17 Hours in 3 Days

That's how much time I've spent riding in the car. And not just any car. My husband's diesel Jetta. The one that actually sounds like a diesel, but not in the big huge truck kind of way. Brad doesn't always love that car. In fact he actually hates strongly detests that car at times. But when we drove from Houston all the way to Mobile without having to get gas and calculated 40.7 mpg, I had much LOVE for that car.

Leah and I planned this car trip well. We brought snacks, drinks, even a book on tape mp3 to listen to. But when you get two girl friends in one car for 9 hours who spend the majority of their time talking to patients that don't respond and husbands that don't always either, there is MUCH to be talked about. So we forgot the book and had a good old-fashioned 9-hour long conversation. And my throat hurts just thinking about it.

We're here in Gulf Shores, Alabama for our 2nd year of High School Beach Retreat with Second Baptist Church. When I arrived to check-in this morning, I kind of got the "I'm going to church camp" feel all over again. The one where you jump up and down when you see your best friend and squeal because you're in 9th grade and that's what your supposed to do kind of feeling. But this is no Lakeview Baptist Encampment. This is BEACH RETREAT. A retreat away from work, on the beach, serving high school kids. A working vacation of sorts, but also an opportunity to learn some things about myself and my God.

It's not your typical vacation, but I'm not really your typical kind of person. You might be thinking, "How nice it must be to take off a week from work and go as a "nurse" on a trip where you mainly lie in the sun, read a book, get a tan and fight off jellyfish stings with meat tenderizer." Lest you forget that I'm not that type of girl. I'm the type of girl that also passes out medicine, cares and comforts kids that may not have the best home life, hands out candy with said medicine (chocolate, mind you - no lollipops here), disinfects scrapes with hydrogen peroxide and sunburns, NOT tans. (No worries, Mom, the sunscreen got packed.)

So everytime you think of how jealous you are of me at the beach this week, instead turn your thoughts to the kids that are here and how their lives will be changed on a daily basis!