Victoria's Visit

I had a visitor the first weekend of February! Victoria had a work trip in Orlando earlier in the week and stuck around for the weekend so we got to hang out.

To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. Victoria and I met my freshman year at Santa Clara through a mutual friend, and we bumped into each other here and there. She graduated two years before me, and we were in the same Bible study I went to on and off my final years of college. But anyway.

I picked her up from the airport Friday around noon, and we headed over to Disney Springs. On the drive, we shared about our mutual feelings of not being completely satisfied in our current work positions, and the uncertainty of where the Lord is leading us next. She opened up about how she doesn’t really feel fit in, especially after being around her coworkers for an entire week. She has learned a lot through her job but isn’t passionate about her work. And after committing to the same place for two years, she feels free to transition. Because of the conversation, Disney Springs felt so much closer.

It was interesting to see the shops that Victoria was interested in visiting at Disney Springs: not Star Wars or Marvel, or the giant World of Disney Store, but NBA and soccer. I soon learned that she is really into health and wellness. (I swear she’s shorter than 5 feet, but small and mighty hehe)

Next stop: Cru Headquarters, where she met some of my coworkers and the interns. We went on the Jesus Film tour, and she got to simulate being the voice actor for Mary Magdalene.

In Front of HQ

Voice Actress

On our way home, we stopped to get dinner at Bolay. It’s kind of like Chipotle but healthier, making it one of my favorite fast food/catering in Orlando. Turns out that Victoria also loved it, so we ended up having it again the next day for lunch.

On Saturday, Victoria and I became tourists of Orlando, and I took her to many places I had never been to. We wandered through the Winter Park Farmer’s Market, walked around Lake Eola (downtown Orlando), visited ICON park, and explored the Orlando City Library (it is such a cool space! The library has a big bookstore, audio recording studio, photography studio, and 3D printers, and laser cutters. Everything is free except parking).  

ICON Park

On Sunday, we went to church, ate brunch at First Watch, and did a worship session with the rest of the interns. After making almond flour pancakes for snack/dinner, Victoria and I decided to go on a walk in Split Oak Forest, a wildlife mitigation park just behind our apartment complex. The park was beautiful and golden hour made the trees and land very picturesque. Victoria pitched the idea that we should have a make a video of the interns singing “More Than Conquerors” in the field (you know, like those really hipster worship videos). It would be good marketing material, she said. I believe her.

 Music Video Backdrop

Split Oaks Forest

The sun set around 6PM and it got really dark really fast. We decided to turn around when there was still light, but very soon, we couldn’t see where we were going. I think we made a wrong turn or something, and just like that, we got lost. We walked to the edge of the park, but there was a barbed wire fence between the park and the road, so we used Google Maps to try to get back to the parking lot (it was supposed to take 32 min.). With 24 min left to the trek, we stumbled into deep, wet mud (I guess mud is always wet, but it was very squishy, so very wet). Victoria was wearing white shoes, and we tried to keep going, but given that we couldn’t really see how long the muddy road was, we decided to go back to the fence. I called one of the interns, who came to rescue us. 

It’s difficult to describe the feelings on this excursion. On the one hand, I knew that everything would be fine, and Victoria and I would be safe. After all, we were close to the road, and also only a mile away from the apartment complex. On the other hand, I felt completely out of control. I could only see the few feet in front of me (thanks to the flashlight on my phone), and I didn’t even know we were walking into mud until we were literally sinking in it.

Random sidenote: the stars were beautiful! It was a clear night, and it was dark enough to see all the star. I wanted to just stop and stare at the sky, but we had somewhere to go. It reminded me that God’s creation is so beautiful, if only we took the time to pause and look up.

Traveling with a buddy makes everything so much better. Someone keeps you from getting into your own head, you have a problem-solving partner, and you share in the thrill, fear, and memories of the adventure. I’m so thankful I wasn’t alone in the dark (which is actually my greatest fear).

This weekend showed me how fast friendships can be made, and also renewed my appreciation and love for my community here. I was convicted of the critical attitude I have held of the small challenges and obstacles I face here, but Victoria’s visit reminded me how blessed I am to have such a sweet community in such a short amount of time and have people at work who deeply care about me as a person. I get so caught up in the smallest hiccups and forget the breath-taking journey that the Father has led me on.

Thanks for being on this journey with me. Sharing is one way for me to remember the big picture, and I'm grateful for your company :)