The Road Trip: Its beginnings and Days 1 and 2

So Michael and I went on a 6-day road trip 3ish weeks ago around New England and into Canadia. And it was amazing! I'm trying to think of how we even began the idea of going on a road trip and I think it started in the Fall when I wanted to visit Swan Johnson out in California. I told Michael and he seemed to want to go too which then transpired into an epic road trip around the country in 2 weeks which then got more realistic as June approached and work dates were given out.

There are some large factors that you need to keep in mind when thinking about road tripping.
1. You will be in a car with the people you are travelling with for long periods of time. Make sure you won't destroy that other person. Luckily, Michael is half-crazy like myself so I think we were fine. (This is your cue, Michael, to agree fervently). No bad arguments outside of whether or not he'd let me drive occurred. Also, we didn't drive nearly as much as we were originally planning on had we gone to California.
2. The music you listen to in the car is a big deal.
3. Price/affordability.
4. The US dislikes when you try entering their country.
5. Not making an itinerary that is planned out down to the second but instead having cities to drive towards and figuring out the rest on the way there is a good idea. Always.
6. Boys with smartphones like their phones better than old-school Garmins to use as GPSs. The rest of the world will never understand why. (My friend Davien is another example.)

I wanted to go to Vermont because my friend Kelsey moved to Burlington in January and I missed her and wanted/promised to visit. Also, I claimed her 2nd ticket to see the Avett Brothers with her in Burlington on June 3rd. Travelling around New England seemed to be logical and practical yet still could be epic (especially with the amount of breweries and beer they have yay but i'm not implying we're ridiculous alcoholics lol).

The Monday after I graduated, we packed up Momma Natrin's car (that she kindly let us borrow because she's the best) and headed towards Connecticut. My friend Elizabeth and her parents, Momma and Papa Hanle, live in Southbury and they they wanted to meet us at Stew Leonard's. Michael thought I was insane when I said we were going to an awesome grocery store but a store that has animatronic chickens and cows is fantastic- especially when it serves lobster in their outside cafeteria for less than $13. If you haven't been, you need to take a few hours when driving through Connecticut and stop at Stew's. It's amazing. Do not doubt me.

We left Connecticut very full and happy (I was happy because I got to play with Elizabeth's bunny, Pickle) and headed towards Boston. Originally we wanted to find a campsite outside of the city but that was impossible so we found a hotel that wasn't super sketchy (after a few tries) and then went into Cambridge. Michael wanted to play at the Cantab Lounge's Open Mic. At first I was skeptical of the bar because it looked like no one was going inside (mind you, it was early so of course no one went in at that time in the evening). After he went in and talked to the guy in charge and did all that stuff that musician's do he approved of it and we sat and had Sam Adam's summer ale (omnomnom) and listened to good-looking yet insecure college-aged hipsters and old men play. This girl Evie Ladin was the feature and she was really nice and good and my dad would've liked listening to her so I got her CD to give to him. (Mainly as a present because my dad thought the road trip was a sketchy idea.) The Cantab Lounge actually reminded me of one of the first bars I went to after I turned 21 (it was down in DC and I went with grad students right after my 21st birthday) and so I was pretty content.

On Tuesday, we checked out of the hotel and parked at my (old) roommate's brother's house and took the 'T' into the city. The 'T' is very clean and nice. I'm very jealous.

Our first priority on Tuesday morning was the Sam Adams Brewery. She was very nice and smelled like beer and we got free samples!! She also lets you fill out postcards and she'll pay for postage herself. Afterwards, Michael asked his many followers on Facebook what we should do downtown and some people told us to go to the Funeil Marketplace (I still can't pronounce that place). Pretty much it was just an outdoor mall that sold lobster hats at souvenir stands but it was nice. The aquarium was nearby so we walked around that and saw sea lions and seals.

We got tired and needed to be back at my roommate's brother's (Brian's) house at a decent hour because Brian has a 5 yr old girl and a 2.5 year old boy and a wife that needs to be put to bed early. It was very awkward at first showing up in their house at their bedtime but eventually it got a little less awkward. In exchange for free housing, I offered free babysitting the next morning for the 2.5 year old while Brian could study some (since he's a PhD student). I was entertained because he was slightly nervous that I wouldn't be able to handle a crying boy but clearly he didn't know my resume. Josiah stopped crying as soon as Brian was out of earshot (and after I made a blanket fort to drive cars through)... or rather he stopped crying until Michael tried petting him like a cat.

