Goodbye Fall Colors

The colors are just arriving as I am departing

  Today is my last day in the United States.  Tomorrow I depart for my adventure to Chad.  For those of you who are interested my flight will look like this....

- at 5:52 am I will be leaving Cleveland on a United flight (1 1/2 hours).
- I will arrive in Washington DC around 7:25 am
- from there I will depart at 11:15 am headed to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian airlines (only 13 and a half hour flight)
- I will be arriving in Ethiopia Tuesday at 7:45 am
- I will be leaving for N'djamena at 10:30 am (a 4 hour flight)
- if all goes well I will arrive in Chad at 12:30 pm

  I will be met at the airport by Moses and then will stay in N'djamena for a day to register with the police and get my long term visa.  So Wednesday if all goes well, I will be headed to Sarh on Wednesday.  For all of you who are interested (and I hope it is everyone because I would love receiving a plethora of letters) my address will be the following:

BP 166
Sarh, Chad

Short and sweet right!  I don't count on packages making it, but a picture enclosed in a letter would be greatly appreciated.  I can't wait to start sharing all that I learn along the way....until my next connection with Internet, bon voyage to me!

oh and a nice new haircut for my journey
(don't worry I donated what I could)

Wrapping up my American Year

  So now the time has come for me to prepare for my departure.  I am sitting in a  room piled with belongings, just waiting to be packed for Chad.  Thankfully my visa has returned so now I can legally enter the country.  My hair is cut to the shortest length it has been for quite some time.  A trunk has been purchased and I am ready to go.
  Just a brief recap of the summer.....Oregon, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Alaska, California, Minnesota.  I must admit, I made it to quite a few places, connected with quite a few amazing people, and am now awaiting my next big adventure.  Chad here I come!  October 1-3 I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I journey to Chad and then spend time in N'djamena while I obtain my long-term visa.  Thanks for reading and being interested in my journeys.  No longer will I be doing consecutive posts, but the posts coming up should be pretty interesting.....Time to pack!

Minnesota Magic

  The wonderful land of Minnesota brought on a weekend of reconnecting with friends.  It is true that a wedding tends to bring people together, thus the reason they are so magical.  It was really just great to see so many friendly faces who really care about me and are interested in what comes next in my life.

Molly, Courtney, and I

The CBC gang

 Molly and Holly Dean

Family time

  After a wonderful weekend at the wedding, I traveled to the central valley where I hung out with my grandparents in Hilmar California.  I got to spend nearly a week with them relaxing, swimming, and helping out where I could.  It was great to see them as it had been quite some time since my last visit.  A few aunts and uncles came down to visit as well bringing along some of my little cousins.  It was fun playing in the pool with them all.

beautiful sunset

Uncle demonstrating a dive

Rainbow sunset

  After spending time in Hilmar, I headed back up to the bay area to do the aunt and uncle tour.  I started off in San Francisco Sunday evening and got to catch a windy sunset.  Then Monday morning I took the ferry across to Nevado and got to go to Point Reyes with my Aunt.  Tuesday I got to head to Pleasant Hill  and then Wednesday I went to Oakland.  I got to see all sides of the bay.  It was quite the whirlwind tour but wonderful to see so much family.  Early Thursday I departed for the great state of Minnesota.

Farewell San Francisco

Sunset over the bay

The Golden Gates

  After my long journey from Alaska, I was greeted by two smiling faces in the city of San Francisco.  I had the wonderful opportunity to spend my nights at the home of the star for the next weekend.  I got to take the adventure from a few good friends to even more good friends.  I got to spend Friday working with friends on wedding preparations and fun little crafts.  Saturday, thanks to Molly's great organization, I had the opportunity to see a bit of San Francisco.  My friends Molly and Tyler and I went to Golden Gate park, drove down Lombard street, and had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf.

Molly and I at Golden Gate Park

  Swiftly walking along the bay, sourdough soup bowl in hand, we headed to pier 33 to catch the ferry to Alcatraz.  The fog cleared away providing us with a great view of the city from the ferry and Alcatraz grew closer and closer.  We did the audio tour which was fantastic.  It truly is fascinating hearing the inside scoop.  There was a nice mixture of history, tales of the inmates, information on the structure and island, and basic life of the people on the island.  It was neat to hear about the few inmates who may or may not have successfully escaped.  The idea is that they lived happily ever after south of the border because they were studying Spanish in the prison.  I think the most interesting fact that I learned about the island is that the guards lived on the island.  Not only were the guards living there, but also their families.  Wives and children also made Alcatraz their home - I had no idea!

