Herding high schoolers in Colorado

Serendipitous.

That's the word I would use to describe my trip to Colorado. I spent 10 days outside of Pueblo, Colorado chaperoning a pilgrimage for the youth from the church I went to growing up.

That wasn't quite what I expected when I first got the call asking if I would come along. My first reaction was something more like, "woah... I am NOT old enough to be a chaperone."

But once I got there I couldn't shake the feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be. For the last 8 months I've struggled with anxiety and self-doubt like I haven't faced in years. Being on this trip was... calming.

I found myself slipping into "dad mode" more easily than I ever expected I could. And without intending to I began reconnecting to a spirituality that I have shunned ever since leaving the house to go to college. The kids were incredible, and the connections I made with the other chaperones struck me in a way I just wasn't expecting.

I plan on writing more about the larger takeaways, but for now here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.