Halfway through the morning, Josiah became unafraid of Michael and they became best friends. Brian came home and we left to go on a quest to find rare vinyl round things that make music and are only 3 colors anand to search for Boston creme pie. Fact: just because you are in Boston, does NOT make it easy to find Boston creme pie nor will it be cheap. Especially when in Harvard. After our pie, we left Boston to hunt witches.

And this is where I'm going to stop rambling because I'm tired. Maine and Canada and Vermont will come soon.

The Road Trip: The Night Before

2 days after I graduated from college, I went on a 6-day road trip with Michael Natrin throughout New England and into Canada. That trip was hands-down the best trip I've been on outside of 2 mission trips overseas. It was also probably the first trip I could ever consider to be a real vacation. (I grew up 10 mins away from a log cabin on a river so we never travelled anywhere and a few times that I can barely remember because I was less than 6 years old we went to Ocean City, NJ while my dad had business near there but that was only for a day or two and was always stressful with my family.)

I left my parents' home on a Sunday night to sleep in Newark because we were leaving early Monday and I live in the opposite direction we were headed. My brother offered to take me so I packed up my stuff into his little red, fancy Honda Prelude and we drove. On 273 near Fair Hill, right before Appleton Rd though, (going like 65-70), a little fancy Camaro passed us while we were going down a hill. At the bottom of the hill, that car had sparks FLY out from under it and we thought they had bottomed out on the bridge. As it was pulling over, we slowed to like 50 mph (the posted speed limit). We soon realized though that it wasn't that they bottomed out but something was in the road. In other words, as our headlights started to light up that area, a portion of the road was not lighting up but was still very dark. Before we realized it was something, we hit it.

A giant tire.

My brother's Prelude tried driving over a giant tire (rim and all). We think that tire fell off a Jeep or a truck. My side of the car was the one that actually went over it (thanks, David). We thought we were okay until we realized that steam was coming up from the hood so we had to pull over too. Basically, the tire destroyed the front of my brother's car. It ripped the air conditioning unit, destroyed the frame, the bumpers, part of the radiator, etc.

Luckily, I had Nationwide which is like AAA and they sent a tow truck out to get us. Unfortunately, David and I had to call my parents to get the number. Worst decision ever. My dad freaked out, drove 40 minutes out, wouldn't let any of my friends pick me up (they were only 10 minutes away and Michael had already offered) so he slowed down the whole process. My mother also decided to be the liaison on calling the insurance company, but she's 68 years old and forgot details so when the police came and asked us questions, we had to call her and not get any answers which frustrated everyone.

But compared to the other car, we were extremely relaxed and chill. The 2 passengers in the other car were freaking out. They were furious and then they got nervous when the tow truck came so they stripped out everything out of their car (I think they had illegal stuff in there and their stereo setup was so expensive and probs exceeded legal limits on sound and whatnot that they didn't want it to get stolen). But they were freaking out like it was their job.

I'm glad I know how to stay calm in situations. I'm sure if I was physically hurt, it would be a whole other story. I'm also glad that God clearly was with us and protected us since no one was hurt yet the cars were totaled.  My favorite psalm is Psalm 34 and in it, verse 19-20 says,

"The righteous person may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
   not one of them will be broken."

 My God is a protector. It's nice having one to run to, especially since I attract a lot of creepy people and can get into some uncomfortable or frazzling situations. Knowing that I have a god that will protect me and that won't let harm come to me that He doesn't will is nice. I was so thankful that David wasn't freaking out either. Apparently he was already thinking about buying a new car (a VW GTI and it's super nice and fancy with plaid seats) so the accident helped him make that decision.

Also, since I'm reflecting back on it, I think that I shouldn't have been so frustrated with my parents. I technically became independent from them but they may not see it that way. And 2 of their 4 children were in an accident and I'm sure that's not a nice phone call to receive so I can't blame them for wanting to help and be present. I supposed I'd be freaking out too.

This accident was the first story on my road trip! And it was techincally before the road trip began too. Stories and thoughts on the real road trip will come soon (: yay!

My life is crazy.

The past few weeks have been absolutely insane in my life.

