Edge of the road

8 kilometers, that's probably not too far. 1 kilometer is less than a mile, right? So naively, I set out in the early morning on an 8 kilometer walk into town. As I walked, people recognized my light skin and hair and smiled or waved.
"Bachi?"
"Bakenang," I would point in the direction of the small village.
"Um, de."
And I would keep walking down the dusty road, now with a light skip in my step. Oh, man. I remember the excitement, just telling the story makes me excited again. As I walked, I remembered it being a distant walk, but after spending the last year at home in the states I had forgotten just how little time seemed to matter here and this walk now seemed much longer than before. So, I slowed my pace to what it might have been when I lived here, and I greeted everyone I saw, because what was the hurry? The small road was busy with business men, hauling their bamboo carts toward the market, and women with their grass baskets on their backs ready to carry home their market finds. One man I recognized from the town was walking past meet,
"Where going?"
"Subash Marak's!" I shouted.
"AYE!" He shouted back. "Subash? So far!"
Really? So far? It had been about 5o minutes of walking already. I couldn't imagine it would be much further. Subash and Jenny, to me 'Amma and Papa', had moved off of campus and into the village's health center with their cousins. So I kept walking. A little while later I passed the new Bakenang Adventist Primary School. I peeked in to the gate and noticed it must have been recess time. I recognized one of the teachers and asked her the way to Jenny's. "Over that bridge, there," she pointed, "the left side."
"Thank you!" And I began to skip, more excited than ever. I crossed the bridge and kept going, when I heard something.
"Tina, Tina, TINA!"
I turned around and saw Jenny. Then she became a blur as I started running towards her and she towards me. I knew I would find her. I knew she would love me the same now as before. I knew I could count on her. She and Subash welcomed me home. So good to be home! We made breakfast together, read together, went for a walk together, had worship together, and slept together. It was such a memorable day that I've just recently reflected on. I love that feeling of excitement from seeing loved ones after a long time. The feeling of life, and love, and purpose. Ah, I'm ready to go back and visit again. Listening to Emily and Pastor Carl speak for the last week of camp about engaging with others, has really pushed me to the edge. I wish I was going abroad this next school year. What would happen if I jumped off the edge and followed that spontaneous instinct?