driving home

Last Tuesday I wanted to write about how much I love driving home at the end of my late shift at the shelter. Cruising down Lafayette (the lights are all timed) at the end of a long day, usually happy with the work I've done ... breathing the night air and looking forward to my pillow and some much-needed rest ... I love driving home on Tuesday nights.

But just now, driving home after Cold Stone with Katie and some wedding-gift-shopping at Target, I realized I just love driving home at night. Whenever. From wherever. And I think what that means is that I love my town and I love my life.

I truly love South Bend (and if you think that's weird, well, I'm not open to listening to you right now). It is my home now and there are a hundred little reminders and memories always around the corner. Going through the roundabout at Twyckenham &Douglas reminds me of Owen & Claudia and our "exciting" trip to the Brewers' house when I moved (they were thrilled at corners and hills). Driving by ND, of course, always makes me nostalgic for college. Driving downtown makes me think of nights with friends at Fiddler's, and also of the street people I sometimes recognize from the shelter. Even commercialized Grape Rd., which I drove down tonight - the jeweler's reminds me of my recently engaged coworkers, Olive Garden makes me think of going out to dinner with Mom & Marshall and my roommate's parents one move-in weekend, and I even drive by the bowling alley where my women's group spent an evening celebrating a birthday. I am so comfortable in this town and happy to be where I am.

And I love my life. Whenever I am driving home late at night, that means I've had something valuable to do until late at night, and that's a great thing! Sharing life with my women's group; working hard at the shelter; singing with my choir friends; going out with the PoP young adults; going to Lord's Day; playing soccer ... what an amazing blessing, to have a life so full. To be so full of life! And at the end of the night, to have that time to myself, thinking back on my day, looking ahead to rest, praising God for my work and my friends and my life and my health ... praise God. I'm the luckiest girl I know.