OLIVIA AND GALPALS GRAND ADVENTURE!!
These were from Sunday as we saw Olivia, Aly and Kristin off on their grand adventure into the west! They met Sunday early in the morning to get final demos from Jug on RV technical stuff and to pack up. While they were getting ready to shove off I sat here at the computer in my studio here in the garage uploading the photos from the party Saturday on the blog. They parked the RV right outside the garage and raised the garage door getting tools and whatnot. Their peals of laughter from inside the RV echoed throughout the backyard and smoothed my furrowed brow! I realized and acknowledged that I am apprehensive seeing them embarking on this grand adventure as we're calling it, let's be real--it is hard to just let her go off like this, but also knowing that we (Aly and Kristin's parents too) are empowering these young women! What a gift we give them! Our faith in them, our ability to know that they'll be just fine sends them the clear message that they can do anything! They are women and hear them roar!!!!
Olivia geting final instuctions. She and Jug took several tours around town this past week providing her with much needed practice driving the RV. It's a Class C and really drives like a big U-Haul truck. It's really not too bad. The most important thing is to drive slowly and anticipate stops long before you would have to in a conventional vehicle. And she does great!
I realize I haven't mentioned the purpose of this trip--Olivia is hoping to go to Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado for her masters in Art Therapy starting in the fall of 2009. I actually went to the website for the school yesterday. Very interesting!! It's Buddhist based! Very much about contemplative reflection and sounds absolutely fascinating. No wonder she is smitten with this school! It seems right and good!! So she has called and made appointments for interviews, etc and asked if she couldn't drive out instead of flying so she could see some of the country. We agreed so long as somebody went with her. So pals Kristin and Aly jumped at the chance!
We've, of course, talked with them a couple of times each day and as of last night they were near Kansas City, Missouri. They should arrive in Boulder today. I think they're planning a couple of days in Boulder and then a couple in Jackson Hole (hoping to hook up with their youth director at Saint Paul's, Trent Moore who now lives in Jackson along with our previous priest Ken Asel) and then take Yellowstone and come on home via the northern route. I swear--you've never seen three more excited young women! What an opportunity!!!
When they finally were packed up and Jug felt were sufficiently prepared we met them at the Coffee House for brunch before they embarked. Here's Jug and very excited Olivia!
Aly and Kristin laughing about the wind blowing the RV door into them.....
Aren't they just too cute?!!!
