Travel log

With each trip that I've made over the past couple of years, I've gone from loving the adventure of flying and airports to dreading the chore of it all and just hoping that I, along with my luggage, will actually arrive somewhere close to the planned time. However, my dread of a long lay-over has remained since my very first airplane ride. But as of yesterday, I now love 4 hour lay-overs!

Thanks to my good friend, Rebecca, my 4 hours in Houston before traveling on to Ashville (yes, I went West to go East) was an absolute blessing and tons of fun. And I still can't believe how smoothly it worked out. My plane touched down in Houston at 10:35, Rebecca pulled up to the baggage claim area about 10:45, and we enjoyed a great hour and a half of catching up and stuffing our face. We then said our goodbyes and I strolled through security with the ease of pre-9/11 days. With just enough time to run to the restroom and grab something to drink, it was time to continue on to the end of my itenerary. What normally seems like an endless wait, an over-priced meal, and frantic crowds ended up being a delightful luncheon with a great long-distance friend. Thank you, Lord, for unexpected blessings!

Now I'm sitting in my incredibly large room at the Blue Ridge Holiday Inn resting before my next set of meetings. I've been here less than 24 hours, and it's already been a joy to be here. The suffocating humidity of Arkansas is gone, the mountains are beautiful, and the people are encouraging. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week! By the way, my running project is still going strong. I even used the hotel treadmill last night, and it was almost fun. :-)