A typical Alcatraz cell

Molly and Tyler on the ferry

Molly and I behind bars

Molly and I with our sweet audio gear enjoying the view

  The rest of the weekend was spent with friends.  Whether it was creating decorations for the wedding, picnics, rehearsals, meals, getting lost in a car, the time spent was priceless.  Each moment was spent with someone, getting to know them even better.  The bride and groom were so happy on their wedding day and their joy was rather contagious.  The Sandquist family opened their home to me and made me feel as if I was a part of their amazing clan.  Not only have I been blessed with wonderful friends, but also all their families!  After the wedding, it was time for me to visit my family.

Rehearsal

Sparkling Jenni

The bride and groom

Good friends, sad the party was over and we
must yet again part ways

  Oh yes, funny story from this adventure that makes it memorable.....After the wedding I was driving back to the Sandquist residence in the family van (rightfully named Clifford) when we got pulled over.  Apparently one of the tail lights was out.  No tickets were given, but it was pretty funny to be sitting on the side of the road watching people we knew driving by.  It is a moment I will never forget.

From the Big to the Small

  With mixed emotions I departed from the beautiful land of Alaska.  Well I tried to anyway Wednesday night.  Basically no matter where one turns, the views were spectacular.  I loved getting to feel the need to harvest and preserve for the winter.  God truly does provide a plethora of natural foods, if only we are willing to spend the hours picking and canning or freezing.  The results of the hard work are quite delicious and when they are done in a community they bring joy and laughter.  You just never quite know when a batch of salmon, blueberry jam will turn out wrong, but it just doesn't matter because it is a moment to laugh about and a reason to eat even more!  I loved getting to live briefly in the world which Kara has adapted to so well and it will make relating to her letters so much easier.  It is great to see her love for the land, culture, and the people after such a short time (because we are all realizing that 1 year isn't all that long).  So thanks to Kara for serving as my guide into this life and to Lauren and Jenni for letting me crash in the apartments and interrupt the day to day life.

How do you like my Jet Blue plane?

  So anyway, back to my delayed departure.  I was supposed to be on a flight from Anchorage on Jet Blue airlines.  My flight was scheduled to leave at 1:30am (on a side note, the anchorage airport is about the only one that I have seen so busy after 10:00pm.  There were flights leaving as late as 3:00am and as early as 5:00am.  It basically never shut down.)  Unfortunately one of the flight attendants became ill on the flight up, and thus was unable to make the return trip.  Around midnight we found out our flight was cancelled and thus we should go back to the ticket counter and talk to the representatives over there.  So all the passengers from my flight made there way back out to stand in line.  Little did I know that my spot in line would consume the next 4 hours of my life (when I would have much preferred to be asleep).  I must admit, I did secretly enjoy chatting with the people around me.  We were all exhausted (hoping to be sleeping on our flight).  The airline was buying each individual tickets on other airlines and were averaging 15+ minutes per person.  I was located about half way through the line.  As each person would get their tickets we would ask what type of ticket they got and when they would actually be arriving at their destination.  Personally I wasn't too sad that my flight had gotten cancelled because I had a 7 hour layover in Long Beach California (later I found out I would have been able to meet up with my uncle, though at the time this possibility was uncertain).  I was able to talk to the people around me and tell them about my future plans to head to Africa.  Around 4:00am I finally was able to go talk to someone.  The man offered a ticket and I said sure (his reaction was, "Really, you are fine with my first suggestion."  It turned out that I would only be getting in a few hours later than planned and I would have a stop in Portland, my old stomping ground.  The down side was that I would not be leaving the Anchorage airport until noon.  There is something quite strange about going to sleep on a bench with just one or two people around and then waking up to have the gate bustling with business.  The best part was that in Portland, I had a 3 hour layover and was able to convince my brother Aaron and roommate Laura to come hang out with me for a bit.  They even brought me dinner! The bad part, my flight was delayed by a couple hours.  I am very grateful that my friends Elle and Molly were willing to come pick me up, despite the crazy delays and changes of plans.  Oh did I mention my new tickets were on Alaskan airlines and I was flying first class!  I was happy to make it to San Francisco and let the new adventures unfold.

