From Grace

Thoughts

It took a while for the thought of going to Arizona to sink in. Maybe it was the
snow that came when we came, and came again when we left. I thought looking out the
window of the plane would help, but I was too distracted by the landscape to even think.
I told myself again and again in my head, “I’m in Arizona. In the desert. In Tuba City,”
but I don’t think it ever worked. Even though the service trip was the farthest from home
I have ever been, the separation wasn’t jarring, so I was still really comfortable in my
environment. I’m sure that being with the youth community softened the blow of being
so far away from Arlington. To be honest, I was really nervous to go, even though I
heard that these trips were life-changing, and that you’ll bond with so many people. I had
no doubt that it would be life-changing, but I wasn’t so sure how I would deal with
homesickness. In the end, I was surprised by how wrong I was. Even through all the
unplanned hotel stays, I really did have the time of my life.