graduation: day 1

It felt good to make the last five-hour journey to West by-God Virginia. It was home to me for 3 years…but never home at all. You know that feeling?

I really didn’t want to go in the first place. And with Jon’s recent homecoming, I had a good excuse. But I gave in to the requests of Jon & my mother. And they were right…again.

We had SO. MUCH. FUN.

Family flew & drove in from across the country. The ceremony with its pomp-and-circumstance was not my style. But the food? And the family? And the friends? And the celebration? THAT was totally my style. We ate. And laughed. And bowled. And laughed. And cried. And…

…recognized that we serve one AMAZING God.

We spend the first day puttering around Lewisburg. I had rehearsal in the morning (blah) & wasn’t surprised to find that the school set up a circus tent in which we were to graduate (which quickly became its own greenhouse under the hot summer sun). We had “encouraging” words from the Administration & then practiced walking. So fun.

I met up with Jon & family briefly for chai from the Wild Bean (my favorite!!!!!!) & we then joined my Dad & little brother Alec for lunch. The town didn’t have much to offer in the way of eating establishments, so we took what we could get—better than Bojangles or Walmart deli, I’d say!

We got caught in “rush hour” (which consisted of 100 cars on the one “through-street” in town. And we all enjoyed a dinner together at one of the oldest hotels in the region—with true “southern cooking” and smiley hospitality to match.