On Thursday, at 6:09 PM, I reached 500 miles on my wheelchair, Svante the Svede.
Mile #498 was spent visiting the house of a brand new friend, whom I like to call Beatrice. You will get to learn more about her in upcoming posts.
Mile #499 was spent with some of our beautiful girls in the African butterfly exhibit at the Botanical Conservatory downtown... very cool.
And then I was outside the conservatory, in the gorgeous 75 degree sunshine, surrounded by bright and happy tulips and daffodils (of course daffodils - my favorite!)... and I looked down just in time to see the mile marker on Svante's screen click over to 5-0-0. "Hannah!" I squealed across the garden. "Hannah, come quick! It just happened!"
Svante is not aging well. He has lost more small plastic bits and has gotten a more loose around the nuts and bolts in these first 500 miles than either of us care to admit. However, I have had an amazing 500 miles, thanks to his help... I have been to all sorts of interesting and wonderful places. Some of my favorites may seem common, but to me they are precious and full of memories: my mom and dad's house, the deck over the lake at Lakeside Park, our neighbor's house, the New Ground coffee shop, the downtown Allen County library, 4th Street in downtown Winston-Salem, the Lowe's garden center, the Botanical Conservatory, International Teams headquarters...
The next 500 miles with Svante will be even better, I'm sure. I wonder where we will go, and what moments we'll share together. Praying for adventure, beauty, and joy to fill our path!
