Plans... as it were

So I am making my way across the Upper South/General Midwest back home to the Great Plains. This might be the worst-planned trip I've done in a while. My communication - especially with those at home - has been random, spur-of-the-moment, sporadic, and sparingly done. I was going to stay with my friend Kristi but we had a mix-up as far as communication went and that ended up not working out, so I'm staying with Amy. Which is fine, fun, and not a problem in either camp, just not what was planned on. However the PLAN wasn't really well developed or communicated in the first place.
The good news is that Amy, Kristi, and I are all Missions Majors, single, and young, and therefore perfectly fine with hopping around, switching plans, revising things here and there and postponing things or adding things or what have you.
However, on my family's end that doesn't work so well. There are far more people involved, car situations to manage and figure out, work schedules and co-ops to work around, parents don't enjoy driving for hours and hours in the wintertime as my peers and I (who think we've accomplished something all grown up and independant when we semi-risk our lives pulling a stunt like hours and hours driving thru cornfields after missing the right exit on the interstate and not wanting to back-track so pull out the map and revise our plans so that we keep moving forward, albeit at a far slower pace than on the interstate) and have been under intense stress and bizzare living arrangements for a while which makes spur-of-the-moment plan changes or sketcy communication an unwelcome complication.
So then therefore, I once again must pull myself back out of the clouds and back into reality where people are considerate of one another and communicate, and don't do things madly dashing about without thinking things thoroughly through and planning logically.
I will say its a good conviction to have such wake-up calls to my absent-mindedness, but I'll also admit to the irritation I feel when people can't do things as haphazardly as I do. In my mind, it's not that big of a deal and merely something to work around: a puzzle to be conquered.
But that's the thing about considering others. My own mindset is not the only one to consider. One day I too will quite possibly be managing a large(r) number of people, be working with adverse circomstances and challenging scenarios.
It's always a huge debate within myself between what my friends at college call "The Gypsy in Rachel" - to simply drop all and travel wherever, whenever, contact people when I show up or when I get to where I'm going .... or afterwards - and the need to be considerate of others and keep them happy and considered and pleased with me. Where I'm at or where I'm going is what is in my mind - where I have been (if I'm focused on where I'm at) or where I am (if I'm focusing on where I'm going) for some reason doesn't register as important. This is useful in ministry in that it helps putting oneself whole-heartedly into whatever is being done immensily... but it's TERRIBLE if there's people in one's life - say a Mom - who care and are effected by decisions.

So... all that to say... apologies all around to those who weren't communicated with effectively this trip cross-country. Hopefully with the acquizition of a cell phone I'll be easier to get ahold of.
Oh... wow... I'll own a cell phone again....
Not sure whether to gasp in pleasure or groan in dread.

Off to do some reading before bed.

~Princess Ouch~
(literally in this case)