The Greyhound took an hour detour on a back road! Like a bus in Costa Rica or some far away countryside. We wound through hills, on a one lane road, and I was afraid we were going to end up in the river, twenty to fifty feet below. It must have been next to a dry county. There were more pubs than homes there. One of the most beautiful rides of my life. We came out in Jellico, TN.

Because of the detour, the bus landed in Asheville at 11PM. Because of the missed connection, Daddy would have needed to pick me up an hour and a half from his home at 3 AM. So I called Joy Anna to spend the night with her in the city we were in.

I saw Joy Anna for five minutes that night before we went to our beds. My bus was due out at 9 in the morning. Since my friend was still in her room at 8:30, I knocked on her door to see if she was awake. Joy Anna meditates an hour in the morning, something I always wanted to do, and I knew I might be disturbing her. Later she told me she had already meditated and went back to bed for a moment. I saw her sprawled on her back with a little pointy turtle nose poking through the covers. Cute. I whispered to her, "are you going to be ready soon?" And she nodded. As I left, I saw a map on her wall of Sudan, where her parents have been for mission work.

I decided a couple days ago I wanted to meditate for an hour in the morning. But I didn't discipline myself to do it yesterday. So this morning I decided to write for an hour. I produced four haikus and this little entry.

I am having a wonderful visit.