I spoke with Nathan online the night before to finalize all the details. He would be picking me up at the Colorado Springs airport at 1:00 pm and take me directly to the place I would be staying for the month. That night, I crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep but found I was too nervous and excited to get any amount of rest. So, I drew myself a bath at about 2:30 in the morning and soaked in my tub until 3:45 when I got out to get ready. I needed to be at the airport by 5:00 in the morning, and thankfully I cleared all the checkpoints by 6:00 with enough time left to head to Tim Horton's and grab myself a donut and coffee. Don't know what Tim Horton's is? It's a popular coffee/donut shop in Canada that really has become part of Canada's identity.

The various checkpoints and routine checks they have at the airport are not only stunning, but very intimidating. The customs man drilled me with questions about where I was going, why I was going, who I was going to be with, how much money I had, and what my current profession was. Since I was a student, I told him so. When he asked what school I went to, I realized "Wait a minute... I'm not a student." So I told him I had just recently graduated. He then asked where I went to school, and not understating his question I replied "Calgary". He then asked the question for a third time and looked at me like I was an idiot. It dawned on me what he was really asking and so I told him the name of my high school. He then stamped my passport and told me to proceed onto the next checkpoint. Here I handed over a customs form that basically stated I wasn't bringing any food, animals, or stolen goods into the United States . Then I was pulled aside by a lady wearing big rubber gloves. She took one of my suitcases, opened it up, then proceeded to go through every compartment and pocket my luggage case had. When she was satisfied, I was sent to the next location where I was finally able to surrender my luggage to a conveyor belt that would load everything onto the plane and hopefully arrive at my final destination in Colorado Springs .

I was relieved... that coast had to be clear! Or was it? After walking for another minute, I got stopped yet again! This time I had to turn on my laptop and prove to them it worked (flash back to "Waylaid in the Windy City"), as well as turn on my camera and show them the monitor. I even had to give them my jacket, wallet, keys, belt, and carry on bag and watch as a team of people gazed at a monitor as the items rolled on through the x-ray machine. I then had to collect my stuff at the other end where fellow passengers dived around me gathering what was theirs. Thankfully I didn't lose anything.

Like in all good novels, the city of Calgary was dark and gloomy that morning. The rain was pouring all around me and I had a sudden sense of foreboding. After boarding the plane, I sat in my seat and looked out the darkened window thinking about what awaited me at my final destination. But I wasn't given much time as we suddenly took off and I was once again reminded of how big this planet really is. I don't think anyone can really appreciate the sheer size of Earth until they get in an airplane and see the endless fields and roads that span everywhere the eye can see. It's really amazing.

Shortly after takeoff they brought out breakfast. I was amazed when I saw boxes upon boxes of what looked like fries and tin foil wrapped objects that resembled hamburgers. An odd breakfast combination if you ask me... so I was tempted to pass. But the flight attendant approached my seat and I felt awkward saying no, so I reluctantly accepted.

It was no burger. Inside the tin foil was an egg and bacon bagel, with a slice of cheese sandwiched between them. And inside the box? A banana. Who puts a banana in a fry box? Regardless, I happily ate my meal and took a short nap before the pilot chimed in to inform us that we were 100 miles outside of Denver.

After we taxied the runaway to the absolute furthest gate there was, I got off the plane and arrived in Denver International Airport. One plane down, one to go. The connecting flight was leaving at 12:17... I had three hours to kill. I phoned home, let them know I was ok, and then walked to the complete opposite end of the terminal where my next flight would be departing from. I sat in a seat, pulled out my laptop, and began chronicling my trip so I wouldn't forget the minute, boring details that you're privileged to be reading now.

Following my brief stint with my laptop at the Denver airport, I decided I was going to need to find other ways to occupy my time. So I got on the moving walkway and let it drag me, my computer, and my bag to the other end of the Denver Terminal. Once I reached the end point, I turned around, let it take me to the beginning again and then repeated the cycle! Childish I know, but I was getting rather nervous and needed to keep moving. So I continued this cycle several more times until enough time had passed on my plane was ready to take flight.

As we approached the 'Springs, I looked out my window and couldn't believe how much Colorado looked like a desert. Not only was the ground dry, brown, and burnt in some areas, but I couldn't find the city! Was I landing in a ghost town? I soon realized my mistake and discovered that if I were to look out the windows on the opposite end of me, there was in fact a city sprawling below.

Our plane landed safely and I went into the overhead bin to retrieve my bag. There was a woman standing in front of me and I didn't want to accidentally bump her while getting my bag so I tried to be as careful as possible. Unfortunately in doing so, the laptop bag swung from the compartment and banged me in the mouth. I could feel the blood swirling around for the next few minutes and I begin thinking how fitting it was that I was going to start my trip with a fat lip. Great first impressions I was going to make! But thankfully, after investigating it in the washroom, the blood flow had stopped and my lip wasn't that noticeable anyway.

I went past the security checkpoint and into the lobby beyond it. That's where Nathan and I had agreed to meet once I arrived, though there seemed to be no sign of him. I had seen pictures of him in the past, but as we had never met each other in person, I began to wonder if I was going to even recognize him in 3D. I came to the conclusion Nathan had not yet arrived, so I went down the escalator to the main lobby to get my remaining luggage. Once my luggage was gathered, I figured my best course of action would be to wait near the escalator and watch for him to arrive. This way he wouldn't need to wait near the security check point if I happened to miss him.

I looked everywhere. No one looked like the Nathan I had seen in the photos, and I begin to wonder if he was running really late. I waited for several minutes and then decided my best course of action would be to return to our original meeting place, rather than hope to catch him entering the airport. I hopped on the escalator and allowed it to take me back to the area just outside of the security checkpoint. As the escalator approached ground level, I looked towards the security check point and recognized him immediately. He was standing with his back turned to me and looking into the lobby that existed beyond the security area. As if on cue, he turned around and began walking in my direction. I hurried towards him, stuck out my hand and introduced myself. We shared only a few words, and then made our way to his car where I loaded my stuff into the backseat. We then pulled out of the airport and off towards the house I would be staying in for the duration of the month.

Now you're probably thinking "Everything you've written so far could be summed up in two sentences!" Well sure, "I flew in from Calgary and met up with Nathan Hoobler at the Colorado Springs airport", is short and sweet. But for those who know me, well, you know I like to ramble on about even the smallest details... and for that I apologize.

Nathan and I pulled into the driveway, unloaded all of my luggage, and climbed up the steps to the house on top of the hill. We rang the door bell, and introduced ourselves to the woman who answered the door. After some pleasantries, she led the two of us into the basement where I would be staying. I soon discovered I would be sharing the basement with another young man who was a missionary from New Jersey . Together, we had a television, small fridge, microwave, bathroom and just about everything else you would hope to have away from home. After unloading all of my things, Nathan mentioned that the Focus on the Family Welcome Center would still be open and invited me to come and take a look. Without hesitation I agreed, and we were off to Whit's End.

On the drive towards the Welcome Center, I noticed one clear difference between the streets of Colorado Springs and the streets of Calgary: The spacing between buildings. In Calgary, it seems the city planners find a way to place a building on every plot of land available. Whereas in Colorado, the streets are much more spread out and it appears that whenever you've got buildings on your left, the right is reserved for open, arid, desert looking land. It holds true for the opposite as well. Perhaps it's just a major generalization on my part, but from what I saw, it's an accurate depiction for most of the city.