The Road Between

Leaving camp is always tough. As I watched the last sunset over the Adirondacks, that familiar bittersweet feeling washed over me. The drive back to Chicago was long, but this time it was different—my wife and child flew ahead, leaving me to drive with my brother. It had been a while since we’d spent real time together, and the open road gave us the chance to reconnect.

There’s something special about a road trip. The miles stretch out, and with them, conversations that don’t happen in everyday life. We talked about everything and nothing, the kind of easy conversation that comes when you’ve known someone your entire life but still find new things to discover. It reminded me how easy it is to drift apart, even from those we love, and how important it is to make time for those connections.

Transitions are never easy, especially from a place like camp, where life is simpler, faith feels more tangible, and the noise of the world fades away. Chicago is different—faster, busier, louder. But as my brother and I talked, I realized that the journey wasn’t just about leaving one place for another. It was about carrying the lessons, the faith, and the memories with me.

Faith, after all, isn’t confined to the stillness of the mountains or the quiet of the woods. It’s with us on the highway, in the city streets, in the everyday moments that make up our lives. And having my brother by my side on that drive reminded me that these transitions are less about where we’re going and more about who we’re with and what we carry in our hearts.

As we neared Chicago, the skyline coming into view, I felt a sense of peace. This wasn’t the end of the camp season, but another chapter. The faith, the growth, the quiet moments—they were all still with me. I knew that the road ahead, while different, was just as meaningful as the one we’d left behind.

The road between one place and another will always be a challenge, but it’s in those transitions that we find new opportunities to connect, to reflect, and to grow. And maybe that’s the real journey—learning to carry our faith and our relationships with us, wherever life takes us.