First of all, happy #sharkweek!
Wow...... well I am just blown away right now! Last night I finished purchasing flights for quite an adventure! This is clearly a story that I have to share with you all.
+Hannah and I decided to go to Winona fairly spur of the moment this past weekend. With +Josh leaving for medical school, we decided it would be a good time to visit back home, and him specifically, before we move back to MN. We did a bunch of fun stuff, but one of the highlights was the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Taste of Winona" event Saturday night that my whole family attended.
I had been looking forward to this event all day! But right as I was about to walk in with my family, I got a phone call from a strange number. Since it was such a weird number, I decided not to answer it, mainly because I was just about to walk into the event. But immediately after dismissing the call, my phone began to ring again from the same number. I figured I had better answer since they were calling again right away....... And thank goodness I did!!!
It was +Paul warneke calling me with the offer for an adventure of a lifetime! He had explained to me that, quite randomly and suddenly, the boat he works on was in need of a helping hand for their swiftly approaching voyage! They will be setting sail from the Galapagos Islands to take the boat back to a harbor in Panama, sailing through the Canal. And he wanted me to come and help! He explained how he knew it was out of the blue, but they were willing to "sweeten the deal" if I could make it. These are crazy times right now for Hannah and me, but at the same time, this was an offer just plainly too good to pass up on. So, in the end, I'm packing my bags for a sailing trip!
So what does this all look like? They are disembarking on Monday (the 18th), so I have to get down there before then! Unfortunately, this means I have to leave my recently acquired position with the Eye Bank earlier than I had wanted (aka this Friday already), but it's something that I just have to do! And also a huge bonus to this particular trip is that I will be back in time for Hannah's graduation, her parents getting into Chicago, and to help get all our stuff packed before we move. So it's almost perfect timing! I will, although, be missing a wedding this weekend that I was very much looking forward to attending......... but I feel as though this trip will make up for it.
I cannot believe I have been given this opportunity! It almost feels like a miracle in a way. In my opinion, I feel as though I have responsibly passed up several other chances to visit Paul. With saving up for our wedding, traveling to visit Hannah while at school, not having a job for all of last summer, and for other various reasons, I have seen many other trips on this boat "drift" away from me. So this trip almost feels like its a reward, and I feel tremendously blessed. Thanks Jesus, you trickster you!
SO! This Saturday I will be flying out of Chicago to San Salvador, then from San Salvador to Guayaquil Ecuador, and then taking a smaller flight from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands where I will meet up with Paul! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure the exact day I will be returning yet or the rout I will be traveling home, because we have to lock through the Panama Canal and Paul was a little unsure of how long exactly that would take....... but he was sure I'd make it home by the 25th at least. So I'll get it figured out!
Again, I feel so blessed for this chance. I really need to give a HUGE shout of thanks to my incredible wife for being so accepting of me going on this trip and basically telling me I had to go on it. It's in no way easy for her to have me going away for a week right now, especially since she has to stay here an finish school. But I have been SO amazed by her loving support and her sincere encouragement. I really do feel terrible for being asked to go on this trip without her, but unfortunately there is just no way around it right now. I just wanted to publicly praise her understanding of it all, or at least her incredible performance in deceiving me!
I am so excited and yet so nervous at the same time for this trip. Traveling all that way by myself is kinda nerve-racking! Especially traveling through these countries where I don't speak the language! And yet, with true adventure there are always risks, and I'm confident that all will workout in my favor. As long as I don't leave any of the airports and just sit and wait for my flights I should make it there with few troubles....... I hope.
Well stay tuned everyone! I will absolutely be writing again in a little over a week with all the details of my crazy adventure!
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