Well folks, the time has come for me to depart from this wonderful workplace for the next 32 days. As I so often am, I was reminded once again of just how great of a workplace this office is this morning. Sure, our facilities are nice & the benefits very generous, but it’s the people we employ here that truly define our culture & atmosphere. I elected to have a private send-off with Ray & Dave this afternoon as oppose to a company-wide send-off. I know, SHOCKER. Oh, you mean that super introverted dude that sends out the production reports elected NOT to have a company-wide send-off?! Yeah, big surprise. However, this morning, Drew was excited enough to be rid of me for the next few weeks that he brought breakfast burritos for he, Stokes, & I to celebrate my departure. Before we dug into our breakfast, I laid out my sabbatical plans for Drew & Taylor. You all will eventually read the details of my excursions, but I figured it would be a good idea to share my plans for the first few days here.
Tomorrow morning (Sep. 30), I will be departing for Aurora, CO to visit my cousin (Sandra), her husband (Dalton), and their one-year-old daughter (Audrey). I will be visiting with them from Saturday through Tuesday morning. I am SO excited to spend time with my family & especially to get to know my new baby cousin! You can find a picture of the precious child below:
Isn’t she the most beautiful little girl you’ve ever seen?? Anyway, enough bragging. Tuesday, my adventure continues as I wonder into the Arizona wilderness to see the Grand Canyon with my own eyes for the first time. In addition to seeing the GC, I will be staying a night in a tipi. Yes, you read that correctly. A genuine, Native American tipi. I know I know, I’m a hippie. No apologies here, though. I anticipate having one of the best views of the cosmos in my life to date. Stargazing on Oct. 3rd will certainly be a night to remember as the area where I’ll be staying in is located in rural AZ with, I imagine, very little light pollution. I anticipate excellent conditions given the desert climate at the beginning of Autumn! I’m excited to enjoy the nature & admire our Creator’s masterful hand throughout my road trip, but especially in AZ. You can find a picture of my humble abode for a night below:
My road trip will also include a stop in Las Vegas to meet my dad for a Wednesday night church service…just kidding, but he is there on business so I figured I would crash with him for a night since I am in the area. The stark contrast between staying in a tipi in the middle of nowhere to taking the Las Vegas strip for the first time should be a pretty big culture shock. Again, I am excited to soak in the experiences. My other stops include Los Angeles, CA to visit some family, Austin, TX for Austin City Limits Festival, Laredo, TX to visit my grandparents, and College Station, TX to celebrate my sister’s Ring Dunk (R.I.P. her innocence)! I’ll catch y’all up on the remainder of my road trip as the days expire.
So back to why this place we call “work” so is great. After laying out the details of my trip to Drew & Taylor, Drew offered to pray over me & my adventures. He called in Addison, Lori, & Nadene, and they all laid hands on me for a blessing. I cannot express my gratitude for this simple, yet meaningful gesture. The sincerity of our people & the love of Christ that is on display daily is why I love coming to work here every day.
Finally, I would like to thank Kris & all those who have had a hand in making these sabbatical opportunities happen with this company. I look forward to a unique, rejuvenating learning experience as I explore the West. When you find the time, please keep me in your thoughts & prayers while I am on the road. Even as I write this it is hard to believe the time has come, but I am excited. I will miss you all, and I’ll be back soon.
Peace,
Alec