Currently, I am sitting on a bed in my friend's family's house utterly exhausted after having moved in temporarily on Sunday. I will be living here until I can find an apartment and hopefully some roommates which hopefully will happen before August. I really, really want to find roommates. One thing I learned this past winter is that I should never live alone- I need company or I become depressed and crabby and sad and mute.

Before I moved in, I graduated; was in an accident the day after I graduated (my brother was driving, not me and we are fine but the car is totalled); went on an amazing, relaxing 6-day road trip with Michael (he still has my passport) all around New England and up into Canada the day after my accident; had my sister and brother-in-law from Ohio with the musically-gifted children visit; visited my grandparents; saw Michael and Kelsey play at the Queen in Wilmington and pretended I was in the Natrin family again by sitting with them (the littlest brother still hasn't talked to me, I'm very entertained); went to a family reunion; moved to Downingtown, PA into my friend's home; started a new, full-time entry-level job at SSC; learned how to use AutoCAD; and flew to Rhode Island to drive to Worcester, MA on my 3rd day of work for a site visit and flew back that same day (with a 2 hour flight delay coming home). And today I played with 3 cats (they love me more than my friend teehee) when I got home and talked to Poppa Townsend (I forget his name so living here is slightly awkward) while waiting for my friend to get home so we could go eat burgers at Cheeseburger in Paradise (they had karaoke tonight and my friend has no sense of humor or compassion). And now I am sitting on their guest bed which is my bed for now.

And that all happened since May 28.

I am very stressed and frazzled at work. They are very overworked, underpaid, and overstressed and I am tired. They told me after 3 months hopefully I'll be used to the workload and stress and busyness of the company. My commute is supposed to take 30 mins but PA roads are terrible and it takes me 55 minutes. I need to move north more towards work when I find an apt but my friends live south so I desperately am resisting that need.

I also need a new phone and my contract is up with Sprint so I'm debating going off of my family plan and going to Verizon but I don't know because going off the family plan is pricier. People tend to like Verizon though and Sprint has been failing me lately (although they are cheaper which is nice).

Basically, my life has completely changed. Monday, I checked on my tax form "independent" for the first time so I guess I am now a grown-up. Every day and night my prayer has been that God protects me and that I remember how much God is with me and loves me and will help me adjust to this region and new phase in my life. I don't think I could have gotten through this week starting my job without Him.

Anyhoo- this post unfortunately hasn't had much reflection in it. I've been in a sort of process-less mindset lately which doesn't make me comfortable at all. Usually I internally process things and then comprehend stuff but it's taking a lot longer to sink in so I sit here mindlessly as if I'm a zombie. I'm still trying to collect all my thoughts just about the trip before I tell everyone about it. But hopefully that will come soon!

Everyone else's lives though have been very insane lately too and I miss everyone and want to see people again some day to hear about their lives. My friend texted me how she got a job in NYC which is perfect for her but I forgot she was even looking; that makes me a terrible friend very focused on my life and not others and now I am sad and will stop talking about myself.

Yay- my brother bought a fancy VW GTI to replace his wrecked car and it's super nice and fancy with plaid seats. The outside is white and the inside is fancy with a Sirius radio and GPS and Bluetooth and technical car stuff.

The Sabbath Year

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Leviticus 25. Yes. That’s right. I said Leviticus- also considered to be one of the ‘boring’ books in the Bible because it’s a list of rules. But they are rules that God gave the Israelites when establishing a nation. Just think about it for a minute. If GOD, the Sovereign God who knows us inwardly and outwardly and created each of us, if He gave us suggestions on how to live, don’t you think they might be helpful? Or handy?

Leviticus 25 is all about The Sabbath Year. Here is some of it.

“ ¹ The LORD said to Moses at Mount Sinai, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. ³ For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. ⁴ But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. ⁵Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. ⁶ Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, ⁷ as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.”

¹⁸ “‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. ¹⁹ Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. ²⁰ You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” ²¹ I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. ²² While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.

 ²³ “‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. ²⁴ Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.”

I have a point to sharing this passage. Never fear. 

It is fairly common knowledge that the Bible has as one it’s commandments, “Honor the Sabbath by keeping it holy.” That’s once a week aka after 6 days of work, we need to rest and glorify God through our rest. College students have a hard time honoring this commandment. And perhaps it’s not just a college thing and perhaps it isn’t even a personal sin but a societal sin as well. We do not rest when we should. And every so often we all have mental breakdowns and panics in consequence of our sin.

