BEDA - Blog Every Day April - April 1st.

Queue the blogosphere! It's Blog Every Day April! Officially. Well, at least in Mexico. It's not yet in Hawaii...but has been for hours in London, Paris, and Agloe, New York.

So to start off this epicness, here is the reason why this BEDA exists.

And here is the required Manifesto, digitally signed by me, proving my dedication to this project:

THE BLOG EVERY DAY IN APRIL MANIFESTO

I commit to this idea and am determined to create something EVERY DAY in April, including weekends. Every day, I will find something to say. I embrace the reality that there is always something to talk about, if you are willing to take the time to look for it.
I, Tobin Fekkes, promise to blog every day in April.


And there you have it.

But, back to the blog part of this blog (yes, as opposed to other parts of this blog).

So, my friend Eli and his camera had spring break last week, so on Thursday, the 19th, he was flying down to San Diego, and I was going up to San Diego. I went up with Dan (our PR guy) and his mom, cause they were going to SD. Saves a costly bus ride! But they were leaving on the 18th. So I made some extra plans for the 18th, cause Eli didn't fly in till Thursday night. My plans that day were to get to San Diego so I could get on a train to go all the way to LA before dark. My friend, Mauri, attends Chapman University in Orange, so I was making a stop there to surprise her.
There were trains leaving SD at 3pm, 4pm, and 6pm. I had to get on the 6pm one AT THE LATEST. I wanted earlier, but that was the latest I could go. So we were leaving the mission here at 8am. Which we did. Got a nice start. It's 4 hours to the border, roughly 2 hours at the border waiting in line, then, since the time zones, the US is an hour ahead of us, so we move an hour ahead, then an hour to the train station. So just counting that: that's 7 hours. Leave at 8, get to SD at 3pm. Except...we stopped in San Vicente for an hour. 4pm. Another hour in Ensenada. 5pm. Then across the border, we made a couple stops. I was sad when I realized I wasn't making the 3pm train...and then the 4pm train. Then I started freaking out, like I wasn't going to make the 6pm train either. It just kept getting closer and closer. I had to be on that train, no matter what, and I was so worried I was going to miss it. The whole ride up, I was just praying and praying that this would work out, and that if it didn't, that God would show me the next step. Cause if I didn't make that train, I was stuck in San Diego for a night and a day, all by myself, with nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nowhere to sleep. I was just putting it in God's hands the whole way up. That I wouldn't be worried about it, I wouldn't be freaking out, that I would just have the faith that He would be taking care of me. Not going to lie...I was a bit scared. So we're going, we cross the border at 5pm(4pm back in Mexico) - yes, a little worrisome. I was trying my best to stay calm, I swear. But Dan still had to stop at Target for awhile...and we still had to get to the train station, which was still half an hour away. I still had to buy my ticket, heck we still had to FIND the train station. So what happens? We get to the station AS THE TRAIN is boarding! Is that luck? Is that coincidence? I think not. I made it on the last train. God had his hand in that. And he wasn't done. I got to LA at 8(yes, dark had arrived, but at least I was there) and the station was in the middle of nowhere, and by nowhere, I mean in the back of the Anaheim Angel's parking lot. Literally. And I still needed a ride to my friend's college from there. So, I'm walking off the train, and praying, praying, praying that I would be able to find a way to her college...anything, doesn't matter. The only thing worse the being stuck in Downtown San Diego for a night is being stuck int LA/Compton/I'mgoingtodieville. I just needed to get there. I went through the tunnel going under the tracks to the station on the other side, come up in the station, and what is sitting there??? A taxi. One, single taxi. All alone. Waiting for me. And he was the nicest guy. Talked in some random Indian language. But definitely a nice guy. Took me right where I needed to go. How blessed was I that night? Uber blessed. And that's not even the end of it! I got to Mauri's campus, and the people were so nice, showing me exactly where I need to go to find her room. And then when I got to her room...she wasn't there. But her roommate was, Keri. And that was perfect. Now we could plan the surprise. And we chilaxed for awhile, waiting for Mauri to get back from working on her homework. haha, homework? At college? Really? They've really corrupted her.

The last thing is from earlier that week: Sunday, the 16th of March, three days before I was supposed to leave. So, Sunday I was told I had a ride all the way up to LA with Dan. But then I discovered that he's only going to San Diego, so I have to find a way to get from SD to LA If I want to see Mauri. And I was set upon seeing her. That was like my biggest priority of this trip (after being with Eli, of course). I was surprising her, she didn't have a clue I was coming. We'd talked about meeting up somewhere, but nothing worked with her college schedule. So I was going up there to meet her. But that fateful Sunday evening, I lost my ride to her. I was devastated. My heart and mind was so set on seeing her. Surprising her. So I spent that entire night searching for a way to get to LA; all the trains, buses, and everything..nothing was going. I tried everything. Any way to get to LA. All the trains left early in the morning, hours upon hours before I would be getting there. As you already know though, I did catch a train. How, you ask?? I went to bed that Sunday night, just pained and so torn about not being able to surprise her. I kept looking the next day, anything that I could use to get to LA. I couldn't find anything, so I went back to my trailer, almost in tears, and just sat on my bed for awhile, praying that God would show me a way to get to LA. Then I did devotions for awhile longer, followed by more praying, that He would just open a way for me. I was so desperate.
After I finished, I went back to my computer, just to see of anything happened. I checked the Amtrak site first...and what was there? A train from San Diego to LA? Nope. 3 trains from San Diego to LA. 3 trains for my choosing. Again, luck? No. Coincidence? I think not. The power of God? That's more like it. Haha. So yeah, that's my tale of my trip to San Diego. It was just so full of...well, God, I guess. Teaching me to be patient and stop worrying so much. It definitely was encouraging. He's a powerful God, that's for sure. Now...if only he could get me to go to bed earlier...

And that will be my first blog for the month. It's time for bed. And I have more Paper Towns to read.

While you're at it, check out Google's new sensation! Not one, but two!

Have a wonderful April 1st! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for...who knows what. I don't even know.