More than just a 21 hour drive

So, you’re probably wondering what would motivate a man to elect a 21 hour drive over a couple-hour plane ride into Richmond. Well, besides the convenience of having a car for runs to the store, commuting to work, and the many random weekend road trips that were sure to happen, I was actually looking forward to the two-day journey out to the old capital of the Confederate South. When I was first planning my trip out to Richmond, I realized the perfect opportunity to make the most out of my excursion. This past year on the Pay It Forward Tour, our bus had the pleasure of volunteering in and being embraced by the small community of Milan, a town of just over 1,000 people in the southeast corner of Indian. Milan was made famous (sort of) by the movie Hoosiers, which told the true story of the state champion Milan High School basketball team over 50 years ago. The hospitality of this community was something that left a deep impression on me, so the opportunity to return and be a part of that once again was something I could not pass up, especially since it represented a near perfect halfway point and a perfect place to spend the night.

In arranging my visit, I was able to reconnect with Todd Russell, director of the youth program at the Milan Church of Christ. Todd informed me that Saturday night would be an exciting time in Milan, as Kendra Walker, the valedictorian of her class, was holding her graduation party. Kendra’s mom was one of those people who I would describe as the pillar of a community and she loved to host people in her home. As my luck would have it, I would be spending the night with the Walker’s and apparently many of Kendra’s other close friends. I could already tell this would be a night to remember.

My morning began very early (for me) on Saturday. I made it to Elgin, IL by noon where I took a relaxing break to enjoy some Noodles & Co. with some good friends from the area: Mike, Laura, Abe, and Phil. Just two brief stops later, I found myself in Milan after a solid 11 hour drive.

Kendra’s party turned out to be the biggest graduation party I think I’ve ever been a part of. I swear that the whole town of Milan was there! In addition to the usual attractions of a high school graduation party, Kendra’s boyfriend’s band and his dad’s band also played throughout the night.

The evening was capped off perfectly by a bonfire and by singing Wish You Were Here and Stairway to Heaven to the tune of a guitar and violin.

Kendra & I

In the morning, I was able to attend service at the Milan Church of Christ before getting on the road. It was great to see a number of familiar faces, although to no surprise, not many did recognize my face. However, when I told them I had bright red hair and a beard the last time I was in Milan, they knew exactly who I was!

The drive from Milan to Richmond was absolutely gorgeous the entire way, despite the overcast skies that lingered and the rain that persisted through parts of the day. I passed through forest-covered mountains of the Appalachians as low, wispy clouds settled in the valleys. This scenery definitely passed the time more quickly than the cornfields of Iowa or the nothingness of North Dakota!

My time of arrival in Richmond was 9:30pm, where I was greeted by my new roommate at colonial-looking apartment building built in the 20’s. Kevin Panicker is his name, and he is also an intern at Boaz & Ruth as a part of the AmeriCorps program. His stint started in January and will last until the end of August. I was very pleased by this, as living with a fellow intern would definitely make the transition so much smoother.

Kevin happens to be a remarkably interesting fellow in his own right. His parents are originally from south India, but moved to Kenya before Kevin was born. Kevin was raised in Kenya and attended high school at an American school. He then came to the United States to study at the University of Richmond where he graduated in 2006 with a degree in International Studies. I am very grateful and blessed to have Kevin as a friend, co-worker, and roommate.
I was pretty tired after all the driving and action in Milan, but at the same time highly anticipating my first day at Boaz & Ruth.