Bon Voyage

Friday night was amazing for us! Natalia planned a sending off party at the house so we would have a chance to see all of our peoples before shoving off for a summer sabbatical in Philly. It was really cool to see everyone as different circles of friends came together in waves. The night was no exception to the interesting series of events that is the history at the lake house. There were kids swimming in the pond out front, small gatherings on the roof, people running around carrying chickens, and literal fire balls bouncing across the property! It was Ben and Lams first night there and I like to think that it was just as much a welcome party for them as it was a send off for us. As if to say, welcome and this is how it goes around these parts.

Natalia and I were so touched by the words of encouragement and gifts with which our wonderful family of friends loaded us down for the journey. It was nothing short of overwhelming. That climax to a week spent planning, cleaning and packing was seemingly a foolish endeavor to bite off but it was also the perfect place to leave from. Thank you all who were able to be there with us so much and please know how grateful we are for each of you, our amazing friends.

We are now on the road taking our time as we meander toward our summer home in Philly. So far we have stayed with friends near Jacksonville, in a treehouse in Georgia and in a tent set up next to a hostel in South Carolina. We are taking it all in and hope to keep folks updated on where we are and what is going on with us while at the same time keeping a bit of a journal for ourselves. We are setting up another blog at JonAndNatalia.blogspot.com  and invite any who are interested to follow along as we journey and reflect.