The Kenai Peninsula

  Monday brought along a trip to the Kenai Peninsula.  Kara and I left early in the morning, the car packed with camping gear and food.  The drive itself was beautiful, but upon arrival in Seward, we headed to the Kenai Fjords National Park to visit Exit glacier.  We were able to hike up the path to get just feet of the glacier.

  After visiting the glacier we headed to the town of Seward.  Seward is a small fishing town that has lots of nice little shops.  It is also home to the sea life center.  The sea life center is a place for rehabilitating animals and also has a few of the local critters on display for viewing.  We got to see a seal, sea lions, salmon and every stage of life, and much more.  It was really interesting.

Kara and our seal friend

After a day of fun, we headed back to Kenai Fjords National Park, because we had discovered that they had a free campground!  We heard the word free and decided that was the spot for us.  We chose site number 8, set our tent up, and then headed to the pavilion where all food had to be stored and consumed.  We quickly discovered that a tour group would also be sharing our camp ground with us.  We were able to share some stories around the camp fire and listen to what others had to say.  There is something about sitting around a fire which breaks down barriers.  Then we headed to bed, bundled in sleeping bags and piled high with blankets.  (It can get a little chilly at night at the base of a glacier).  In the morning we said good bye to the east side of the peninsula and headed towards the west.

  Our first stop, after heading out, was to find Kara some coffee.  We can't have the drive lacking in caffeine, now can we.  After getting a warm beverage we went straight to Alaska Christian College to meet up with our friend Ashley.  ACC is in Soldotna.  We got a tour of the campus, which is lovely.  Then we headed to the MARC hanger were we got to make a few connections, Kara could give some personal thank yous (because the organization she works for coordinates closely with this aviation ministry), and really learn about all the ways that God uses a few mechanics and a few pilots to reach out to the Alaskans outside the road system.  When is Soldotna do as the college kids do and visit the Moose is Loose cafe.  We of course picked up a few treats from this esteemed establishment.  After eating lunch we went to the beach and walked the shore for the Cook Inlet.  It is truly amazing to see mountains and a volcano directly across the body of water.  Now just a reminder to all of you who might not have learned from personal experience, the tide comes in rather quickly on this beach.  So if you decided to go for a walk, without your shoes on, make sure you place the shoes high up on the beach, or else they might become very wet.

Myself, Kara, and Ashley spending time at the beach.

  We said our goodbyes to Ashley and headed on back to Wasilla with me driving.  Yup, Kara let me drive her baby, although when we got back to the Anchorage area and we were facing rush hour, I allowed her to take back the controls (rush hour driving a standard vehicle = not a whole lot of fun).  It was really an amazing trip and the best part was that Kara hadn't made the trip yet, so some of the places we were experiencing for the first time together.  We returned on Tuesday which left only one final day in Alaska for me.  I got too see so much, and I only covered one tiny part of the massive state.

A Bountiful Experience

Hatcher Pass

The Alaskan Blueberry

The Alaskan Crow berry

Now that is better

  The following day (Saturday, Aug. 25th) we headed off to a place called Hatcher Pass.  Our primary objective for the day was to find some delicious blue berries.  When we first arrived the area was pretty much vacant, but as the day went on, the number of berries pickers increased, although we also grew in our understanding for where to look for the berries.  Our first attempts to find blueberries yielded very little fruit.  So we settled for picking crow berries (also known as black berries to the Alaskans).  These berries were not nearly as delicious to consume on the spot, but we harvested them in hopes that with the help of sugar and other ingredients they might turn into something delicious.  We worked diligently filling our Tupperware, knowing that the gifts which God provides in the summer/fall, are what Kara will be eating throughout the long, dark, cold winter.  There is really nothing quite like delicious jam, or other items to liven up a winter.  After picking for quite sometime, we decided that it was time to break for lunch.  We found some really nice rocks and settled in to enjoy our cheese on buns, purple carrots, cucumber, cookies, and an apple.  There is nothing like eating food outside with a friend, in the sunshine.  After taking this brief break, we agreed that we could not leave this spot until we had completely filled our containers with blueberries (because once we discovered the hidden droves of blueberries we gave up on the crow berries).  So we picked until our containers could hold no more (Kara knowing that she would return to pick again so that her freezer and cupboards might be full).

smile while looking at the sun

The mine entrance is at the very top and the rest were buildings for engineers, etc.

