I get the window seat for the flight down to the Dominican Republic.

We leave on Easter Monday and it’s the smoothest flight of my life.

I hope the whole trip goes this smoothly.

The view is completely and utterly magnificent as we cross over the ocean…

The clouds play leap frog and perform aerial gymnastics…

The ocean disappears under first signs of land.

This land looks so different from the one I call home.

No snow has ever touched this land, and I left mine with a few feet still to melt.

Mountains and valleys push and shove for space on this land, and mine has plenty of room for all different shapes and sizes to spread out vast and wide.

Lush green trees and plants and grass cover this land all year long, and my land gets half a year of the green stuff if it’s lucky.

I look out the window and know that home is getting farther and farther away.

Those I love dearest are now an ocean away.

All except hubby who sits next to me on the plane, and I am SO GLAD for that.

Leaving all of them for this trip would have been oh-so-much harder.

Mum and Dad, Little Sis and Big Baby Brother are caring for my two young men while their parents are off to strange lands.

The boys love the time spent in the forest sanctuary of my parent’s home, visiting with cousins and family friends, playing in the river and running wild in the three acres they are given for the week.

They also love the big screen TV, lots of video game time, and breakfasts out at the diner on the highway.

A visit to the new aquarium in Toronto with cousins is on the to-do list as well.

They will have adventures a-plenty of their own this week, just as hubby and I will have adventures of a different kind in this foreign land.

It is almost time to touch down our group of 12 on Dominican soil and step into what God has waiting for us here this week.

The landing is flawless and everyone claps for the pilot.

The sun still shines bright at 7pm and it is time to leave the plane.

I’m torn as I sit in my window seat.

From here, the view is beautiful.

Will I be able to see beauty in the days ahead?

My heart yearns to find hope in all the places we will be this going week.

It is safe to view this land from my window seat, not touching it, just observing it, not getting too close, just keeping my distance.

But it’s time to leave, time to step away from the window and live in the moments of the Dominican Republic for the next 7 days.

I know the view will be beautiful, if I look through my Father’s eyes.