Wikipedia describes a Road Trip as “a journey via automobile, sometimes unplanned or impromptu, or a journey involving sporting game(s) away from home [1], thus encompassing any journey by automobile, regardless of stops en route.
Examples of road trips are traveling across state or country by car. A road trip must be a long journey, at least three hours away, and must cover a long distance.”
Well, I am about to embark on a Road Trip with one of the best friends I have ever had.
I met Leah when I was 7 years old; we were in the same class at church, a church that we would grow up in and at some point take as our own. Now, neither of us were very girly little girls but Leah probably had one up on me in that arena. I thought I was “one of the boys” and so precedes the following story, which Leah tells far greater than I.
My birthday is in late January, the last day to be exact, and so the year I was 7 my mother decided to wait and have for my a “Spring Tea” birthday party with all the other little girls that I normally avoided, among the guests to this event was Leah. I went through the tea all pretty and sweet in my cute little dress and my hair all fixed but as soon as the first girl left, I took advantage of that opportunity and quickly changed my dress into shorts and a t-shirt and ran outside to climb a tree. Well, Leah decided to follow, she liked trees. But as it happened Leah’s mother was there to pick her up and as she looked for me, she asked her mother where I was… to which her mother pointed to a tree and said “There.” hahaha
Leah will still tell you that she didn’t understand why I got to go change and climb a tree and she didn’t.
I grew up most of my life with Leah, I’ve had good times and not-so-good times with her. We know each other’s past, and present. We can say whatever we need too, laughing, crying, singing “Paparazzi” to the top of our lungs for hours, whatever. We are who we are.
In July of 2010, Leah went with me, as my roommate, to Southeast Asia. This would be my third trip and her first. We were in Thailand for a while were I got to see her lead worship to people who didn’t even understand her but together, arms stretched out as to show the immensity of her heart to God, she poured herself out by simply loving Jesus. It was beautiful, passionate, and free. Next we headed to Cambodia, where our team would leave early and I would stay behind. The night before they left, Leah and I were laying in the bed, under a mosquito net, next to a window with bars on it smiling at the simplicity of loving the nations and being who we really are. And that night I poured out my heart to her and she listened carefully, offering no words of “wisdom”, she just let me talk and as I continued she stopped me and said “Hold that thought, I’m about to fall asleep.”. I laughed, because that’s the thing about best friends they can go to sleep in the middle of your deepest moments and somehow you still feel like they got it.
In November of 2010, Leah was accepted to IHOP’s Forerunner School of Music (International House of Prayer), and in January of 2011 she took off to face the world. She had her moments of “Why am I here?” but in the end she grabbed her metaphorical balls and moved on. And for that I completely respect her.
So on May 16th of 2011, just 3 weeks from now, I will be boarding a plane to Kansas City, Missouri to pack the car and road trip the whole way home with Leah.
1,058 Miles. 18 hours. Music. Cameras. Leah and I. A very LARGE potential to get lost, get high, get stuck, get help……
I think it’s going to be one for the books.
I’m so freaking excited.
I took this photo about a year ago.. And a lot as changed since then. I’ve seen the confidence, beauty and justice of Abbie come to full reign.
