Sitting in traffic

This was a long day.

It started off with coffee with a friend who will be heading to Kenya with a team. It excited me to think of the people he and his team will get to know. I'm bummed I won't be there to host them during their visit, but spending time talking through some of their plans made me feel like I'm once again part of the process. And it was simply fun to visit with him as a good friend.

Next stop: office. My colleague Kierra and I spent time brainstorming ideas which I now get to research and design. Stuff about team follow-up and how we can improve what we're doing. The kind of stuff that really gets my mind going!

Then: an hour-long drive to Murrietta for a meeting that lasted 2 good hours. Meaningful hours, that is, followed by 3 not-so-meaningful hours of taking on SoCal freeway traffic. There was an accident on the 210, stretching my commute by a good hour, causing a delay in the rest of the evening's plans. Late for dinner with a family, I sat down to great Chinese food and wonderful conversation about what's happening in Kenya, where I'm heading, where God fits into all of this, about them coming to visit in Kenya.

Before I knew it, I was an hour late for my next commitment further east, in Glendale. But it was with good friends, and we spent time curled up on the couch talking about their world and mine. About the challenges of wanting to live an entirely disciplined life and simply not always doing it. About their jobs. About babies and such. And when I looked again, it was just an hour till pumpkin time! Hopped in the bat-mobile (I'm using Jessie's little black BMW) and completed my 180-mile trip for the day.

It was a good day, for sure. I'm tired, not only from being stuck in traffic for far too long, nor only from having several intense conversations, but also from it being so hot during my drive! I couldn't believe how hot it got, even causing my to roll down all the windows at a stage while driving!

I wish I had more time to spend with friends and supporters in this part of the world, but being here for just a week is also good in that it forces me to squeeze in as many appointments as possible...

I'm off to Dreamland again. It's just before 1 a.m. That's almost 3, Iowa time. No wonder I'm having a hard time thinking straight!