Thus far my solo road trip has been exhilarating, yet peaceful and freeing. Day 1 I drove the Dallas to Kansas City stretch. A drive that would normally take 8 hours took me 15. I stopped two places in Oklahoma. First stop in Edmond to see friends from last summer that attend Oklahoma Christian, and then a short stop in Stillwater to see an old kamp friend. So, I didn't roll into KC until about 2:00am the next morning. It was a long day. I spent another full day at home hanging out with my sisters and some beautiful life-long friends. It's always wonderful reuniting with those girls. You really learn who your real friends are when you move away and you can come home exactly to where you left off. We have all grown up a lot and are doing our own thing, but our relationships we have spent a lifetime building with one another is the single thing that remains consistent. It's a comforting feeling to know I will always have those friendships.
I was originally going to drive to Colorado on Wednesday, but I decided to stop in Kearney, Nebraska to see Miss Vanessa Leeper. One of my best and probably longest-term Kanakuk friend. Apparently we have known each other since we were about 8, but did not realize this until we looked back at old-school photos to find both of us in the same cabin. Crazy. Obviously the Lord really wanted this girl in my life, which I fully support His decision. She had gone out of her way to visit me in the past, and I was long overdue to go visit her. She plays basketball at the University of Nebraksa in Kearney. She's the most athletic, hard-core, competitive girl I know. She was always the last person standing in kamp dodge ball competitions with full-on war paint. Baller. We are very different people, but that's what makes our friendship click. She showed me around her campus, and Kearney. It's a very small city in the middle of nowhere. Calm and peaceful for a college town. I enjoyed it.
Yesterday I was originally planning on driving to Colorado Springs because I've always wanted to see that place, but with my Kearney detour, it would have been too far south out of the way. I wanted to stop at least one night in Colorado though, so Vanessa recommended I stop in Estes Park, and I'm so glad she did. It's a pretty touristy town because there's a ski resort here, but it is beautiful. Also, the slopes are obviously closed by now, so there are not that many visitors. It's fun just hanging out in this small cafe with the locals. The drive into the Rockies was incredible. I haven't been in these mountains since about 5th grade, so I am just obsessed with this place right now. The drive through Nebraksa was nothing special, though, I did see some gnarly storms rolling by. I was slightly terrified when I remembered it's tornado season, but I made it through the Midwest with no tornadoes. I wish I could have seen more thunderstorms before I left, though.
Yesterday I explored Estes Park. I grabbed a latte at starbucks and wondered aimlessly downtown. I asked some locals where the best hiking trails were and one woman recommenced Lumpy Ridge Trail. I hiked that for a good few hours. I probably only hiked about 3 miles, but I paused a lot to take pictures, and stopped near the top to journal. I could have stayed up there all day, but the sun was starting to set, so I hiked back down which only took about 25 minutes. Yes, I stayed in a hotel last night. I wasn't going to stay in Estes because I figured all the hotels here would be outrageously priced, but the manager at the Comfort Inn gave me a good bargain. I already checked out of my hotel a couple hours ago, and I'm just trying to enjoy a morning outside of my car before my 8 hour drive to Logan, Utah. I'm getting closer with every day back to Juneau! Excited to be back in that place, but I'm really enjoying my current travels. I've already gotten to see some gorgeous places and many faces of people i've loved and missed. Life is so good right now. Hope all is well where you are. I appreciate all your thoughts and encouraging words.
Much love, Al. <3
and of course it wouldn't be my blog without several photos...
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