Midway through the journey...

We are sitting on beds in Green River, Utah enjoying the availability of wireless internet in this little town. We had a pleasant dinner at a resturant by the river. I have been trying for the last hour to upload pictures from today's stop at the Mormon headquarters. They simply won't cooperate. I decided that I would instead try my hand at writing something, considering it has been a few days since I last checked in. So much has happened since my last blog.


LDS Conference Center

We ended up having lunch on Monday in Portland with the man (Pete) we met at church on Sunday and one of his friends (Steve). What an amazing treat! We talked about our journey thus far, what we were learning, our individual journeys to finding God, and what each of us have been learning about God lately and how that relates to the world at large. There were tears, laughter, shoulders soothed, napkins thrown, and sheer awe at the divine appointments that were balm to our weary souls. We are meeting up with Pete and his wife Christine tomorrow on our way to Denver. He has already been deemed brother.
We went to Seattle and stayed with some of Laura's friends (Glenn and Lori) from seminary. They are a couple doing ministry work in Issaquah, WA, and they shared their year long discovery journey that brought them where they currently are. We got the unglamorized version, and I am thankful for that. Although their story was beyond difficult, it was strangely encouraging to a madwoman trio on an undefined journey like our own. I spent a lot of time gazing at their wedding photo screensaver and thought about how much wiser they look three years later. Lori was our tour guide when we went to Seattle, and I very much enjoyed watching two friends bond as each one tried on the other's growth, finding acceptance despite the other's changes.


The original Starbucks in Seattle

Renee and I had a chance to have dinner with my cousin Ron. He drove to Issaquah after work and found a yummy seafood place to give us a taste of Seattle. We had a great time catching up, and as we hugged good-bye, I think we both left homesick.


Ron and Angela at Fin's in Downtown Issaquah




We said adieu to Washington and made our way to Boise, ID. As we checked in at the hotel late Wednesday night, I stood in line with a very handsome businessman who shared my pain as we were sernaded to the karaoking strains of "Butterfly Kisses" corroding our road-worn eardrums. The next day we got up and made our way to Salt Lake City. Although I enjoyed the painted deserts of Utah, I can't wait to cross the stateline and breathe in Colorado.

Utah Landscape

I will go more in-depth with impressions, feelings, and insights later, but right now I need to get my swirling mind to bed...sweet dreams...