The 10,000 Adventures of Minnesota Dan series

I asked my family for advice regarding a travel adventure and putting off going to college. Each agreed that taking “a gap year” from college for one or two years really wouldn’t hurt anything. My dad, being practical and a planner said, “Your biggest need is to have a budget that will finance your adventure.” So, that’s where this journey started. I needed to uncover and face the financial concerns that would allow me to go where “the spirit leads me.” He was right: the first thing I needed was a job to start the influx of money. My biggest expense would be buying a dependable camper/truck to live out of. Luckily, I found a job rather quickly. I began as a waiter in a small country-style restaurant called the Snack Shop in Winona, Minnesota. Mrs. Tindal, the owner, demanded that her workers be the best. She said there was a great deal at stake and that included her reputation. She told me not to worry because one of her best waitresses would train me when I came on board. A neighbor, Mr. Franklin, heard of my plans to travel and asked what I planned to use for transportation. I told him I was searching for a vehicle. He said he had an old Ford truck that he kept stored in a barn on his farm. If I was interested, he could show it to me as a possibility for my big adventure. The used Ford had 80,000 miles on it. and we talked about what it needed to be dependable. Then he said he wanted to sell the truck but never got around to it. “Dan, how about I loan this truck to you for your big adventure? The extra miles you put on it won’t hurt it, in fact, to have it running instead of keeping it in a barn is much better for the life of the truck.” “That would be terrific! Wait until I tell my dad!” The old man smiled. “We’ll have to set aside some time for you to come to the farm and learn how to drive it. I’ll take care of making sure it’s running right.” We shook hands on it. As soon as I got home, I called my dad to tell him the good news. Suddenly, things were moving quickl The more I thought about the journey ahead of me, the more anxious I got. Sometimes my confidence was high. The next moment fear dominated my emotions. One morning, during my Thinking Time meditations, I thanked God for all the help I’ve already received which helped build my confidence and reduce my fear. One of the things I’ve learned so far in my life, is that God is love and cares for everyone. Since I know that to be true, I decided to travel with confidence and faith even though I’m not sure where my travels will take me. I made a promise to God: When this adventure is done, I’ll write about my experiences and will share it with those who want to hear about it. I began to see that being calm is an advantage because it allows me to focus on the journey ahead of me. As I finished my Thinking Time, my phone vibrated, and I saw it was my friend Beth. We talked for twenty minutes or so and then she was quiet. “Are you okay?” I asked her. “I am. I will miss you so much and I’m a little worried about you on this trip, but I realize I don’t need to be. We both know you’re being led to do this and you’ll be fine. You’ll meet people and opportunities that will help keep you moving forward.” I smiled. “I hope so, Beth.” “You remember what Martin Luther said about hope, right?” she asked with a laugh. “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. And I started feeling a little scared.