Day 1: Off to Chicago

This ride to the Chicago area was much more enjoyable than the one almost 18 months ago. I am excited and not nervous. I know who I will be traveling with an have a general gameplan for my time abroad. I will not be gone from family and friends for 5+ months.

The night before we left was chaotic. As an example, Dawn Savat stayed up until midnight to help us pack. Yeah. Sauer and I went to bed at 1:30 and woke up, already exhausted at 5:30 to head for the Megabus that was leaving from Mpls to Chicago at 7:00.

The inflatable neck-pillows were lifesavers. Sauer and I dozed in and out for most of the trip. I was able to read Jonah, and Hosea. What stuck out to me was that regardless of human sin, God's will is ultimately (not always immediately or initially) fulfilled. We brushed through details on Costa Rica, chatted, and I listened to half a sermon by Driscoll. Something about riding in a smooth bus with huge windows and jammin' to music was great today. The bus stopped at Milwaukee and Miller Park before heading to Chicago.

We failed at orienteering in Chi-town when we arrived at 3:00. Tim had given us some directions on a 45-minute trek across Chicago before he could meet us after his conference call meeting. We took a wrong turn and ended up waiting for him on the Frankling Street Bridge for twenty minutes. The wind really does make it feel much colder. I was very grateful for the sweatshirt and jeans I wore on the first day.

Tim picked us up in the mini-van and drove us through downtown Chicago and through the Hyde Park neighborhood where Obama's house is. Yes, it's guarded by the Secret Service. After parking near Tim's apartment and dropping off our stuff, we walked through the lake street neighborhood and grabbed Chicago-style pizza at Panino's! I'm not making this up.

It's now 9 PM and we're comparing record-quality music to CD music quality. Bedtime couldn't come soon enough... we're exhausted! Tomorrow Sauer and I will venture off on our own while Tim works. Our flight is at 6:20 PM so we'll try to be at the airport by 3ish.

Adios!

Aust + Matt