THE VACATION THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE

i have always looked forward to the last day of classes, when i could hang my bag, uniform, and letran ID and simply put my feet up, relax, and unwind. timing this with the equally looked-forward-to holy week holiday made it even more worth the wait.

but here i am now, still racing against the clock with an armful of things to do and goals set to accomplish in cold, cold los angeles.

today is my 5th day here. i have run out of text messaging load, clueless that each outgoing text message on prepaid roaming sim would cost that much. not that i would miss sending or receiving messages - but your last means to communicate, to get connected, to remember and get remembered just slowly faded away like battery bars on the cellphone monitor.

i wish i could put photos here, but i don't know how to do that. i have re-visited the hollywood walk of fame, the universal studios, the city walk and some of the touristic sites here, but no - not for the sake of fun and entertainment that these places usually give to first-time L.A. visitors. i was meeting with, conferring, encouraging, consoling, comforting ex-church mates who are now residents of this city of angels.

i am here to encourage a family and one to start a local church. when i just typed that, it did sound huge. i know. what qualifications do i have to even think i could be instrumental? i humbly submit my inadequacy. but that is the way that it is currently. everything is set. everything is placed. and i pray that the Lord blesses this.

but a real vacation is still sticking out in my head.
beach?
sun?
time.

time. time. time. that is what i want. for myself. for my. for me. for i.