There's No Place Like...

As I look around my unpacked room and think about what's going on, I can't help but wonder how I got here. How did this become home? My voice teacher at Whitworth received an email from a voice teacher at UMT asking him to send over his best singer. I came, auditioned, found a place to live, then everything fast-forwarded to this current moment.

I am tired. This summer pushed me to my limits but God revived me. I was blessed with a vacation to the Oregon coast, my favorite place on the planet, and God lifted my spirits. I arrived in Missoula, Montana, yesterday and didN't know how to react or what to feel. This state of numbness is still pervading my mind. Perhaps it's the fact that I haven't gotten more than five hours of sleep each of the past few nights, but I pray that God pours into me afresh for this school year.

Today was spent running hither and yon making sure I had everything I needed, including groceries, as well as unpacking my bedroom, kitchen supplies, and office. After thirteen hours, I can honestly say that fatigue has won the day. But I'm where I'm supposed to be, isn't that what "home" is? I sure hope so because I have a whole lot of home coming at me for the next two years.

Let me tell you something. Supercenter Wal Marts are a strange, wonderful thing. I got everything I needed, but goodness, let it be known that was the only, I repeat only, time in my life when I will shop for groceries at a Wal Mart. I am going to make curried chicken salad sometime soon and was gathering the ingredients but couldn't find chutney. Forgetting that I was a) in Missoula, and b) in Wal Mart I went up to a shelf-stocker and asked where the chutney was. He gave me a look that rivaled that which clung to the faces of the deer in my front yard this morning. I remembered at once where I was and decided I didn't need chutney for the salad.

Have you all seen the "people who shop at Wal Mart" YouTube video? If you haven't, you should. Then multiply it by 100 and you'll get Wal Mart in Missoula. Goodness, the cultural climate here is very strange. It seems to me to be a mix of Portland, Hinterwalden, San Francisco, and who knows what. I have never seen a more disjointed citizenship. There are some beautiful parts of town, though, and some awesome restaurants. My dad and I ate at an Italian place named "Ciao Mambo". The penne I ordered was exceptional and the Sauvignon Blanc was perfect as a tag-on. Also, we found an ice cream joint named "Big Dipper Ice Cream" and I'm gonna be going there often. Cardamom ice cream is my new favorite flavor.

But as I write this my head is starting to fall onto the screen of my iPad. I look forward to where I am and exploring it in the weeks to come!