at...home?

This weekend I travelled to Kentwood, Michigan, my hometown, mostly to attend Amber's bridal shower, but also to spend time with my parents, at whose house I stayed. For most of my life, this has been home, and it's always been where I wanted to settle when I "grow up." However, as I completed my drive from Pittsburgh to the Grand Rapids area, a novel thought hit me. I could settle down in Grand Rapids. But I would be perfectly happy settling down somewhere else, too. This has NEVER happened before. Normally trips "home" are very difficult for me, because I just want to stay there forever. So this was quite a big step, if you want to think of it that way. I guess I'm just realizing that there's more to life than my dreams. Sure, it's good to have dreams and ambitions and goals, but one must also allow for God's direction. Maybe He doesn't want me in GR. Who am I to argue and whine, "But I want to live there!"?

I still really like Kentwood, though. I visited the Kentwood Ice Arena, where I began my hockey career. It was cool to see 16 and under girls playing there now as a travel team - to think that I was part of the team that led to their existance! While many things, like the ice arena, are staying the same, much is also changing. A huge shopping center has sprung up right by the high school, and the high school itself is going through major renovations. And then...old friends are getting married or are in the midst of being happily or unhappily married. "Change is the only constant" - so true. Just have to learn to like change!

Even my mom's interests are changing. One of her new hobbies is kayaking. She took me kayaking on Friday afternoon down the Flat River. BEAUTIFUL! It was a perfect autumn day, not too cold, not too warm. The river could have been a little bit deeper, but we were still able to go through the part we wanted without having to get out of the boats. Mom and I rescued two wooly-bear caterpillars who had attempted to commit suicide by leaping into the river. We saw snails and the remains of clams and turtles and kingfishers and great blue herons and tons of Canada geese.

Also on this trip I visited Ft. Wayne, Indiana. My good friend Sarah lives and works there, and I drove her down on Sunday. She gave me a great tour of the Ft. Wayne Children's Zoo, where she is a zookeeper. I there met a new favorite animal - the fossa, which I am now realizing is the "foosa" of the movie Madagascar, which I saw a couple weeks ago with my pals Leeann and Jimmy. They're a-maz-ing! Sleek, cute, mean-looking, agile. Quite a combination. Looks like a cross between a cat, a dog, and otter, and a squirrel. Also quite a combination. Here's a picture I stole from the University of Michigan (booooo!):