In my 10 years of being a licensed driver, I can only
remember two times when I was severely car sick while being the driver
responsible for it. I often get car sick
riding in the back of vehicles and sometimes even as a passenger if the driver
is quite….ahem….adventurous. But you
would think, with me behind the wheel and wielding all of the control, that I
would not get car sick.
Well, I was wrong.
The first time was when I was driving through Bear Mountain in New York
on the hilly, twisty roads. I had
probably already been on the road for 9 or 10 hours and just wanted to get
home. I didn’t really eat much of
sustenance and I’m sure I was dehydrated, so thus, I felt miserable.
The most recent case though, was today. It happened as I was driving through
Waterford and Sweden, Maine on Sweden Rd. (Maine state routes 35/37/93). Anybody ever travel that stretch? I’ve done it once just after a snow storm in
December and vowed I wouldn’t do it again, but alas, I faithfully followed my
GPS today and ended back on that stretch of road. Did I mention, it’s been a hard winter for
New England? “Frost heaves” and “Bump”
signs littered the side of the road but on Sweden Rd. specifically, I think
they should have tossed out the signs and just said, “Please buckle up, keep
your hands and feet inside of the vehicle…entering roller coaster ahead.” If that road wasn’t hilly and twisty enough
in the dead of summer, the frost heaves made it treacherous. I can’t even count on my hand the number of
times I had those whole life-flashes-before-your-eyes type of moments as I hit
a huge bump at 40 or 45 miles per hour.
By the time I got to Fryeburg, I was not feeling super amazing but I did
make it back to my apartment safely, so all is well.
It wasn’t all bad though.
The Sweden Rd. drive, as bumpy as it was, was absolutely gorgeous. From some of the clearings, you could see a
long range that stretched across the horizon that was Mount Washington along
with its neighbors. It was
breathtaking. I have friends who hike
and run up hills and mountains like I was on to get views like I had, so I didn’t
take it for granted. For a girl coming
from flat as a pancake south Texas, I never get tired of the beautiful scenery
that abounds in New England.
I still had three hours to drive though and as my tummy
churned, my brain was processing as well.
If you know me at all, you’d know I’m not a fan of roller coasters. Sweden Rd. was a non-profit roller
coaster. Life is also quite the roller
coaster and I hate that I often find myself victim to riding the waves of life’s
roller coasters. But this got me to
thinking. The place I started on today’s
roller coaster was a place I was glad to be….a safe haven….a lovely retreat….but
I couldn’t stay there forever. I had to
come back to New Hampshire to continue what God has started and called me
too. There are always bumps along the
way of life……low parts where you stare straight up the road of life and wonder
if you’ll ever make it out of that pit…….high points where you pause and take
in the sweet view…..but the journey is not through. Onward I go, through the mountain tops and
valleys. The place I left was sweet, the
journey here was hard, but to be back here is worth it.
I can only imagine the mountains and valley’s to come in the
coming months……for me, personally, as I do my best to pour into and to teach my
42 students in the coming months….for my students, as 6 of them prepare for
graduation and all of them attempt to finish the year strong…..for the school,
as we remain united in prayer and purpose to do Mr. B, our school director who
is currently in the ICU, proud. For all
of us, as we face the unknown but all the way, knowing, that the journey will
be worth it….roller coaster and all.
The journey is hard, but when God’s in it, it’s worth it…every
single step of it. Where is life’s
journey taking you, these days?
Until next time,
Joy Lynn
