Wow, long day in the car. We broke it up, though. With little stops along the way and one stop for lunch and a tour of the Oaks House in Jackson, MS, where we met a lovely woman by the name of Kathy who was the guide and curator of the house museum.
We left at 5:30am today. I drove the first 3 hours, then zonked out for a couple after as others drove. Those first three hours were probably the sweetest part of my day. My mind wired with adrenaline, even though my body was tired from only getting 3 hours of sleep because I had woken up at 3:45. I was cheery, excited and hopeful for our trip. We prayed as we left the driveway and hit the freeway that the Lord would truly be the one who rules our time on this trip. We thanked Him for the companionship of each other that he has blessed us with. Then, slowly but surely, the three girls in the back seat dropped off to sleep. Lauren, in the passenger seat, was still very much awake and kept me company. We listened wonderful songs and hummed gently along. Then, as the sun started to change the shade of the sky, and the light slowly increased from there, we conversed in soft voices, so as not to wake the others. Its funny how you can be good friends with someone and still have new things to talk about every day. I absolutely love finding out more about the people in my life whom I love... hearing about their families, their pasts, understanding maybe a slight bit more why they tick the way they do. She is truly a vibrant person who lives her life oh so graciously. Oh, and did I mention the picture perfect farmhouses, green pastures, picket fences, towering pines and fields of yellow flowers that were passing as we spoke and the sun rose? Wow, God was showing off, that's for sure!
The rest of the car ride today was all a blur to me. At one point we were all talking about this book we're reading together. At another point we were listening to some NPR podcasts. It was long, but all of it very enjoyable. The conversation was deep at times, and silly at others. Each of these women blow me away with their wisdom and beauty in both their words and demeanor. I'm so excited that I get to do life closely with them for the next 8 days!
Starting tomorrow evening we really start to get into the meat of the adventures we have planned, and I am PUMPED!
For tonight though, everyone is focused on getting some good rest to get up at 4am; most all of them have been asleep for half an hour now. I should probably join... especially if I'm planning on doing some yoga before we actually leave in the morning... pshh we'll see if that actually happens. But, writing this record of my time so far is worth any missed sleep.
-Taylor
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