Going to Africa

I went for a run today with Rider (my pup). I decided to go up to Mt. Lemmon since it is typically 20 degrees cooler than scorching Tucson. We ran the trails at about mile 20 at about 6000 ft. elevation...perfect weather. Absolutely breathtaking views of Tucson to the south of the trail and to the north were more pine trees than I could count (including patches of snow between the trees). It felt like I had flown to another part of the country, even though I was still in good ol' Tucson, AZ. I love it there...I love the sweet smell of the pine needles. I love how quiet it is with just the sound of Rider's paws on the rocks along the trail and my wheezing breath as I try to run along the overgrown trailheads. I love watching the hawks soar across the sky and then dive toward the ground. I could go on and on about how nice it is to get away to my own little haven, even if it is for only an hour. My point is, Mt. Lemmon is a blessing to have when living in the desert.
After our run, Rider and I jumped back into the Rover and made our way down the winding 20 miles toward Tucson. My mood sours with each moment as I descend down the mountain. It is depressing to be leaving such a beautiful place and I try to soak in the scenery that is changing by the second. There is a paved parking area for a lookout that is usually littered with cars and people taking photographs of the picturesque Tucson (the only time that I can say that about Tucson being "picturesque"). On this particular drive home I saw an older gentleman attempting to take a picture of a boulder that is perched warily on top of another...it is quite amazing...but my thoughts did not wander toward the fact it seems impossible for this boulder to have stayed perched in that particular fashion for thousands of years. Instead my thoughts wandered toward the man taking the picture. Why would someone want to take a picture of this boulder on the side of the road, that so many people before him have seen and taken pictures of? Why not get off the well-beaten-path and find his own spot and maybe take a picture that is worth more than the one he was taking? Isn't this how life is, though? We are comfortable staying on the path, yet we don't realize that there is more to see if we were to stray from the path we are on? I believe that I saw more of Mt. Lemmon on my run with Rider than I could have ever seen at a lookout spot on the way up.
I used to be like the man by the side of the road taking pictures. I used to be a bystander to my own life. I did things that I thought were best for me, but never made me happy. Then I met Matt, my boyfriend, who has this huge zest for life! You think of an activity (outdoors preferably) and he has done it. Dating him has made me realize that I love doing those exact same things, but I never let myself do them. The second part of my "waking up" is when I moved to Tucson, I had a real difficult time deciding what I was doing out here and I wanted to find my niche. It came in a desire to volunteer, talk to the homeless on the street, and to top it all off, I wanted to go to Africa. For those of you who know me, I haven't had the desire to do these things so it came as a real shock to me when I found myself drawn to talking to John Doe on the street corner. So, long story short, I followed this desire to go to Africa. God said go and I'm going...
I have learned so much about myself from this mission, and I haven't even gone yet. I invite you to join this trip with me and I will keep you posted on the logistics of this trip, my spiritual growth, my team, and much more....
I pray for all of you that God moves you to get out of your car, hike a trail and take in your surroundings...there is more to life than meets the eye:)
Much love,
Jen