But God commanded more than that. Not just every seventh day but every seventh year we are supposed to rest. In a community where agriculture was how people survived, God commanded them to stop harvesting their fields every seven years. To me this makes sense. You will deplete the nutrients in a field quickly and your crops won’t be as fruitful if you continually push your land to produce more (hence now why people always dump fertilizers on the ground). But this passage doesn’t talk just about harvests. It talks about debts, loans, homes, animals, and family. In other words, it addresses most aspects of life.

Every seven years we are supposed to take a Sabbath year. One year where we calm ourselves down and honor God by making sure we get rest. I have no idea what that would look like nor do I think our society quite understands. The best examples in our society are sabbatical years that professors, professionals and missionaries take to regroup and recover.

And I haven’t even talked about the Jubilee year where we are supposed to free all debts, slaves and commitments after every 7 sets of 7 years (aka every 50^th year).

Hmm. Interesting.

It is also interesting to know this random tidbit of my life: This past year was the hardest and most difficult year for me to get through. I had a lot of family problems, a lot of friendships end, and a lot of inward problems that I needed to deal with.

But I wasn’t the only one. I know many people who had it rough. From dealing with alcoholism, to eating disorders, to emotional and mental instability, to committing terrible crimes, to needing to find a new job or place to live. This year sucked for many of us a lot more than past years have. And not just in what we were struggling with but our temptations, our emotional handlings of these temptations and with life in general.

Why?

I believe it was because it was supposed to be my Sabbath year. I was 21 turning 22. So were my friends. Or the others were a multiple of 7 in age, ironically enough. We were burnt out and Satan knew that. He attacks when we are most vulnerable and he tried doing it in full force.

My God is my protector, however, and He rescues me even though I was not resting. Although I was emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted and my brain hurt, God was willing to be my protector and He was rescuing my friends.

What would it have looked like if I had made this year my Sabbath Year? What would it look like if as a community we had a Sabbath Year? How can we go about living life so that next time, I will honor God and look to Him for my rest and my protection?

Reactions towards the 'wicked'

One can learn so much about their friends in how they react to news. For example, this Sunday was when the nation learned that Osama bin Laden died. To be honest when I first heard I was so tired that I didn't care but I passed it on to my friends so that they were aware because I figured it was important. 

I was not expecting what happened though. Riots outside of my window? Cheering and spontaneous parades on Main Street? USA chants every night in the bars? Since when did our nation care?

People took so much pleasure in the death of one man. Yes, he was responsible for terrible crimes. Yes, it appeared that he was not repentant for the acts of Sept 11. Yes, our government needs to protect its people. But he was still a man with a soul. I worry about how people in the Middle East will react to our response to this news. We call ourselves a "Christian nation" (although I would argue that we are not) yet as a people we do not share the grace that our God shares. What impact will this have in our relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq?

On a smaller, more day-to-day scale, where do we act without compassion and grace towards the wicked? One example I've noticed is how we treat criminals. Do we act with grace and wisdom in trying to help them and pray for a change in heart? No. More often than not, I see the opposite. For example, people in my classes get together every week to watch the show 'To Catch a Predator' so they can make fun of each man that appears on the show and so they can feel better about their own lives. They get an ego boost because they aren't 'as bad as that guy.'

This breaks my heart on so many levels. Where do we find justice in comparing ourselves to others when we all have different stories and personalities and problems? No one is good, not one. Through the grace of God, we can be forgiven and freed from our sin but not a single person deserves it. It hurts a lot hearing people make fun of rapists or murderers or felons of any sort when they have not met or gotten to know one. So much systemic injustice and brokenness exists in societies that end up causing these crimes to happen and complicate things. 

If there has been one lesson that I have learned this year, we need to learn how to forgive the most heart-breaking and disappointing crimes otherwise nothing will get restored. And the only way to truly forgive someone is by leaning on God and asking him to change YOUR heart and not just the "wicked's" for we all are wicked. 

We should not rejoice in another human's demise but we should rejoice when another has a change of heart. Ezekiel 33:11 says, ‘...As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live....' Let this be our stance and motto as a nation instead.