Holiday in America!!

California is one of the most beautiful places I have been to, after waiting what seemed like an age for the bus with a Spanish girl who was in the states learning in English who just happened to be called Marta!! The bus came I have to say I thought LAX was kind of small and not at all exciting. I also expected it to be a lot warmer than it was. As we went along the coast road towards Santa Barbara which would be my destination I noticed how pretty the beaches were, I was in and out of consciousness for the duration of the journey. On the way home from the place I was picked up I noticed how beautiful the place was something I would say again and again during my stay in California ‘I can’t believe it is this beautiful I didn’t expect this at all!!’

I came to the states because it was a chance to have a holiday and I was accompanying my bestfriend so what ever happened happened, I didn’t really have any expectations but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there I didn’t expect to.

The next day I slept a whole 12 hours, because I had been up for nearly 48 hours. The following day I had quite a lot of energy which I was quite surprised about. Within 3 hours of getting up we decided as a three to go on our first road -trip they had been waiting for me to start them. We were already staying with Abby who came to do the DTS about 4 years ago and we decided to head to Carmel where we would meet Britney who also did the same DTS school.

God really speaks to me on long journeys and in the Shower enough said!! Going back to the very long flight which was fairly enjoyable I saw a film I highly recommend called ‘THE SOLOLIST’ about the friendship between a disgruntled Journalist and a musician who has a mental illness and is living on the streets. It was amazing all about LA where I was heading however I didn’t spend any time there in the end but it showed the amount of poverty there is and people struggling with mental illness and some of the systems in place which are meant to protect the clients but actually sometimes make it worse.

Anyway as we were listening to Abby’s music on the road trip to Carmel I remember looking out the window at the beauty the palm trees and the orange sky as the sun went down, I hadn’t seen anything yet in regards to views the best were to come later.

As I listened to the music I felt so content and so close to God it is amazing how I feel closer to God through what I can see in nature I felt his presence in the car as we sang at the top of our lungs to Alleluia and other songs by rita Springer and the Phil Wickham.

We got to Carmel really late we had Pizza with Britney and it was so cool to hear all of her crazy stories some seemed impossible but by her sharing them with us she challenged me in the amount I am willing to take a risk and step out for the impossible and not caring about what other people think!!

We went to somewhere near Monterey the next day the weather was cool and on the beach I kind of froze well not completely but it was chillier than I thought it would be. It was great to be next to the ocean just writing my journal and staring into the ocean.

There were some chipmunk looking Squirrels I am still not convinced they were Squirrels anyway they were the tamest and cheekiest creatures I have ever come across if you even so much as showed them food they would leap onto your back as they proceeded to do with a couple who were having a picnic.

Most of the places we have stayed in so far have had dogs so I have needed to get used to dogs jumping on me in the morning. Such as Pierre a tiny little dog with a lot of character and determination by the end of my stay in Carmel I wanted to bring him with him however I need to teach him personal boundaries as he would try to lick my feet a past time I have found to be widespread with American dogs.

That same night we had a fairly spontaneous prayer time where all the women that were gathered prophesized over each other it was a very powerful time. I received some words which were very encouraging and also some prayer which I believe was of a lot of healing for my life. I still need to process what was spoken over me.

These words make me excited about the future and what is ahead one thing is certain is that I must must must paint. That God wants to use it in a powerful way, so watch this space!!

That same night we set off for Pleasanton Abby’s parents home well it wasn’t a mansion but it was certainly a huge house.

Despite loving America I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock that I would get when I got here which was greater than the Jeg lag which we didn’t have time to even observe because we had too much to do.

A few observations ……….

Public Toilet door seem to be chopped in half and you feel like someone could look right over the door and you could be caught short shall we say, then there is the toilet seat that is in not existence I mean I could end up down the toilet if I wasn’t careful.

I am the kind of person who takes particular notice of the toilet situation which often impacts the way I think about a place.

Then there is the obsession with my British accent more than twice I have been surrounded by people who just want to hear me talk and it is like being grilled say this say that!!

The wall to wall eating places I sometimes have been misled to wonder whether anyone actually spends any time at home cooking. There seems to a greater eating out culture like everyone does it back home it is usually only to celebrate something or if you are super rich!!

I have got to a place where all I want to eat is Salad and that is saying something for me. Saying that I have really enjoyed the food here for the most part especially in California the Mexican ,Sushi and awesome different kinds of Breakfasts I think I can safely say that America has surpassed the Brits on the Breakfast front.