Last Minute Trip Home

My grandma’s memorial service was planned for Memorial Day Weekend in Central California. Originally, I thought there was no way I could go (timing, funding, transportation, ect). Then things got moved around and suddenly I was free to go. I found a great deal on a last minute ticket and decided to fly back to California 3 days later. It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I am so thankful I was able to come back. It was wonderful to be able to share the weekend with family who I haven’t seen in years. We celebrated my grandma’s life through retelling countless memories we had shared with her and the influence she has been in our lives. It was a very special time, one I will always cherish. It was also great to see my siblings; I can’t believe how much they’ve changed in only 4 months! One of the hardest things about living in Costa Rica is knowing I’m missing out on so much of them growing up.

Even though I was in California for less than 4 days, I was still able to see a few friends. Thanks to some amazingly flexible and serving friends, I was able to spend some short bouts of quality time with several dear friends. (Thank you Roberts for hanging out at LAX for SO long, and Jon for driving me down in the middle of the night.) Even a few hours with good friends is so refreshing and encouraging to me. As time and distance makes it more challenging to maintain friendships, these are people who I really treasure in my life. I am thankful for their continuing presence in my life, even across the distance. I wish I could have seen everyone, but it was a VERY quick trip. I look forward to having more time at home at the end of the year.