The water in TX does funky things to my hair...

Here I am.
It has been a trying (to say the least) couple of days prior to getting on the plane to Dallas, but I made it to my first stop on this exciting tour: Perkins School of Theology!

During take off, I looked out the window-yes, I got the prime seat on the plane- and Columbus looked so different than I know it to be. The birds-eye view is really like looking on to another world and all I could hum to myself was, "Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky..." Everything I have known for 20 years of my life looked so ordinary and typical. I saw the houses that looked the same, there were roads and football fields. Part of me was disappointed that this was sometimes all that people saw of Columbus. Then as we began to descend into Dallas, I saw the same things. The homes, the pools, sports fields, and sure, a few more plots of empty land. And I thought to myself, "I bet the people here want me to experience their town like I would want people to experience mine."

So, since the weather was BEAUTIFUL, I went exploring after getting settled into my hotel. I walked down to the West Elm shopping area that isn't even two blocks away from the hotel and I had my very first dinner out...by myself!! I ate at Vapiano and just sat and decompressed the long journey I just took that was so out of my comfort zone. At first I felt as though I should rush and get out of there ASAP but then this feeling of confidence came over me and I realized that it was actually enjoyable to just sit with myself and eat some good food. It was a good night and I was just happy to finally feel settled.

I woke up this morning and got ready for the big day ahead. As I was blow drying my hair I realized that the water from the shower had done something weird to my hair.
"Stupid Texas water! I was afraid it would be different!" - she said so dramatically.
I grudgingly proceeded to get ready but as I continued, with what most men would consider extraneous hair care, I realized that my hair actually looked damn good!
(There's a point to this, so stick with me.)
It was smooth and wasn't frizzy. It was laying right and, maybe I imagined it, but was it a bit more shiny?!
Regardless, the thing that I feared, something as shallow as the kind of water I showered with, turned out to be a good, dare I say "better" thing than what I'm used to.

I think I'm stuck in this mindset of familiarity.
An old boyfriend used to joke that I spent my life on U.S. route 33. I went to and from school on it, I took it to get to the store, to go to the movies, to get to various friends' houses. Even when I spent my year at Ohio University, my fellow Columbus Bobcats know that you have to take 33 all the way down. So of course I used it! It was familiar. I was comfortable and safe on that road. I could almost auto-pilot my trips so why explore another route??

After spending the day at Perkins, I know why you explore other roads.
Because you find hidden gems in the comradery with fellow Latinos that are shaping ministry in such radically amazing ways like Elsa Tamez. Or you discover that you truly "can't have ministry in the 21st century without having a global perspective," or a sense of humor- two strong Perkins beliefs; or that no matter where you are, there can be a place made especially for you.
These things we know, but sometimes it takes going somewhere unfamiliar to get these truths to surface. Perkins has been that place for these particular things and countless more.

I am so lucky this has been my first stop on this journey because it reasserts the mission of this whole experience: to learn for myself while teaching others (another thing Perkins and I share a mindset about.) I've had to stop multiple times today to remind myself that I'm actually here in Texas and I am so glad that I am.

Today has been a long but very fulfilling day. I'll be posting soon about my actual time spent at the Inside Perkins! event, but for now I'm going to spend some time processing all the new, exciting information.
Here's to hoping for another good hair day... ;)