Dara muses about our recent trip...

Making memories in Washington DC.

Two of the three babies!!!

What we came to realize was that this trip was truly about people. The time that we were able to share with people in their everyday lives was the most meaningful. That sounds cliché to say, but that we truly where we found our joy. Yes, we enjoyed seeing some sights later on, but it was the time becoming more rich in our relationships that will stand out. All these people shared a part of our lives in the past, and this visit will build our memories for the future. Maybe the realization for me should be a reminder that experiences are to be shared. I was able to share some unique sights with my children, and that made my return trips to D.C. and Boston memorable, more so than just the location. And in NYC, just watching the diversity of people and wondering about their personal histories made the trip fun, although I would have liked more interaction with others.

Some highlights: grocery shopping with the Kelly’s and their three babies, seeing my kids play with my friends’ kids and believing these relationships will exist for a long time, sitting around in people’s kitchens and hearing about what is going on in their lives, receiving prayers for our ministry and travel safety, taking pictures with Flat Stanley, enjoying some amazing weather with outdoor adventures like kayaking, playing at the beach, high-pointing, exploring in the woods, etc.

Some things I learned: that everybody came from somewhere else at some point; that NYC really is the city that never sleeps; that much of the country is interchangeable for good or bad; that I want to return to New England with my mom and explore some little villages; that history happens in ordinary people’s backyards; that God draws people to himself, even if the place to which they are drawn isn’t like the place where I was drawn; that freedom really does have a price; that every conflict in history has two sides; that people may have a wide variety of incomes, we are all basically the same; that people are nice if you expect them to be; that if we are ever blessed to be able to take an extended trip abroad, we need a home base to return to where we can relax between excursions; that I can trust my children enough to travel with them and God enough to bring me home.

High Points!

Indiana

Ohio

Delaware

Georgia

Visiting the high points in different states has become a very enjoyable adventure for our family. The first few we did were in the Western states, and usually involved a good hike of some sort. As we have begun to get a few of the Eastern states, we learned that most of these are simply enjoyable drives to locations that we would have never visited if not for the high points! Our recent trip to the East Coast to visit friends and supporters of Kairos, the college-aged ministry we work with, provided several opportunities to see the highest point in some new states.

Brasstown Bald (4784’) is the highest point in Georgia, and Sassafrass Mountain (3560’) is the highest point in South Carolina. We especially enjoyed these two stops on the same day as we were able to share the experience with our friends Brad and Kathye Killer (and family!). The conversations were a blessing, the trees were changing colors, and the weather was perfect. Yeah!

Delaware was an easy stop! It was right on the road by a fire tower. It’s name was Ebright Azimuth (448’) and it was the second lowest. (Only Florida is lower.)

We also stopped in Ohio and Indiana on the same day, as they were only about 100 miles apart. Ohio was at Campbell Hill (1550’) and the write up on the high point web site described the treacherous and most manicured west face, which is the route we also choose! Indiana’s high point was appropriately named Hoosier Hill (1257’). The most memorable part of this trip was the 10 mile long “roller coaster road” that we had to travel. Caleb is convinced that we actually got air off of one of the bumps!

That makes 8 highpoints that we have done as a family – lots of adventure ahead of us.