Dad's visit and a wedding

It has been almost a month since my last post, April seemed to fly by. Even with three part time jobs, my life can seem to fall into a routine. Routines give me the structure necessary for me to accomplish things but they also get repetitive. It was nice to have some refreshing trips away.

My dad came from Wyoming to visit me for a few days. Being one of four kids, this was the first time I ever had multiple days with just him-not having to share attention. It was fun to play show and tell in a sense-where I am living, where I am working, who my friends are, favorite places, etc. He had not been back since moving in the fall of 2007. Wyoming was definitely a culture shock coming from Seattle, and there was some shock in returning to "the big city". It was nice to not have plans but to decide things as the days progressed. We went up to the mts for a few days and he enjoyed seeing so much green! It was refreshing to share my life with him without being rushed.

The next weekend I left to a friend's wedding in Chattanooga, TN. The ceremony and reception was next to a lake/pond and despite the clouds and a brief shower, they held it outside. Weddings are about the only time I wear a suit, so my sister snagged the opportunity to get a picture with me, she was one of the bridesmaids. Besides getting to see the bride and groom, it was great to catch up with friends I had not seen in a while. Some of them I have known over seven years! Though each of us have had significant changes in our lives, we have enough in common to maintain our friendships. Serving as bartender allowed me to see more people than I otherwise would have. Despite all the prep and clean up, it actually was a relaxing day. And as with most weddings, it wasn't until the end that it sunk in "huh, I don't know when I'll see these friends again...". I soaked in the cool evening and smiled as i thought of my friends who were just married.
Sunday I visited Rock Creek Fellowship, the church I attended in college. It was the first place I saw the church as a welcoming but also broken and vulnerable family. I could be real with them, I could rest. I am grateful for that gift and for the now 7 yrs of their prayers and support. My favorite and most vivid memory is of having communion with them and singing together.
I stayed a few extra days to see my sister and brother in-law before they moved to North Carolina. They've been married almost 2 yrs and in the same area 7+ yrs. My sister finished up a paralegal program and he is ready for a change in work, so thankfully they have a summer to contemplate what the future might look like. It was sweet to have lazy mornings, to be around people who've known me longer than 6 months, to read in a hammock, to slow down.

It was weird to walk around my old college campus, to see renovations, new buildings, new fields, new faces. The students seemed so young. I had some friends who were graduating the next week who were freshmen when I had graduated. I enjoyed hearing their future plans while I reflected back on my final week in college three years ago. All transitions involve risk and create a mix of excitement and nervousness. It is a comfort to realize you are not alone in that tension.

It was refreshing to get away but responsibilities awaited me, and the Noise of life greeted me at the terminal. Vacations are committed, extended breaks from that Noise but they make me realize the need to create space in my daily routine for silence, for fellowship, for rest.