Dallas (Homelessness) - "A Plate of Happy"

The Dallas trip left Columbia this morning a little before 9 AM, south-bound for Texas! We had a bumpy start, pulling over a few times to take care of some personal stomach issues. We got our bearings together and sang along to our playlist of "is this already nostalgic?" 90s songs.

When we got to Arkansas, we were all surprised at how beautiful the state is. Despite some rainstorms, we loved the view outside our van windows. We wish we could say the same thing about Oklahoma. They could really use some work on their roads!

We stopped at a gas station in middle-of-nowhere Oklahoma, where we had our first opportunity to interact with and help a homeless person. A disheveled man was standing at the corner, and Kate had the idea to give him some of our overflowing stock of snack foods. She and Eliot listened to his story of moving from California after being attacked by a stranger from behind, leaving him disabled with a severely broken shoulder. He was living with his sister, but they "did not see eye-to-eye" and he found himself without a home. He was appreciative of our gift, and was just as eager to hear about our lives at Mizzou as we were to hear of his life. He gave us a hand-made cross with a poem attached to show his appreciation.

In the final stretch of the drive, John treated us to a performance of "It's Raining Men" as his alter-ego, Daniqua. Ashley just about died laughing, and we expect Daniqua to make future appearances.

When we arrived at the Woodiel residence, we were floored by their hospitality. They are already being so kind as to house us for a week, but they added to that generosity by cooking us one of the most amazing meals of our lives ("I am eating a plate of happy") and being kind and welcoming. We are excited and fortunate to be staying with them this week (and their 30-pound cat, Snowflake).

As a group, we are already clicking and having a great time. It's hard to believe twelve relative strangers can be so comfortable with each other so quickly. Expect many updates from us throughout the week as we begin working in the homeless shelters of one of the nation's largest cities!