Update

This evening I powered my computer for the first time since Friday.

It let out a soft moan, like a child being wakened from a long sleep.

I've been a very bad chronicler during my stay; I've taken zero pictures of people and journaled only while sitting in the Nashville airport.

Just because I haven't documented or photographed my time doesn't mean it hasn't been wonderful. On the contrary, I've been so caught up in living life that I've forgotten to do those things.

How about a quick recap? At least I'll have this to help me remember details when I go back and journal. :)

Saturday:

Arrived 9am Central Time on 5 hours of sleep and with only a few pages left in Dracula. Followed the crowd to the baggage area. Tried to read, send text messages, and wait for my luggage all at the same time. Failed. Found my luggage. Made for the closest seating area to sit and read. Finished Dracula. Realized how much I love Dracula. Decided to find a non-metal seat. Located a nice leather chair upstairs. Moved in with all my luggage. Got picked up by Ty around 11. Sat at Goodyear for nearly 4 hours. Read To Kill a Mockingbird until my eyes hurt. Browsed a magazine. Watched CNN until I wanted to regurgitate the lunch I hadn't yet eaten. Drove to Ty's apartment. Met roommates. Tried to understand them, but failed. Devoured a wrap from my favorite chicken place. Drove around a lot. Waited for Jeff and Mandi (my host and hostess) to get home. Looked at all the lights in their neighborhood. Met Jeff and Mandi; knew at once that I would have a comfortable stay! Hit the hay.

Phew! That was lengthy. And you're probably sick of reading fragments. Saturday was a long day, since I'd been up since 5:15 EST. I'll try to be more concise. Should be easier since Sunday and Monday weren't as crazy.

(Note: after re-reading Saturday's summary, I realize it has a very pessimistic tone. Really, it was a good day.)

Sunday:

I awoke after a fantastic night's sleep. Jeff and Mandi made a delicious breakfast and then the three of us headed off to church. We met Ty there and all attended a probing class on Gospel-centered counseling. After that we enjoyed an encouraging worship service. We met a lot of nice folks! For lunch we hit up a nearby Publix and snagged some picnic essentials. It was so cold, however, that we enjoyed our picnic from the warmth of Tyler's truck. While eating pitas, we watched some guys fly model (and some trick!) planes. It was so neat!

We also saw Astroboy at the dollar-fifty theatre (woohoo!). Neither of us went into it with high expectations, so it was surprisingly fun. Most of our day was spent driving around. We laughed about being homeless, because we practically lived out of Tyler's truck all day. Jeff and Mandi were with family Sunday afternoon, and Tyler's apartment really isn't an option (do his roommates have nowhere to be besides all of the living room furniture all at the same time all the time? :). As the evening drew to a close we headed to the airport to watch the planes land. Actually, it was about 7:30. Ty, we'd might as well own up to being an old couple. It's okay; I like us just the way we are. :-P More than anything, we just enjoyed good conversation and lots of laughter! We made it back to Jeff and Mandi's and chatted with Jeff awhile (Mandi was experiencing some second-trimester sickness). I called my mommy and then called it a night.

Monday:

My alarm scared me half to death this morning, so I turned it off, lay back down, and phoned Tali Rose. After making myself presentable, I headed downstairs and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of granola and peach yogurt. Mandi and I hit up some stores so she could do some last-minute shopping, and then came back and had lunch with Jeff. We had chicken nuggets, grapes, and applesauce (the last being my meager contribution), laughing about how we felt like elementary students or something. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Jeff and Mandi?! They are incredible! First of all, they welcomed me - a stranger - into their home. Additionally, they treat me wonderfully and take an interest in mine and Tyler's lives. I've had wonderful conversations with them from classic literature to coupon-shopping to travels to theology. They are an incredibly hospitable, genuine, well-rounded couple. I'm so blessed to be under their roof!

That brings me to this evening. After Ty got out of school, he drove over this direction. We decided not to drive around a lot today, so just stayed put. We found a fun (and cold!) nature trail in Jeff and Mandi's neighborhood and enjoyed that. Then we thawed out and helped get ready for dinner. Jeff and Mandi fed us a delicious meal and then gave us the gift of their fine company for the evening. We played Apples to Apples and Mexican Train Dominoes all the while listening to/showing each other music. I feel so encouraged by our evening and am actually sad to leave them so soon.

Now I should hit the hay for the last night here before our long drive home tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, another thing that makes this day wonderful:

Happy year and a half, Ty. :)