Hola Amigos,
Over the last couple weeks I have made my way back to Texas, attended ACL Fest, and enjoyed some quality time with my parents & my grandparents in San Antonio & Laredo respectively.
The drive back to Texas from Los Angeles was beautiful. I was excited about the road trip before I left, but I couldn’t have foreseen the beauty I would experience along the way. From the peaks in CO to the canyons in AZ, I was stunned by the colors the Earth revealed to me. I have never been so mesmerized like I was while driving through the California desert. The mountains & the desert seemed to stretch on forever to me. Although my two shortest days of driving (8 & 9 hrs.) were through the desert, those days seemed to be the most exhausting to me when compared to the my 13 hr. trip on Sat, Sep. 30 through West TX -> CO. Anyway, the interstate trip was a grand success & quite enjoyable. By the Grace of God, I made it round trip with zero car trouble or severe traffic incidents.
I spent the weekend of Oct. 13-15 in ATX at Austin City Limits Music Festival. This was my fourth year in a row to attend (survive) the affair. This year was especially cool because one of my friend’s birthdays was on the 14th which was the day we were able to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers (his favorite band). I too enjoyed their set not only because I love their music, but also because their bassist (Flea) provided a positive message of compassion & kindness towards one another. I felt as if this was appropriate considering the losses suffered in Las Vegas which revolved around live music. Upon concluding their set, the lead singer (Anthony Kiedis) exclaimed, “Thanks for keeping the company!” Those simple words rang so true to me at the time & still do. This entire sabbatical I have been focusing on spending quality time with family that I am not always so fortunate to see. I have been able to share & enjoy the company of those I love throughout my trip so for me, “Thanks for keeping the company” is almost like the motto for my sabbatical road trip. I am immeasurably thankful for this time as it has certainly been spent with good company.
Last week I spent my time in Laredo catching up with my grandparents & learning my grandmother’s top secret borracho bean recipe. My grandfather has become more & more frail the past two years so the time spent with him & my grandmother was really important to me. Additionally, I was able to stop in SA to bum & mooch off my parents! They were pleased to see that I was still in one piece after my weeks on the road. I finally arrived back in Abilene on Saturday, Oct. 21 in time to celebrate ACU homecoming & visit with some beloved friends. As I write this, I am decompressing from my first community service day at Love & Care Ministries! The folks there are so kind. Not to mention, they have their meal services down to a science. Everything is so clean! I was quite impressed. I am looking forward to the remainder of my week there.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, I’ll keep y’all posted!
Peace,
Al