Azusa!

Ok, well I have made it to Azusa, (right outside of LA if ya'll don't know). I am having a great time. After a few crazy packed days of hangin in San Fran and driving I have relished the chance to see great people but also relax at the same time! 

The drive went very well except for a brief scare when I started to leave San Francisco and looked down only to realize that my light indicated my trunk wasn't latched was on. Can I just say that would probably be one of the worst things that could happen to me if my trunk opened while EVERYTHING is piled and packed in there very tightly and on the busy bumpy downtown windy narrow lanes of traffic that is downtown SF nonetheless. So considering there is ONLY street parking and like no place with actual parking lots, I pulled over into a bus loading zone as soon as I could to check it. Luckily it was latched pretty darn good, the light had just come on because a hanger had jammed into the door of my trunk causing the censor to think it wasn't closed...so close call but alllll good :)

I'm staying with one of my DEAREST friends Elli who is newly engaged by the way!! SO happy for them. I got to see and have dinner with my lovely Lynz last night and then took a very long and lazy time getting ready this morning before heading to Starbucks for my first RED CUP OF THE SEASON!!! So incredibly thrilled about this....although I am predicting a very weird winter and holiday season for me this year. For some reason drinking an eggnog latte out of a red cup doesn't hold the same feeling when I'm drinking it under a palm tree in 80 degree weather...I realized I would have an odd season when I saw them putting up a huge Christmas tree by Pier 39 in SF while I was getting sun burnt on my shoulders. I feel like I'm in somewhat of a Twilight Zone. 

Today was a good day though. After spending entirely to long getting ready and loving every second of my laziness, I went to Starbucks and then Destiny met me there to go get lunch! Then I got to go see her dorm room and meet some of her friends and then we got Fro Yo and wandered around the campus until Elli was done with her duties for the day. Then Elli and I hung out a bit in her room and chilled and waited for Caleb to get out of class before the three of us had a wonderful dinner consisting of In N' Out and Chipotle. I had In N' Out naturally...and loved it! Then we came back to campus and went out yet again with one of Elli and Caleb's really good friends Pat to go to 21 Choices which is sort of like a ColdStone but with frozen yogurt. And now I have been hooked to my book Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus laying on Elli's couch while she does homework with intermittent chatting going on in between our times of focus :) I love it. I love spending time with her again. And I love that I'll be close enough to do this on any given weekend. 

My heart is anticipating much. There is so much to be done. God is constantly moving and I'm realizing that He has NEVER promised comfort or that we'll even make it out alive. In fact we know we won't, but how will we ever experience LIFE without getting dangerous. He's called us into a dangerous faith. One filled with uncertainties except for the one thing we can be certain in, and that is HIM. Jesus Christ. I am moving into a chapter of unknowns, but I am more ready and excite than ever to face them with God. To be ready for the miracles that may not bring me any more certainty or even happiness than before, but they will bring me into a life of significance. I will leave you with this quote that is among MANY MANY amazing insights that I've found in this book:

"Maybe there is a touch of insanity to think that you or I could really make a difference, knowing who we are, that we could somehow change the course of human history. If it's normal to wake up in the morning and just try and make it through the day, then I vote for abnormality. I choose insanity." ~Erwin McManus, 'Chasing Daylight'

San Francisco!

So I made it to San Francisco and it's been a great time! It was hard to leave everyone in Portland, to say the least, but I feel excited and ready to go. My first leg of the road trip was down to San Francisco. It was a very beautiful drive and surprisingly did not feel like 10 hours. Seriously, it went by so fast! It was gorgeous scenery and I had my ipod and thoughts to keep me company :) I got to San Fran and as soon as I saw the Golden Gate bridge and Bay Bridge I got the strangest rush. I can't really explain it, it could have just been excitement, but something in me noted that I needed to remember that feeling I got for the future, something tells me this place will be significant in my future...I don't know, I'm just sayin!
I kind of got lost on my way to my friend Jessie's apartment, but it was worth it because I got to drive more around this awesome city. It's so beautiful. The only times I've been here have been on mission trips, so we've had a day or two to see more of the nicer areas but not much time, and it was very fun. Jessie's apartment is so amazing too! It's so cute and in one of those old town home buildings in a great accessible area of town! Very fun, although if I ever lived here there is NO WAY I would be able to keep a stick shift...to say it's been challenging to park on these hills is an understatement! :) Not to mention I have huge blind spots because EVERY inch of my car that I'm not inhabiting is filled with my stuff! I have been in a constant state of prayer that no one will break into my car! Good news so far!
Today Jessie had to work so I just got up and got ready and took my car down to the Marina. It's been a gorgeous and sunny day here! No fog! I walked through a great park and without knowing it ended up on a trail that dropped me right off onto Fisherman's Wharf area. So I spent the day getting Starbucks, walking around shops, and taking lots of pictures! I took a Ferry tour around the bay and we went underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. It was awesome! I made friends with a guy I was buying water from named Ulysses (sp?) who was originally from San Diego and lived a while in Portland, so we had a lot to talk about. He proceeded to tell me about his experiences being high in Belize, which made for interesting stories, but turned out quite humorous. He was nice and I ended up staying in the smoothie store he worked at for about 45 minutes just chatting.
I walked all the way down to Pier 35 where a huge cruise liner was docked and they were boarding. And then on down to 33 before turning around and going to a seafood cafe on the corner with great people watching and bread bowl clam chowder. I stayed there for a while reading "Chasing Daylight" by Erwin McManus. SUPER GREAT. That's right, not just SUPER and not just GREAT but SUPER GREAT book. Needless to say it was very inspiring. Then capped off my day with a chocolate milkshake from Ghiradelli Square and walked back to my car. Oh my gosh! I almost forgot, I saw the COOLEST thing on the way back to my car. There were all of these pelicans in the water which I've seen before, but it must have been dinner time because they all of a sudden all starting flying and diving into the water to get fish. It was so cool I stood there and watched that for a good amount of time...I was very entertained :)
So now I'm waiting for my friend to get back from work in just a couple minutes and we're going to go hit up a happy hour or something, and then I'm off again bright and early tomorrow morning for good ol' Los Angeles. I'm feeling sort of like an impostor in California though haha, don't know why, and all day people kept asking me where I was from, so I don't think I've mastered the whole "California Girl" vibe yet, but seeing as how it's barely been 24 hours since I even crossed the state border I guess I'll cut myself some slack :) Patience has never come easy for me ;)