Reunited And It Feels So Good

Picnic Time! 

(This post would not be possible without Meredith, who is on internship in Pine Ridge, SD)

As funny as this is, I think "fresh" is the
best way to describe this dill. 

Today I finally got the opportunity to see another intern face to face.  Meredith and I decided to meet halfway between Pine Ridge and Denver in a tiny town, Sydney, NE.  We met at the local supermarket and bought stuff for a picnic lunch in the park right across the street.  After the initial lengthy hug and laughter in the parking lot, we made our way into the supermarket where I was baffled by the cost of yellow bell peppers ($2.09 each!) while Mer was baffled by the presence of bell peppers at all.

We both have such different internships, hers on a Native American reservation, with no permanent parish home, and mine in urban Denver in a congregation of Sinners and Saints and no permanent building.  But, we were still able to share one of our mutual loves: grocery shopping.

Nebraska's Finest

After our shopping adventure (who knew they sold "reduced cigarettes" that had expired(?) for $3 a pack?! Or 16oz tallboys of Pepsi in cans?!), we hung out in the park and talked, caught up, and played on childrens playground equipment for 3.5 hours.

It's easy to feel a little lonely on internship (even when living with 9 people) because the people you've spent 2 years in really close proximity with are now scattered all over the country.  Skype, Facebook, blogging, and such certainly make communication much easier than in the past, but there is something about being face to face that is so much better, and so much more real.  I am indebted to the interstate highway system and 75 MPH speed limits which both allow me to see a great friend and colleague in only 3 hours if we meet halfway.  It helps me to see that with a little effort, we are all within reach, physically or digitally, and that just because we are in new places doesn't mean that we are forever cut off from each other.