Today’s the start of a new adventure. Friends Sharon, Cathryn, and I are on a week-long trip that will include participating in the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017–the day after Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States (shudder).

Our itinerary includes a visit to the Smoky Mountains as well as a couple of days in DC after the march.

Today was a travel day. Sharon and Cathryn, both from California, met up in Dallas (Love Field) then flew together to Charlotte, NC. I left from DFW, flew to Atlanta, then caught a short flight to Charlotte. We met up in the baggage claim area, then went to pick up our rental car.

I decided to bring my portable Garmin GPS and am really glad I did. Our stop for this first day of the trip is in Asheville, NC, about a two-hour drive from Charlotte. Garmin did a GREAT job guiding us right to our hotel doorstep. We drove through some rain showers and it got dark while we drove, but no worries, a comforting voice told us turn by turn where to go. I guess we could have done that with our phones and Google maps, but Garmin was way easier.

After a quick check-in, we decamped for dinner. Now we’re back at the hotel, unpacking and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow we have tickets for the Biltmore Estate and we’re just going to play it by ear about what time we make it there. And we’ll see what other opportunities come up. I’m hoping we finish our sightseeing here in time to drive to Gatlinburg–through the Smoky Mountains–in the daylight. But we’ll see!

It’s already been a great trip as we catch up with what’s going on in our respective lives and churches, sharing ideas and encouragements.

I have my new Olympus camera setup (travel camera–lighter than my Canon) and will be experimenting with it tomorrow. The quick test I did at home showed me that I’m going to need to use Photoshop to get serviceable jpgs to put online, so we’ll see how that process works out!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Biltmore and around Asheville, then we drive to Gatlinburg. The next day will be around Gatlinburg. The day after that (Friday) will be the drive to DC. Then Saturday is the march.

For all the energy and excitement around that, there’s still much to discover about the particulars. All I know is that I’m ready, and excited, to stand up and say that government must be responsive to the needs of its people, not just its wealthy population. Tax policy that flows money to those already at the top does nothing but disempower the majority, and that is not the America I know and support. Graft and corruption, moral bankruptcy, and disdain for those who represent the majority of the people should not be allowed to run rough-shod over those who should be supported and empowered by their government. Something is seriously wrong in DC city, folks, and it can’t be allowed to go unchallenged.

I’m a citizen. I vote. And I march!