Last week I arrived late at night in the sweltering city I've called home for nearly a year - Bloomington. As I trudged back to my apartment sometime past midnight, towing my luggage the two miles home, I had lots of time to think. In a few days I would start my drive out to Colorado and begin an internship with the City of Loveland. I didn't know what to expect. As I'm writing this now, the night before I begin work, I still don't, yet I'm optimistic and excited for the new challenge.
Frustrated with the humidity and heat (even at 1am!) I cut my hair short, showered and called it a night.
The next few days I spent recovering from traveling and preparing for the long drive. Luckily for me, I had thought ahead, made arrangements to rent a room from a member of the LDS church that the local Bishop referred me to, and just needed to throw my gear in the car and go.
I started Thursday and made it to Council Bluffs/Omaha that evening. In the morning I visited the Mormon Cemetery in the north of town near the old Winter Quarters that served as the point of departure for emigrating Mormon Pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. There is a visitor's center there staffed by full-time sister missionaries. I decided to take a tour of the center and was impressed by the overwhelming feeling of optimism that these pioneers expressed while driven from their homes by violent mobs, while dying in log huts during the winter, and while burying children along the trail. You cannot keep a dry eye as you hear about the struggles those people had. I placed myself in their shoes and wondered, "Would not my faith be shaken to lose a wife, son, or daughter along the trail?" Truly, the LDS culture - and by extension American culture - is based on great sacrifice, perseverance, and faith
About midday, I hit the trail myself, stopping only for a bite to eat in Lincoln, Nebraska and to get gas. I arrived about a quarter to 8pm in Loveland, Colorado.
As you ascend the hills in eastern Colorado, the Rocky Mountains slowly emerge from the haze of early June and a beautiful scene opens to you: a green rolling landscape of small streams and rivers and the majestic silhouettes of mountain peaks. Its good to be back in the West!
I spent Saturday doing yard work. Yes, you heard correctly. Yard work. And I even enjoyed it! It had been eight years since I had mowed a lawn and trimmed the yard, and I just felt like doing it. Later in the afternoon, I attended a party at a church member's house in neighboring Berthoud and enjoyed getting to know some new people. It takes a little effort at first to meet people and remember names, but its always worth it.
Today was a good Sunday. I didn't know what to expect at church, but was nonetheless surprised to see the chapel completely filled and the accordion doors being pushed open to set up chairs in the overflow seating area. There are tons of LDS young single adults here, and the ward (what we call our congregations) has a lot of activities planned. River rafting is the first up next week! Looks like I'm in for an exciting summer!
I don't have any photos yet, but I should soon. Stay tuned!
