Sensory Overload

It's amazing to me how quickly I get sensory overload. In the last 5 days I have been overwhelmed by my surroundings 4 times, and each time it has been a completely different situation. The first time I was on a plane on my way to Dallas, Texas for a National Orientation Directors Association Conference. I was completely amazed (for the oh, 16th time or so) at how amazing flight is. Here is this giagantic metal bus filled with a bazillion people each with a maximun of two 55lb bags to be checked and 2 bags as carry on, airplane snacks, cans of soda, mini alcohol bottles, and 1 nasty airplane toilet--FLYING through the air above the clouds covering hundreds of miles in mere moments. i will never understand the science of flight, but I do understand the feeling of freedom knowing i could hop a plane at any moment and be in iceland before people even started to wonder.

on the other hand, I just got back from a 40 minute bike ride where I covered approximately 5 miles worth of laps around the State Farm campus by my house. I was my own engine, my own motor, I was making the wheels turn. my heart was pumping, the wind was racing past my ears silencing out the rest of the world. it was great, and just what I needed, another dose of freedom, though this one was different-this was a thankful kind of freedom, knowing that my God is a great God who made the human body to do all kinds of crazy things, like being my own engine. This is the kind of sensory overload I long for, the kind where God suprises me with his AWEsome work on earth.

last night I went to the mall to buy big girl clothes becuase as of monday I am advising anywhere between 3 and 6 students a morning in the Academic Exploration and Advising Office in the Student Success Center for my internship-how cool is that by the way. But anyway, back to the sensory overload--it was like walking into my worst nightmare. It was loud, there were tons of people, kids, moms, sales people, bad muzac and the noise of work-hangers, and plastic bags. I could smell cookies from the cookie place, perfume unneccessarily sprayed in my direction, shampoo from the salon, and new clothes, cardboard box smell, the smell of mall. The lights were neon and bright, there were giant red signs denoteing the current sale, christmas set up, tons of stock and lots of people. whoa.

back to the bike ride. since I was my own engine and motor, i moved through the crisp fall air nearly silent. fall is in full swing here and the leaves are amazing, the grass is still green, and becuase it was dusk teh sky was on fire. it was beautiful. it was perfect. it was just what i needed. pinks and oranges, reds and blues, the sun was hidden just enough that the whole sky was lit but it was soft. the air was perfect and clean and crisp. and I was again overwhelmed by God's handy work. what a beautiful earth. who would have thought that the seasons changing would mean being surrounded by beauty, as fleeting as it is.

so-that's it. 5 days and sensory overload in 4 ways. I love opposites, it puts everything in perspective, you know?

happy fall.