*exercise room
*cookies and milk upon arrival
*non-smoking room
*glass of wine (well coffee mug of wine)
*clean floors
*room on a hill... have yet to hear a noise besides my air conditioning.
*long day of driving (had reservation... needed to keep going)

Lesson learned... sometimes a little planning isn't bad.