Epiphany

My whirlwind roadtrip has spun to an end. Over 10 days, I saw (more than) 28 people who have been part of my life in various significant stages (Candler, US-2, college, high school, family). Candace pointed out that that's 2.7 people per day. I also slept in 8 different beds (one of which was actually a couch). I saw folks in 11 cities/towns, and stayed overnight in 7 cities/towns (2 nights in Roanoke and 2 in Greensboro).

Here's the Whirlwind List of who I saw:
Dana, J, Sara, Craiggers, Shelly, Beth, Kevin, Rachel, Leslie, Anjie, Andy, Lane, Ben, Allen G., Betsy, Sharon, Mollie, Brian, Sissy, Nick, Alanna, Becca, Dr. Tatum, Kev-bo, Robin, Allen P., Ceanna, Kenny

In the List, I didn't include other people's kids (even though seeing them was certainly a highlight of the trip!) or other family members, who were also lovely to see, including:
Dana's entire freakin' family, Craig's grandma and dog, Ben's grandma and aunt and her friend, Mollie's daughter, Sissy's husband Charlie, Nick's girlfriend Ashley, Alanna's husband James (who I just saw long enough to hug) and son, Robin's husband Doug and daughter, and Ceanna's son.

Also, I ran into a couple bonus people at GC:
Danny and Damon, and Ron the security guard

And tonight I went to Josh's birthday party and saw him, of course, and Jody, and a bunch of current or recent Candler peeps.

So, today is Epiphany. It seems fitting, or perhaps merely rockin', that my whirlwind roadtrip should end on the 12th day of Christmas, the day we celebrate the Wisemen's roadtrip and arrival at the manger.
I didn't have a stated agenda for this trip, other than to see as many people that I love as possible. That meant that my timetables were flexible, so I drove during the day when most people were working and I only saw some people for a meal or a couple hours. It was a good trip. There's something about seeing people who knew you when you were almost failing physics, or who stuck with you through fights and struggles and loads of drama, or who believed in you when you couldn't figure out why, or who went egging with you in high school, or who slept in the bunk above you for months, or who gave you responsibility and trusted you to live up to it, or who wrestled with heavy issues with you... There's also something about seeing people you've interacted with on a daily basis outside that context, with their families or in a new home far away.

I really loved this trip. It was good to see so many people. It was good to have the few hours of driving time to myself each day. It was good to spend so much time listening to, absorbing, memorizing, singing, repeating, and shouting music.

And tonight as I was driving to Josh's, I realized how good it is to be back in this city. I love Atlanta. I love the sparkling skyline. I love the variety of foods available. I love that you have to go really stinking far to get to a Walmart. I even love the traffic. Navigating the interstates around DC was easier because I live here. The I-85/40 connections in Greensboro used to freak me out, but they were a piece of cake after I-75/85.
And I love having such wonderful people around me. It's been really, really good to see people who have known me at other stages of my life, but it's also amazing to have people here everyday who are pushing through the same classes and professors, wrestling with similar career decisions, and who are supportive in those and a billion other struggles.