It began with a disorganized vacation

I frequently forget that there are some things I simply am not good at doing.  I tend to start at the end of a project – it’s the PRIZE that matters!!!  Sometimes this means I don’t always take a straight line to my destination – figuratively and literally.  I may always reach my goal, but the path can be a zig-zag followed by a loop and a U-turn and going really far out of the way before I get where I’m going.  Yeah, whatever.  I always get there.

That really is what happened here.  I had an idea of volunteering shortly after the war started, but I didn’t know how to go about it – so discarded the idea as being impossible and went about the business of making reservations that included spending two weeks with family while visiting  Prague,  Bratislava, Vienna and  Salzburg.

Then – poof – like magic, two weeks ago I received a message from Jim Purtell, a friend from the mortgage world and the founder of the Volunteer Housing Initiative.  Jim had an opportunity for me if I was interested.  

Before committing, I tested out the idea with my family.  What would they think if I left a week earlier and was not home for Thanksgiving?  Were they okay with my doing this?  YES!  They were. 

So, now it’s up to my employer — can I take the extra time off from work?  YES!  I can!

Now the only thing stopping me from doing this was — ME!  And *I* wanted to do this!

Jim connected me with Jay, a volunteer who he has worked with in Poland.  Jay established the Hope Shelter, which is an overflow camp in Przemysl.  From our conversations, the need is clearly insurmountable.  When I confirmed I would come to help in whatever I way I could and asked what he needed – he told me beds and mattresses.

A simple, yet sobering request.  I told him I would see if I could raise some monies for those who need a place to sleep and if I could, we could purchase them together when I arrived.

Part of “doing this” requires that I need to meet one of my sons in Prague for the beginning of that portion of the trip.  Lots of options, none are terribly easy.  Trains and busses take 8 plus hours.  A short plane ride requires a 4-hour layover and a connection.  But driving – that’s the cost of the car and fuel, plus about 6 hours according to Google maps.  Assuming that the signage is in English or I don’t miss an exit may be too much to hope for.

I should add that I am directionally challenged.  Pre-Garmin days, I used to carry around a big book of street maps.  I was constantly pulling over or turning around, trying to figure out where I went wrong, driving miles out of the way, sometimes getting home by way of another state.  Shrug.

I don’t know how I survived pre-Garmin, but now that we have GPS’s and Waze, life is good.  Mostly.  I sometimes don’t trust the GPS and think I know better.  And it’s true that I’ve racked up a lot of mileage getting lost since I first began driving.  And I still make lots of U-turns.

I’ve grown very comfortable with existing this way.  Others in my life?  Not so much.

A car seemed like the right choice to me.  No one else agrees.  There seems to be a concern that I might drive from Poland to Prague by way of Russia.  I suppose it could happen.

Will you help?  Jim has graciously allowed me to have donations sent to his nonprofit, Volunteer Housing Initiative so that your donation is tax deductible.  Prior to completing the transaction, you will have an opportunity to specify in the comment section that your monies are used for beds and mattresses.

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Deb