Things I've Done

Sometimes I like to sit back and think about some of the amazing opportunities I've had throughout my life - places I've been, things I've done, people I've met. Just yesterday, I was having a conversation with a friend and I was thinking to myself, I am talking to someone who grew up in Hong Kong. WHAT!? I have a friend from Hong Kong. How crazy is that?

This morning, I was reminded of my trip to New York City in 2004 where I saw a live opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. On that same trip, I got to perform with a mass choir in Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall, people!!! Sure, I wasn't up there singing a solo, but it's not every day that you get to stand on the stage of Carnegie Hall, where some of the world's most talented musicians have played, and sing to an audience. I also got to see Beauty and the Beast live and got Christy Carlson Romano's (Belle) autograph afterward. What an experience!!

As a child, my parents took me on two incredible road trips. The first was a westward expedition - at just ten years old (or so), I got to see the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, TEXAS (that state takes forever!), the Rocky Mountains... and so much more that I can't even remember! The next year, we went north for two full weeks. We drove all the way to Maine (my granddaddy's home state) and back - what fun! I saw the Liberty Bell, Niagara Falls, my first glance of NYC, Historical Williamsburg, and explored the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I've ridden horses, traveled to Honduras (and ridden horses in Honduras), been to DisneyWorld for three Thanksgivings, traversed through New Orleans three times, been photographed & featured in a magazine, para-sailed, seen the Mets and Phillies play, seen Alison Krauss and Robert Plant in concert, met Chris Thile.... the list goes on and on.

I just love experiencing life. I love traveling and visiting famous places. There's still lots I haven't done that I want to do... and I'll get around to it, eventually. This is not a list of "look what I've done!" but rather just an outpouring of gratitude for opportunities and experiences. They pale in comparison to experiencing God, but to me, traveling and being a little adventurous helps connect me to God.

Because when I travel or do new things, I am reminded of just how small & insignificant I really am. Standing near the Grand Canyon as a child, I remember feeling the vastness of God's beautiful creation. And now, as an adult, I am reminded of how many people have seen that Canyon. How many people have stood in the same place and admired God's creation? And there I was, standing in a place that thousands - maybe even millions - of people have stood in before me. I feel connected.... connected to people, connected to the God who created them.