A Saturday Sail

 You may think that I spent all of yesterday unpacking at my seminary apartment.  I did not.  There will be plenty of time for unpacking and organizing later, when my loved ones have gone back to their regularly scheduled lives.

We took advantage of the good weather yesterday and went for a brief sailing trip--although there was no wind, so I don't know that we should call it a sailing trip.  Maybe an outing on a sailboat.  The day offered hot sunshine, which made my spouse and sister happy.  My brother-in-law is at his happy place when he's on the boat.

As we made our way through the towns on the Chesapeake Bay, I thought, we used to sail more often; what happened?

Well, for one thing, the pandemic.  In 2020, everything was cancelled in terms of family gatherings.  In the summer of 2021, we were still being very careful.

As I got ready for our outing, I thought about all the places I've gone this summer, all the times I brought a swimsuit.  This trip, I didn't.  But I didn't really need it.  The nephew who once begged for us to go with him to the pool at the marina now has his own summer job--as a lifeguard at a pool near his house.

It was a hot day on the Bay, and we weren't going to jump into that water because of all the jellyfish.  I'd rather sit and sweat into my cotton clothes than a swimsuit that will stay soggy all day.  It worked out.

The best part of the day for me was the drive home.  While my spouse slept in the back seat, my sister and I had a great conversation about all there is to do in the DC area.  We didn't just talk about museums and theatre.  We talked about all the great worship opportunities I'll have:  weekly chapel at seminary, the National Cathedral nearby, and the chance to go to other religious institutions, along with regular churches.  I have always been amazed at what the churches in the DC area accomplish, and I'd like to check them out, along with the intentional communities that so many of them have founded along the way, like the Sojourners community.

Or maybe I'll commit to Luther Place--I spent some time this morning exploring their website.  Long ago, in the 80's, I did volunteer work with their homeless ministry.  It looks like they've continued to do important social justice work.

But before I can start implementing my plans for maximizing opportunities over the next few years while I live in DC, I need to go back to North Carolina.  I've got some last tasks to do there:  getting license plates for the cars, getting smart phones set up, finding new health insurance.  The Lutheridge community has their annual picnic and meeting on Saturday at the lake.   Then on Sunday, I'll drive back up here, this time to settle into seminary housing on a more permanent basis.