Tuning In: The Moving Edition

Well, my bags are packed and my room is mostly clean. I've got a few little projects to finish up tomorrow and some folks to visit before I head back to Seattle on Tuesday evening! On the one hand it seems like ages ago that I started the Novitiate. On the other hand it seems like just yesterday. It's a bit hard to get a handle on my feelings at this transition time, so I thought I'd rely on the old random music generator to lead the way ...

Song #1: Punchlines by Mates of State (Watch/Listen on You Tube)

It's not the same without you around
It's not the same without you

We took my fellow 2nd year novice to the airport today ... she's a bit ahead of me in her travel plans. On the drive home I saw a billboard for ... I kid you not ... and advertisement for iwantoutofnj.com. It's a website for a real estate development in South Carolina of all things. Talk about odd. In any case, it caused me to realize that ready as I am to return to the Northwest and start ministry and get ready for vows, I will miss it here. I'll miss reading the NYT everyday and access to good pizza. Granted there are many things I won't miss (traffic and humidity to name two!), but I have spent two years here. Mostly I'll miss the people. I've made some good friends, and it won't quite be the same without them around.

Song # 2: Daytripper by the Beatles (Watch/Listen on You Tube)

One way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
and I found out

I do in fact have a one way ticket back to Seattle. We came here two years ago on a one way ticket, and it certainly took me so long to find out ... about myself, about my relationship with God, about my call. I had a funny moment when I was on retreat, when I realized that I've been traveling on a spiral of sorts. I'd been working on this end of novitiate self-reflection and was spending some time with what I feel called to. I came to this brilliant realization, only to look back at my journal from four years ago and realize I'd traveled around the spiral to the same place I was when I started looking seriously into religious life! Although, to be fair, it is a deeper place now. And is likely to be deeper and deeper (God willing) as I continue to travel the spiral of the life of faith and vocation.

Song #3: 1234 by Feist (Watch/Listen on You Tube)

Oh, you’re changin’ your heart
Oh, you know who you are

I'm going back a changed woman. I've been on a heart journey these past two years, a journey which has brought me closer to God and to myself. I can't wait to see where the journey takes me next!

Song #4: May the Road Rise to Meet You by Lori True (Listen to a snippet here)

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon
your face, upon your face.
May the rain fall softly on
your fields,
And until we meet again,
may you keep safe in the
gentle, loving arms of God.

Honestly, this is the song that came next! All I have to say is .... Amen!