Through Painted Deserts........
Day 4 and leaving Albuquerque later than I had intended due to work and a search for Starbucks. The drive through New Mexico to Arizona is breathtaking, much more than I had expected. I snapped the photo below because of the great scenery and learned later that I captured my a picture of a my NTC (in Clermont, FL) spin teacher's Indian reservation/ home town.

I arrive to the Grand Canyon around 2:30pm with barely enough time for a 3 mile hike down into the canyon. The view is spectacular and the weather is perfect, my only complaint is not having enough time to hike to the bottom.  Standing at the edge admiring the Glory of God and trying to grasp how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ the Andrew Peterson song, nothing to say, comes to mind:

And I don't believe that I believed
In You as deeply as today
I reckon what I'm saying is
There's nothing more
Nothing more to say

And the mountains sing Your glory hallelujah
The canyons echo sweet amazing grace
My spirit sails
The mighty gales are bellowing
Your name
And I've got nothing to say
No, I've got nothing to say















That evening I made my way through the Red Rocks towards Sedona, Arizona and found myself a little Mexican restaurant with great atmosphere. Too bad the food was lousy. That night I stayed at Sedona's La Quinta (Spanish for free high speed internet) at the base of the Bell Rock. The next morning I was up in time to watch the sun rise over these glorious red rocks before heading to Phoenix.

This is where my road trip gets more exciting, Amanda, a traveling nurse I met during another adventure is flying into Phoenix for my last leg of the journey. After picking her up we find another Diner, Drive In, or Dive from the Food Network and meet up with a friend of hers. One amazing ham steak and red eye gravy later we were off and California bound. Sadly the drive to Cali is along I10 which just may be the most boring road in America. I also found that not all of California is nice. There are miles of desert with signs that say Prison nearby DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS! yikes kind of scary.

 But at last we made it to the coast, Oceanside California just after sunset. From the right coast to the left coast in 5 long days. That night we drove north through LA and found a great hotel in Ventura.

Cross country adventure continues....

Day 3
I leave Eddie's house this morning and head over to a nearby coffee shop called sacred grounds (not my beloved Axum but good) before hitting the road. Today I leave Arkansas and drive another 720 miles through Oklahoma and Texas to get to Albuquerque, New Mexico. You may not be aware that Oklahoma is considered Native America and every 20 miles is a different Indian nation with what seems like one casino per tribe.




Once in Oklahoma City I felt compelled to visit the memorial for the 1995 bombing which killed 168 people. It was beautiful and very sad reminding me that without God's grace we are capable of horrible things.









At this point it is noon and I'm hungry so I find the closest Diner, Drive in, or Dive thanks to Guy Fieri from the food network (and no he's not also in Rascal Flats Amanda). I definitely found a dive called Mama E's soul food home of wings and waffles, delicious but probably not the best traveling food.

This day of the drive has been the most eventful including a detour onto Historic Route 66, snow in Texas, and awesome rest stops. After 13 hours I unpack my car in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the base of the Sandia Mountains, too bad its too dark to go explore.

Cross Country.....

Day 1

So I begin my journey on the road once again. Leaving Florida and my community is always the hardest part. I'm heading to Medford, Oregon to start a 13 week assignment. This road trip will take me about a week and have me arriving the night before starting work. It is about 6pm Sunday, March 3, 2013, I am leaving late due to a very important Darius Rucker concert with my sweet friend Suzette. It seems like there is always a great concert hindering my travel plans. As I drive tonight my cry to God is that He would use me as He see's fit not letting this journey go in vain.

 

Day 2

Monday morning waking up in Dothan, Alabama after 6 hours of sleep. I have 2 different breakfasts scheduled and less than an hour in between to visit with my best friend who is battling cancer. She is by far the hardest part about leaving because within 3 days of her 40th birthday her body requires a feeding tube so she get the nutrition it needs while receiving chemotherapy. After a sweet time of chatting and praying, I'm on the road again with tears rolling down my face and sorrow in my heart about my inability to be there holding my friends hand as she enters into surgeries and the uncertainty of her future. I am thankful today that God is strong in our weakness.

I arrive in Ft Smith, Arkansas around 10pm and 720 miles later to be greeted by a guy named Eddie, whom I've never met. My great friend Amanda has kindly arranged lodging for me tonight with I assume one of her old boyfriends. He is a very hospitable Florida boy with an extra room and bathroom. Though I sleep with my pepper spray and pocketknife just to be on the safe side.

Thanks again Eddie for the futon, hot shower, and well not being a creeper.

 

 



Here it goes.....

After a year and countless suggestions to start a blog and journal my adventures, this is my best attempt. Let me warn you I am not a writer or a person who consistently journals (although I have been given at least a hundred of them), but I invite you along on the journey God is guiding me through. 

My Title

 I have loved to travel since high school under the influence of a great friend and these days my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant has given me the opportunity to travel for a living.  There is a sticker on my laptop that say's "NOMADIC STATE OF  MIND" which helps describe my heart and love for travel but I remind you not all who wander are lost.  I was pursued by the God of the universe as a child frequently jumping on a church bus and trying to find out more about this God who said He loved me. My middle and high school years I stopped being curious about God and and was a bit jaded about Southern Alabama religion. Though He continued to pursue me with a few friends who actually followed Him and prayed for me consistently (white boards included). At 17 years old He finally FOUND me! He bound up my crazy brokenness, redeemed me, and gave me purpose for living (which I realized was not all about me).  So these are the miraculous chronicles of a FOUND nomad from the projects and trailer parks of South Alabama living out her dreams and calling, I hope you enjoy!

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.  Psalm 73:23-24