1000 Miles To True Freedom

“Gas in the car, get in
Say we're never spontaneous
We're taking a chance at living the wild life, baby…

The clothes on our back are plenty
Everybody will wonder where we've gone to…
This could be a real good story, someday soon”


Maybe it’s because I grew up in Nebraska (one of the most land-locked states there is), but ever since I first heard these lyrics, I wanted them to be the mirror to a moment in my life. A little over a week ago, my fellow idealist Stine was in town for a few days and we decided to seize the day and make one of our shared dreams come true: wake up at 6am on an ordinary Friday morning, throw an iPod (well, gently place--that toy was expensive!), some clothes, baseball gloves & ball, apples, and peanut butter crackers into a bag, hop into Boy Scout (my jeep) and drive to one of our favorite places: the emerald coast of Florida. Awwww yeah, 500 spontaneous miles, many laughs, and one emergency bathroom stop later (giggle, this one wasn’t for me for a change!), we drove into Seaside, Florida with perma-grins on our faces and flip-flops on our feet that were itching to be removed so our toes could wiggle in the sugar white sand.

Stine and I have been blessed to share a handful of trips to the beach together, but this one was the most special of all. Not because we did anything different than usual, but because of the way God has grown & matured our hearts since our last trip together in 2004. The beach has always represented freedom to us, and that certainly hasn’t changed. What has changed though is that we no longer have to be at the beach or have everything going our way to experience freedom. Before I think we’d both admit to being really greedy about things like our time at the beach. I didn’t appreciate what a gift it was to be there, and I’d waste precious moments on the sand thinking about how I wanted more instead of appreciating the moment I was in. And let’s be honest, I still struggle with this “gluttony” at times, just today I found myself in a situation that I kept getting caught up in wanting more instead of enjoying the moment for what it was. Our spontaneous beach trip though was a moment where the ability to just enjoy each moment for what it was was as real to me as the sand beneath my toes and the endless water before me.

Here’s a glimpse at some of those moments…



0 minutes into the trip. We left so early that no one was awake except the Pest Control man, who we asked to take this shot. Judging by the blurriness, we figure he should probably stick to spraying termites. Sorry buddy, no Jeremy Cowart apprenticeship in your future.





Morning sun is shining, and we’ll be at the beach in 7 hours. Can’t fake those smiles!

Somewhere between Nashville and the Alabama line: Two Idealists in the car always makes for some good laughs. We pass an 18-wheeler truck in the shoulder with smoke pouring out of the side of it, and what comes out of my mouth? “Ooooh, look at how the sunbeams are shining through the smoke! That’s beautiful!” I guess I should have been more concerned for the truck, but the sunbeams really were beautiful.



1.5 hours into the trip: The Alabama line. We made it out of Tennessee, and we’re happy to announce that not only is that a rocket, but yes Alabama is still happy to see us.



No road trip is complete without some luscious Diet Sunkist! Tastes like a summer morning!



7.5 hours into the trip: It’s cloudy, but we’re finally in Seaside, so who cares?



8 hours into the trip: I think we can pass as beach house owners, don’t you? We sure look like the kind of gals who could own million dollar summer homes. Hee hee. And Boy Scout does proudly display the Seaside name, the front license plate counts too, right?

Here are some more fun ones from the beach…











Wow…just wow.











16 hours into the trip: Let’s not forget the infamous Destin Walmart – where else can you get airbrushed t-shirts and useless plastic beach bling??

















16.5 hours into the trip: All the ice cream shops were closed when we finished dinner, so we bought some No Sugar Added Breyers Peanut Butter Tracks at Walmart and ate it in our hotel room. Yes, we’re both seeking recovery for this addiction, but no suzstine time is complete without an ice cream run!!



Can I just say again how glad I am we enjoyed our ice cream from the comfort of two hotel beds and not the back of Boy Scout in some dark parking lot?



28 hours into the trip: Beautifully sunny Seaside welcomes us Saturday morning at one of our favorite picture spots.





33 hours into the trip: Ice cream, sunshine, and a quiet walk through glorious Seaside where I discovered my dream spot. Am I really looking at a white gazebo enveloped by a magnolia tree that you can see the ocean from when you sit in it this side of heaven? I may still be sitting there if Stine hadn’t kept me in reality…



34 hours into the trip: Saw this beach house and it was my turn to drag Stine away and pull her back into reality. It was her favorite color, and the handpainted sign above the door says, “Remember To Smile.”

What a wonderful way to end our day before heading back to Nashville… I think it’s safe to say when thinking about this trip, we’ll never have to be reminded to smile.

“If the ocean is warm we'll take a swim…
Fill our pockets with sand to prove we went…
To our friends.”

Every time I get in Boy Scout now I look down at the passenger side and see the shimmer of white sand on the floor and can’t help but say a prayer of thanks. Not just a thanks for the moments from that trip, but because of the way God has shown me that like that sand that somehow gets everywhere and follows you home, freedom in Him is accessible to me anywhere and in any situation. This year has been one of incredible lessons of letting go, trusting, surrendering, and discovering TRUE freedom. I’m not so swayed by my situations and circumstances anymore. Joy is no longer contingent on them. And to go back to my “frosting” analogy from an earlier blog, moments like a couple of days at the beach with one of my dearest friends have never tasted sweeter.