The Road Goes Ever On and On...

Down from the door where it began,
Now far away the road has gone,
And I must follow if I can.
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet,
And whither then, I cannot say.

Bilbo Baggins said that, and I'm humming the tune of it under my breath as I stuff the last coat and zip the last zipper on my woefully overstuffed bag. You see, we are off again on a gypsy adventure. There will be a fellowship of four this time, traipsing through five countries in Europe and beyond. (If I can only remember a single greeting in each language I'll be ridiculously proud.)

We will be staying with families, pouring as much new courage and zest into their hearts as we can. There is an indescribable thrill to travel; a sense of newfound treasure as one travels from place to place, gleaning the vast myriad of beauties that God has made. I welcome any trip for the way it expands my soul. Each new mountain, each bustling city, each blessed new meeting of a kindred heart enters into my spirit and stretches it, enlarges my comprehension of God's infinite beauty.

So I'll hopefully be able to post a few pictures or thoughts along the way so that you can join in the gypsy quest. Pray for us, that we will be kept and protected, that we will leave gladness behind us, and that God's spirit would be strong around us as we go. We'll return in three weeks, just as spring comes home to the mountains. I'll greet you from the road, hopefully share some tidbits from camel rides to coffee in Vienna. Our first planned adventure is an Easter midnight concert in St. Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of Vienna. So look for some travel journals soon. For now here's a token farewell on my last (much too late) night from home.

Watch out o' windy world, we're coming!