Highlights of a Road Trip

My coworkers think I'm crazy for being a youth leader. Like seriously. They are quite amazed at my willingness to take 15 teenagers in 2 vans and drive 3+ hours to spend the day in a big city... They are quite right. I'm crazy. The youth are crazy. The other leaders are crazy. And craziness just kinda ensues. Here's a little glimpse of the interesting things of my Saturday road trip.

• "Ms. Maggie Magellan" - a.k.a. the new GPS system that accompanied us on our journey. She made a pleasant chiming sound whenever we made a correct turn. And so I chimed in, too, "Good job, Mom! Great driving!" :)
• We theorized about illegal U-turns and the response to a policeman. "My GPS made me do it!"
• Sharing food is the youth group's love language. French fries and pizza and chicken and McDonald's apple pies and soda and that interesting mocha passed around the entire big white van.
• Wondering about the location of Nebraska... It's not too far from Texas. Only a couple states over!
• Many, many jokes about Finding Nemo. We did find him. He was cute.
• "Just keep swimming.. just keep swimming--sideways!"
• The Witty Kid's almost falling into an icy harbor. "I just wanted to see how thick the ice was!" Yes, that is wrong in so many ways.
• Hugging bubble pillars at the Aquarium.
• Strange, unique and altogether fascinating sea life... the snake-necked turtle, tiny fish playing peek-a-boo, fish in neon colors and camouflage and sending electric currents.
• Telling stories about my coworker putting a dead seahorse in an envelope and sending it through the company postage meter. Sounded kind of like, "Squishhhhhhhh." LOL
• The Chatty Girl's comedy imitations: "Everybody only wants to save the cute animals! You never see someone out there with a sign... Be kind to carp!" "If dolphins are as smart as people, why don't we teach them to go around the tuna nets?!?"
• 4D movie experience filled with terrified children and only startled adults. And the weirdest seats that punch you in the back. Nice.
• My tongue-in-cheek warnings: "Stop that thumping. It's like, *thump* *thump* *thump* The van's gonna blow up!"
• Freezing cold and razor-sharp wind as we hiked to the 'top of the world.' A park overlooking Inner Harbor. There was complaining, but I still think the view was worth the discomfort!
• Hoping we won't get violently assaulted by thwarted Baltimore Ravens fans. 'Cause someone in our group had the audacity to bring a Steelers terrible towel and wave it around throughout the day.
• The war against texting. Ahhhh. :)
• One small-town guy with a 'gangsta' complex.
• Spiritual conversations about modesty, putting out "fleeces" and finding God's will, where we would be without Jesus, and what it means to be a Godly man or woman.
• Being nudged/compelled by the Holy Spirit to be a witness to some homeless young people. May the seed of God's Word not return void.