robbie

In the middle of the night, the movement of the bus startled me awake. It was a curious feeling; almost-but-not-quite-like the way it feels when you drive really fast over a bump in the road, or lift off of the ground in an airplane. My eyes opened but it seemed like I was still dreaming. I was inside a bus, on a ferry, floating in the pacific ocean. what? It was dark and we couldn't see outside from the top bunk, anyhow, so I shut my eyes again, disoriented and amazed. We spent the next day sea kayaking, which ended up being one of my very favorite experiences of the trip.

On the island we met Robbie. He became a constant stranger-friend throughout the day, everywhere we went he was there, too. He carried SO much joy and wonder in his spirit. The kind that's contagious. Throughout the day he had his guitar around his neck, strumming and singing at the top of his lungs. On our ferry ride leaving, he was talking about something and all of a sudden asked, "are ya spiritual?!"; before we could answer we were all singing Sweet Chariot at the top of our lungs, too. 

Mid-verse he threw his hands up and exclaimed, 

"THANK YOU JESUS FOR THE SUN! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, LOOK, THERE. THANK YOU FOR MY DOG, OLIVER, HE'S THE BEST DOG IN THE 

WORLD. ISN'T THIS BEAUTIFUL?!"