I had a plane ticket and a place to stay. That's all I knew when I left the house at 6:00 in the early grey blustery morning. Summit Ministries has some far reaching connections, and this was no exception. I had met the Aussie version of the Three Amigos while working there in 2010. Since being in Australia, KJ had been pestering me to come for a visit to Adelaide. So. I. Did.
The bus left just after 6, which took me to the train station, which took me to the city, where I caught the bus to the airport. Usually I have parents or some version of a responsible adult getting me to the airport. This time, it was me and my makeshift itinerary sketched out on a piece of notebook paper shoved in my back pocket. Somehow, I managed to make the connections and arrive at my gate with time for a latte. The guys sitting next to me were already downing a breakfast bottle of beer (bee-ah).
I didn't know what to expect when I got to Adelaide. It had been a year and a half since I'd seen the Three Amigos, and while at Summit, I'd only had a few conversations with them. But hey, they went to Summit! That was reason enough to believe I was in good hands. There were 9 pairs of good hands, as it turned out. I found out on the way to the house from the airport that KJ had 5 sisters and a brother at home. I tried to keep the names straight as I met them on our trek from the basement garage up through the halls and stairs of the modern suburban castle Mr. J is in the process of building.
Before I had arrived, sisters 1 and 2 had made a long list of sightseeing ideas for the week. These included thrift store diving (resulting in a sweater, beach dress and volume of poetry), visits to a giant rocking horse, and a concrete dam where you can whisper at one end and be heard at the other. KJ gave me a tour of the University of Adelaide and some old hamlets just outside the city. We hiked up to Morialta Falls, where we found wild blackberries and an even wilder KOALA! There were coffee breaks at small cafes often for recaffeination.
There are things that might seem normal to Australians, like a game of netball or petting a kangaroo. Let me tell you, that is no ordinary occurrence for this American! Netball is most similar to basketball, but as in ultimate frisbee, you can't run with the ball. I jumped in and did my best, whispering a frantic "what do I do?!" now and then when the refs would level a glowering glance my way. As for petting the kangaroo. I will admit it, I was scared. THEY HAVE CLAWS, ok? But they ate bread out of my HAND.
When staying with friends, there are usually just ordinary wonderful things that happen along the way, like singing Tarzan soundtrack songs at the top of your lungs in the car or having jam sessions on the piano, or sitting down to a table for family dinner. There are fish and chips picnics on the beach and movies and good conversations about who God is.
Spending a week with a big homeschool family was a little like being home. Schedules are crossing like railroad tracks at a station, cars are being shuffled accordingly, and dinners are full of the day's news. I am thankful for the opportunity to have traipsed around Adelaide this week and glad for the far reaching influence of Summit in my life.
Much love,
Little Miss Sunshine
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