I wish I were from Valentine, Nebraska

Something that I always notice when I fly is the interesting names that cities have. Did anyone else know that there was a Valentine, Nebraska???

I'm a third of the way to my destination at this point, and am tired and nervous and excited and don't know quite how to feel. I can already picture myself leaving and being sad to return to Oak Park, but you'd think that would make me more excited to be going to the destination that I see myself dreading to leave. I think the part that is going to be the hardest for me on this trip would be that all this growing thats going to happen, because lets face it, when you go to a conference or anything where you are immersed with God's presence for more than an hour and a half, you are supposed to leave with some change, some new knowledge, something more. That something more comes from stretching, and for the most part I am fine with stretching, although I do my share of kicking and screaming. I guess the real stretching for me is going to be stretched without anyone I know doing the stretching. There was always at least one person to fall back on, to associate myself with, to decompress and work through whats going on. I don't have that. I have God, which should be comforting, but at times doesn't help the initial nerves and anxiousness.

I've realized that I cannot go into this experience/adventure with a plan.
1. because my plans never work out. its usually 180 degrees in the opposite direction
2. i don't think i am meant to have a plan. yes, God has a plan about what is going to happen with me and my emotions and all that good mushy stuff, but I'm not supposed to worry about it. It's taken care of; everything within my control-freak self wants to fight that, but i think im letting that go.

I finally got in contact with the woman I am staying with these next few weeks, which was very comforting for me. I guess seeing that final email this morning was the little assurance that I needed to know that even if the experience crashes and burns (which i completely doubt will happen, by the way) that I've done all that I can do to have it go semi-smoothly.

This is going to be quite the adventure for me. I'm not in denial about that fact, and am calling it an adventure to keep my brain in check.

Everything I know about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ begins and ends with surrender — with saying yes to God. That tiny, simple word initiates an exhilarating, life-altering adventure that will take you places you never thought you’d go — both literally and figuratively.
- Kay Warren, Dangerous Surrender

Let's see how close to that we can get, shall we?