Years Gone By (30)

I must say that the year 2007 has been my best year so far. I live for events and trips, and last year I had my share of trips. In February I traveled with the Academy to Kauai to help Kahili Mountain Park and Adventist School with some much-needed grounds work. Afterward, we visited Oahu to do some sightseeing. The trip was a blast and the hard work made it all the more enjoyable. One sour note punctuated the end of the trip; my good friend Corey was leaving, not to return to W.A. But that's how my next adventure developed. After staying at my house for the college and academy graduations, Corey invited me down to his house. So a couple weeks later I walked up the stairs in Sac Intl Airport, through security, and into a new state of independence; I was traveling all by myself! For the next week Corey and I rode bikes, swam at the pool, and practically killed ourselves hiking the 25 miles up and down 11,499 ft San Gorgonio. I had a great time with the Harms and it was with reluctance that I bade them farewell and climbed aboard the plane for home.

But the year was far from over. My sister Rachel returned from China a couple weeks later with just enough time to unpack, repack, and then leave again - this time for Europe for our family vacation! Visiting my grandparents in the Netherlands, we traveled around the country, seeing various museums, touring the canals, and of course shopping. My uncle and I embarked on a 2-day cycling trip from the center of Holland to Groningen in the north. I won't easily forget that trip, with the smell of fresh-cut hay from the fields making my nose run uncontrollably, the
tremendous fatigue after cycling 90 miles in one day, and most memorably, the beautiful Dutch countryside rolling slowly by. The rest of of our time abroad we spent in Wales, returning to London to do some sightseeing and catch our plane home.

Things slowed down after returning home. I worked the rest of the summer, preparing breakfast at the cafe at 5:30 a.m., enjoying making fun of Carsten every time he had to make more garlic feta dressing, and eating raisin bread at breakfast each morning. School arrived with all its inconveniences and character-building circumstances. Thanksgiving and Christmas slipped by in close succession and before I knew it, 2007 was nearly over. As the clock ticked its way toward 12:00, I felt a twinge of sadness. I didn't want 2007 to end. Remembering all the fun times of the past year, I wished I could grab onto those last seconds that were quickly slipping through my hands. But then I realized that greater things are in store for the future. So with a light heart and the anticipation of new adventures to come, I stepped into the brand new year.