  After picking berries to our max, we headed off to Independence Mine, an abandoned gold mine.  True to classic creepy fashion, the clouds lowered and the mine was nice and foggy during our viewing.  Unfortunately we could not really go in the mine, or the majority of the old buildings, but we got to walk around the outside and view how time and weather have left the mine pretty much demolished.  It was fun to see this part of Alaskan history.  It was pretty funny to walk along the nicely manicured paths around buildings that are being smashed by the elements.

Independence mine viewed from the top

Ready for devouring!

cranberries and rose hips

  On Sunday I was able to go and worship with Kara at the church which also doubles as an office for her.  It is always interesting to see how different congregations worship or to see what events they have planned (such as the duct tape games).  After church, due to rain, we decided it would be a good day to stay home and make delicious foods.  A Sunday afternoon nap was prior to food preparation of course. We used some of the crow berries we had gathered to make mini pies, which were truly delicious.  The rumor was true, crow berries are way better to cook with (aka doused in sugar), than to simply eat fresh.  I also had the privilege of enjoying the very first salmon that Kara had caught up in Alaska!  Nothing can really beat Alaskan salmon.  Rice, sautéd kale and beet leaves, and roused broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots made for a complete healthy and delicious meal!  While dinner was cooking, we even found time to sneak out into the back yard and pick high bush cranberries and rose hips.  I also got to sample a few ripe low bush cranberries (lingonberries).  We had quite the feast!

crow berry pie

salmon!

The Westward Game

natural beauty

Well, I am finally back in Ohio, where I have access to my computer and thus have the ability to update you all on my cross country journey.  One trip at a time I shall share with you all that I learned, some funny experiences, and of course provide you with the ability to track where I traveled.  So to start it all off, I will take you to the wonderful land of Alaska.

Glacier in the distance

Together at last!

Kara the berry expert found red
raspberries on the way to the top

  First I need you to close your eyes and picture landing in Anchorage at sunset.  The sky is radiant but only on the horizon, the rest is simply a lavender, gray, blue color.  There is water and mountains out all the windows.  Simply breath taking.  I can honestly say that I have never experienced a cabin full of people who clapped when the flight crew announced their "welcome to Anchorage."  Perhaps the only time I have heard clapping on a landing is if the pilot did a really good job despite bad weather, but no, these people were simply glad to be in Alaska!  (oh yes, just a heads up, this portion will be primarily me sharing the pictures of unbelievable views with all of you.)  I too was excited to be in Alaska, because my dear friend Kara was waiting for me outside of baggage claim!  That evening we drove to her home in Wasilla and I got to try her sweet potato date muffins which were delicious...which reminds me, I should get that recipe (or perhaps she will share with all).  The following day, I got to see a bit of life just outside of Anchorage.  We went to Palmer (a town started as a farming community).  We saw the tiny downtown, I got to see where Kara worked, we went to a u-pick farm, and even climbed the butte (which Kara doesn't really like, but she did it just for me.)  All this action in my first full day of visiting Alaska.  More to come in the next post, because I was in this beautiful state for a whole week.  (By the way, I got to read the childhood classic The Westing Game.  It always feels good to re-read some of those favorites!)
  Oh yes, here is the funny story of the day.  So Kara and I were harvesting vegetables from the fields.  We picked what we thought would be just the right amount. We got broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and kale.  When we got to the register to pay for our bounty, we had to wait in a line.  Do to the extra time we started reading the rules....one of which stated that cauliflower and broccoli had to be at least a foot in diameter in order to pick.....well ours were a bit on the small side.  Oops, no wonder the few heads we found were still in the field.  They were still very delicious, but I learned that day to read the rules before picking.

"Strike and Alaskan pose"

Kara broke my camera (just kidding)

At the top of the butte