The Blessed In Between

I have never been good at down time. Maybe this is because I skipped kindergarten and thus missed out on mandatory afternoon naps to recharge between activities.  Though God knows I wouldn't mind someone telling me to take a nap now.  As expressed during the iconography class last month, I am accustomed to quick transitions between happenings.  But with age comes insight.  Over time, I have learned to appreciate the wisdom of life being about the journey, not the destination.

The last ten days have provided a wonderful pause, a sabbatical in the midst of sabbatical.  There was a bit of down time between two big travel events: (1) the trip to Alaska + renewal in the Pacific Northwest and, coming up, (2) travel to Scotland with my mom + study at Iona Abbey.

I might have extended either trip except that I have family in Connecticut, and it was important to me to check in.  My CT family involves four-legged creatures - a cat and a dog -- who of course had no clue as to why or where I was off gallivanting to find renewal and pursue far-flung dreams

Besides getting to bond with my fur-babies, the in between allowed me to take care of practical matters like doing laundry, cleaning my house, paying bills, getting appropriate luggage for the next trip.  It also involved its own set of adventures with the canine.

Jack and I explored two different kinds of wilderness: hiking the Green Mountains of Vermont, followed by joining friends in New York to wander through Central Park and cheer for competitors in the U.S. Open.  True wilderness, followed by human wilderness!  And both were splendid.

The joy of the in between further attests to that which the onset of sabbatical hinted: one need not travel far from home to experience God in extraordinary ways through beauty and adventure.  Such experiences often lie waiting for us in our own backyard. It just takes an attitude adjustment and an adventurous spirit.  A canine companion helps, too.

That said, I am very excited for my trip to Scotland which begins tomorrow.  It has been ten years since I traveled overseas, and that is too long for this wanderlust.  My bags are packed, my bills are paid and this sojourner is ready to go, with thanks to God and the in between that helped me prepare for what lay ahead.

Jack was an enthusiastic and vigilant hiking buddy in peaceful Vermont. We stayed at Emerald Bay State Park and enjoyed day hikes near the park in Dorset, VT.

A few days later, we found ourselves in the wilderness of NYC where we stayed with friends Janet and Tom who live on the Upper East Side, on the corner of 3rd Ave and E. 63rd St.  We made a trip to Central Park every morning and sometimes more than once.