Everyone is in a weird mood. Not a bad mood, per se, just unusual, rare. It’s a mood that only takes people once a year – exactly one week before tour starts. It’s usually the Sunday before where I really notice it, and if I were pinned down to describe it, the first thing that would come to my mind is “dissonance”. Some of you know my 20-year-old son Ethan (the red-headed guitar player). Well, he put it perfectly, “I’m already on tour, I don’t know how to go to work anymore”.

Folks, we are all already on tour, we’re just not.

James Taylor said, “I’m going to Carolina in my mind”. Friends, there are 85 travelers that are all currently in Canada in our minds. I’ve been to Banff with New G before, but the wonderful thing about this tour is that your imagination and memory are kind of like photographs; they just don’t do it justice. I’m already there, imagining coming around the corner and the bottom of the Earth seeming to fall out from under you as the valley between mountains opens up ahead, how the glacier water is so clear as to have no flavor and at the same time be one of the best drinks you’ve ever had, singing in Helena, MT as the church opens a giant shade in the front of their sanctuary revealing a floor to ceiling window pointed at a mountain view.

But we’re not there… we’re here – in a weird mood.

Anxiety isn’t the right word. But anxiety is definitely part of it for some of our kiddos. I asked Ava Schweder if she was excited about leaving on her first tour. She shrank her head and shoulders back the way only teenage girls do, and I could see the conflict wash over her face as she squeaked out a, “Yeaaahhhh…”. I’ve seen that look of excitement mixed with terror on a hundred kids’ faces over the years. Don’t worry, Ava… we got you, I know it’s a weird feeling, bud.

Stress isn’t the right word. But stress is definitely part of it for our parents and sponsors. Our tour meeting this year was quite a bit different because when we head this direction we are just tackling so many unusual things. Passports, birth certificates, IDs, white water rafting. I get to have the vantage point of watching Carol and Emily organize all of that while all of our parents rightly have so many questions – and often not much more than a grunt from their teenagers when they try to figure out what they need. Dopey kids… Don’t worry, parents!!! We have only ever left one kid at the border. He now roams the Canadian wilderness and the locals call him “Bigfoot”.

I can already hear my wife telling me that isn’t funny… 0 kids – we’ve left a total of 0 kids at the border, PROMISE!!!!

And of course, excitement is definitely not the right word. Oh, it’s there too, pulling as a counterweight to the stress and anxiety. Bus buddies, secret pals, room partners, work crews, packing – it’s got everyone all spun up and buzzy. But mere excitement is too small.

Nope, this is a mood that is just begging for a release of the tension. That is what send-off is for! All of this work culminating in a time for us all to get together and consecrate the trip. We’ll all speed off like a bullet on Saturday, and you all will be left here holding the gun – but the gunpowder is exploded and what is going to happen is set in motion – no stopping it then. Good news, though… You have aimed well!

I’ll see you all on Saturday… I CAN’T WAIT.

I guess I should get some work done now…