calm before the storm

My alarm blasted into a dreamless sleep at 3:35am the day after camp ended. Exhausted from 8 weeks of non-stop fun and a late night of packing my car with half of my earthly possessions, I briefly considered claiming cell phone malfunction and returning to bed. It'll take the whole vacation just to recover from 4 hours of sleep, my woozy brain reasoned.

I resisted the temptation. I stumbled through the dark yard 30 minutes later, stifling a yawn as I climbed into a fully-loaded car. My traveling buddy had offered to drive first, so I quickly returned to sleep, waking a few hours later as the sun rose to aid my search for coffee.

I love car trips with a good friend--we can range from deep conversation that distract us to the point of missing turns to laughing at fellow drivers in crazy traffic jams to singing our favorite songs five times in a row. Though the day started rough, it ended beautifully, with the beach, pizza, and the Olympics. And the week only improved from there--a week relaxing at the beach was the perfect break between leaving camp and moving to Uganda.

Finally at the beach house! 

Jumping for joy...we're at the beach!

Sunsets are so much easier to see than sunrises...

Now I have a reason to return...no one told me parasailing could have been an option!

Thanks to my adopted family for inviting me to the beach year after year until I could finally come! Let's do it again in another five years...