We're Not in Texas Any More

 Well, here we go. We talked in the car yesterday and figured out that we haven't been on a family road trip in over two years, and boy are we glad to get to go on one to the Grand Canyon! Road trips have always been a big deal in our family and something that we love to do. It's easy to be frustrated or uncomfortable when you are in the car with 5 family members and a week's worth of luggage for 10-15+ hours, but it has always been a kind of bonding experience for us...so much so that I remember being younger and looking forward to the car ride more than the destination itself. We had a good 18 hours in the car in the last two days, full of sleeping, taking turns being DJ (oh the variety of music we listened to), being forced to listen to an audiobook, and eating all the snacks in sight. 

Switching gears...if you're reading this, welcome. I love to have an excuse to write, so this is my third (?) travel blog that I have created. I would characterize my writing as...honest, and you will probably learn a lot about me if you choose to follow me through this week.

So, going back to the start of our trip (you will also see that I am not very organized, I just write things as they come). We headed out of Nac yesterday and made an important stop in Irving to cheer on our high school girls as they played an awesome last game. Stopping for that put us in a hotel in Lubbock at 1:00 am this morning, and we got up at 7:30 to get back on the road. We finally made it out of the flat land around lunch time, and listening to the audiobook my dad downloaded was more enjoyable with better scenery to look at. We were surprised to see snow on the side of the road in several spots throughout New Mexico and Arizona, but it wasn't as exciting as it would have originally been to us Texans since we experienced "the big freeze." We arrived at our Airbnb just before 6:00 this evening, and we unpacked and my parents left to go to the grocery store. (Bear with me, this is the boring part...but these basic details are important). My dad's parents are also staying here this week, and it is our first time to travel with them. As we unpacked the car, the sky slowly started to change colors. Now, we Terrell children are suckers for a good sunset, and we never hesitate to find a high vantage point from which to experience the beauty of it to the fullest. So, Clayton was quick to figure out a way onto the roof. The window in the boys' bedroom opens right above the roof, so the four of us climbed out of the window and onto the roof without a second thought. It isn't enough to just be anywhere on the roof though...if we can go higher, we always go higher. So, we climbed up to the very top of the roof (one of us having a bit of trouble and getting hurt on the way up...I'll let you figure out who that was) and my goodness, it was worth the extra little climb. The view was beautiful, but was quickly ruined by an unfriendly neighbor who yelled at us to get off the roof because we weren't the owners of the house. I guess it was fair enough, but he was pretty threatening, and we weren't hurting anything. That was one of the experiences today that made me say, "We're not in Texas any more," the first one being the drastic change in scenery of course.  I really do think Texas has the nicest people, but maybe I'm biased. We had a late dinner and a slow evening, and we're all headed to bed now. It's weird how sitting in the car all day can make you so tired.

We have lots of plans for this week, and I am really excited. The activities we have planned will be a blast, but I am mostly just excited for what we get to see. So much beauty awaits. Already, on the drive here, as we passed hills, small mountains, and rock formations, something in me started to stir. A feeling of joy and satisfaction that I only get through traveling. A sense of pride knowing that MY God made this all. A sense of wonder knowing that He made me too, with the same breath and voice that made the mountains. I look at the rolling hills and the boulders that sit so perfectly balanced on one another and it makes me smile, because I know who carefully constructed it all and I am so grateful that He has given it to us to enjoy. What a gift. I can't wait to see more of these treasures.

Stay tuned, 

Emma T.