Day Eight – We Made It!

One of the things that we (mostly Lisa) didn’t realize about California is how long it takes to get anywhere in California! We spent the better part of Friday getting from Burbank to Santa Monica Pier and back. But we couldn’t start at the beginning in Chicago and not end at the end in Santa Monica! So off we went.

Other than driving past the Warner Bros Studio in Burbank — and seeing that famous water tower! — there wasn’t a ton of sightseeing or stopping to do. Our mission was simply to get to the END OF THE ROAD. Fortunately, Jean had the presence of mind to leave her homeless kits and snacks in the Impala rather than bring them up to our hotel room, because we found a lot of people experiencing homelessness spending their time in the park next to the pier. We spent a good hour handing out snacks and kits, and visiting with a couple of people who seemed eager to talk with us. Everything we brought was gone by the time we left the pier, which was exactly how we wanted it. This felt like the biggest “kindness day”, both because we had so much with us to give out, and because we actually connected with the people we were giving to. If there is any takeaway to be had in this trip, I hope readers realize that you don’t need to make grand, expensive gestures to make a difference to someone. The kits Jean put together were maybe $10 each, but the response from the recipients was incredible. We discovered many times on this trip that opportunities to be kind found us more than we found them. We just happened to be prepared.

After taking the required photos and enjoying a light lunch at the pier, we made the trek back to Burbank. It was the end of our Route 66 kindness road trip, but just the beginning of our convention weekend. Random Acts was already setting up for the convention that evening, so we pitched in to help. We are both on staff at Random Acts as well, so it was good to see people we don’t get to see that often, and lend a hand in preparation for the convention.

All in all, we both loved taking this kindness road trip down Route 66. One of the things we discovered time and time again was the warmth and friendliness of the people we met on our way. Not only did we put kindness out there as we had planned, but we received it back in at least equal measure, if not more. Thank you for following our journey down Route 66! If you would like to know more about any of the places we explored or the acts of kindness we did, just drop us a note. We would love to hear from you!