Monterey Highlights

Here's some photo highlights from our camping "test run" to Monterey:

Our camping spot! We got it all set up...

Nothing like cooking over a fire...by the way, it was cold!

Games at night...Ian kept winning!

The end of a perfect day.

We camped on the top of a hill looking down the canyon to Monterey. Gorgeous!

Withdrawals?

I'm already finding myself thinking about how having no daily demands from the ministry will shape and affect me this summer. 

Often, when I "let down" after a season of pushing hard, I get sick (case in point: I'm sniffling away this morning). I wonder if I'll be sick for the first several days?

As Kiley and I talked this weekend, we've been taught by those who have done studies that it takes two weeks of totally unplugging for your body to truly relax and get rid of the junk that stress builds up in it. We're thinking that the first two weeks will be mostly unplanned wanderings and hanging out.

I'm planning on only turning on my cell phone when Kiley and I are separated and might need to talk to each other. Otherwise, it stays off. And I'm deleting my office e-mail accounts from my phone and computer before leaving.

Now THAT ought to cause some serious withdrawals!

Sabbatical

I have two goals for this blog:

1. To record our journey as we prepare, experience and return from our seven-week sabbatical
2. To unpack the things that the Holy Spirit is teaching us along the way

Learning

I've set-up and torn down the trailer several times now as we've moved it, cleaned it, and camped in it. I was a little concerned at first that it would be a pain, like setting up a tent, but I've come to enjoy it. It's quick and easy and, honestly, a little therapeutic.

A trial run

March 29th ~ We had a trial run with the camper this weekend. 

We spent Thursday and Friday nights in Salinas, CA (just outside of Monterey). When we arrived on Thursday night, it was cold and windy. It was a perfect test for how warm the trailer would keep us when it gets nasty. We set up, plugged in a little camper-safe space heater and, although it was a little chilly in the main cabin, once we snuggled down into our sleeping bags, we were toasty all night long.

On Friday, we spent the day at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Ian loves his animals. He constantly amazed me with his five-year-old brain as he identified each animal and told us some things about them.

Friday night was wet and drizzly all night long. We were afraid it would be a damp and miserable night like we'd had in tents in the past, but we were as dry and warm as could be all night long. In fact, I got up and turned the heater off because it was too warm.

We have a camper!

March 20th ~ We just purchased a 1997 Starcraft Tent trailer for our summer sabbatical. It needs some TLC, but the bones are in good shape. 

We're looking forward to hooking this thing up and heading out for the summer.

The night after we purchased it, I could hardly sleep. I was thinking about everything we might do with this. Nights by the campfire, games inside while it rained, laughter, fights when something went wrong with it (which will happen), campfire meals, and so much more.