Last travel before Next Great Thing and a Sunset

Tomorrow morning bright and early I will be headed to the airport with my soon to be teenage twins. We are going on a month adventure to Europe. With a life insurance policy left by my Mother who passed away in 2009, I decided to take my twins on a journey through Europe. This seems far more educational than the small blip the money would make toward their college fund. We will travel to Southern France; Italy; Paris; London; and Belfast. There will old friends along the way and as always, new ones to meet.

This trip is a bit of a “swan song” for the wilderness I've embraced. When I began this sporatic blog... I was not quite sure what the future held. I have savored the months since leaving my position with the Presbyterian Church (USA) toward Stanford. This will be my last big travel before I start my next Great Thing... Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Stanford Hospitals. I will be a Resident in this CPE program for one year beginning September 6. I have been promised this will be one of the most challenging and rewarding things I ever do. One of the greatest anticipated challenges will be the fact that the next year of my life has boundaries within about a 40 mile radius... that being from my home to Stanford. But I know I will be venturing toward journeys with people that will transcend space and location and maybe even time.

I also find this exploration in the wilderness has led to more clarity of what I wish for my future. There are people and places and things I have found I value more than I could imagine. And with the departure tomorrow, I realize the people and places and things I have decided to leave behind or redefine my relationships with.

Last night I had a wonderful time of sharing with a special friend and got to savor the sunset from my home beach. Can't wait for the sunsets and the sunrises the next month promises...

I am so excited to experience this trip with my "prophets from the minivan". And I am looking forward to coming home after this adventure to the mystery of what lies ahead.