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Research Road Trip

October 9, 2019 By Dani Pettrey

Hi friends, 

Excited to be back with you all today! Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going well so far. If you’re waiting for the weekend, you’re halfway there. Yay!

Last weekend my hubby and I took a road trip. Not far. Just from Maryland to Pennsylvania. It’s a trip we take often. We have friends in Lancaster and my husband gets his tattoo work done there. Yes, he has many. And, each has special significance. My favorite is the Greek word Tetelestai. 

Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means “to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish.” It’s the Greek word for Christ’s last words on the cross, “It is finished,” which is found in John 19:28-30. 

I love this because it lets us know that Christ defeated death once and for all that day and that all who believe in Him, all who repent of their sins and call on Him to be their Savior, will spend eternity with Him. 

Every trip we take up to Lancaster, we talk about the meaning behind the work he’ll be getting, we talk about our lives and about our faith. Each trip is special and unique. And, each trip spurs story ideas. This trip was no different. It’s amazing how one thing we see along our road trip or during our time in Lancaster (this time we spent the weekend) can trigger an idea for the research behind a book or an idea for a scene, or something I just want to know more about. 

Here are some snapshots of our time there and possibly some clues about what you’ll see popping up in a future story of mine. 

We stopped at a coffee shop. I know, very surprising for me! It was finally starting to feel like Autumn and we were able to share the most delectable danish outside in a beautiful courtyard. 
For the other two photos, I’ll just leave to your imagination of how they might fit into a future story of mine ☺ 

Reader Question:

Are you a fan of road trips? If so, what was your favorite trip? If not, how do you like to travel? 

Look forward to hearing your answers! 

Have a blessed week, 

Dani 

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Dani Pettrey

Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as "a name to look for in romantic suspense," Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.
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Comments

  1. Lynn Austin says

    October 9, 2019 at 5:46 am

    My husband and I recently took a road trip to northern Michigan in his little convertible sports car. I love the freedom from “normal” and seeing new things.

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      That sounds like a lot of fun, Lynn. I’ve been wanting to check out the coastal towns up there.

  2. Julie Rush says

    October 9, 2019 at 6:51 am

    My husband and I love to take remote back roads, you find some of the coolest spots and treasures hidden in those places!

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:47 pm

      That’s so true. You never know what you’ll discover.

  3. Karen Witemeyer says

    October 9, 2019 at 7:14 am

    My hubby loves taking road trips. I always enjoy them once I’m in the middle of them, but I have a horrible tendency to think I’m too busy or too tired to take them. I’m so thankful that he kicks me out of my rut every now and then. I never regret it. There’s something special about spending time alone with your spouse, away from all other responsibilities that really rejuvenates the soul. Maybe after I turn in my latest rewrites in, we can find an excuse to get away again. 🙂

    Oh, and that gorgeous rosette Danish looks fabulous. So intricate and lovely. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I want to go to that shop just to try that Danish!

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:48 pm

      Yep. There is something so special just being away from it all with your hubby. Mike and I love it. Praying your rewrites are going well and then you hit the open road 🙂

      The Danish was amazing!

  4. Rosie says

    October 9, 2019 at 7:42 am

    We take lots of road trips to Lancaster, usually once a month, sometimes for a couple of days but usually just for the day. We know there are other places in this world, but we can’t seem to get past Lancaster County Pennsylvania! We seldom go into town because there are so many things to do on all the back roads.

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:48 pm

      Oh how fun. We love Lancaster too. Such a cool town.

  5. Gena Bessire says

    October 9, 2019 at 11:43 am

    Most of our road trips are to visit family. We live across the state from both sides of our family, so we travel often to hang out, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and just because. 🙂 I am grateful to whatever genius decided to put a movie player in the car because it makes our carload of kiddos happy to jump in and take a drive to grandma and grandpa’s while my husband and I get to talk.

    We are hoping to get away for longer, memory-making road trips now that our whole crew is old enough to enjoy them. Memories for them, fodder for stories for me. 🙂

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:50 pm

      Sounds like fun and movies make a huge difference.

      Longer family road trips are great. We did a cross country one from Maryland to the Grand Canyon with lots of stops on the way. It is one of our favorite memories.

  6. Joy Tiffany says

    October 9, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    Now that I’m hooked on audiobooks, road trips are a lot more fun for me. (I used to spend road trips sleeping in the backseat as long as I had the privilege of being a passenger! LOL) Probably my most memorable road-trip was when I was about 10 years old. My brother (who drove truck for a living) took our parents and me on a trip up to New England. We saw some pretty amazing sites!

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      What a great memory! And, audio books rock.

  7. Caryl Kane says

    October 9, 2019 at 4:25 pm

    I’d rather fly than take a road trip.

    • Dani says

      October 9, 2019 at 5:50 pm

      Flying definitely has its advantages.

  8. Rebecca A Reed says

    October 10, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    My daughter, exchange student and I took a road trip from Indiana to California and back. It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. So much to see and do. We listened to the Gifting series by Katie Ganshert on audiobook. It was amazing to share so much with people I love.

  9. Susan Field says

    October 13, 2019 at 4:48 pm

    I found your husband’s tattoo interesting, but have to wonder what it will look like in 20, 30 or more years. My husband and I have been married for 58 years, and he got his tattoo 2 or 3 years before we met. Today, people who look at his tattoo on his arm are barely able to make out what it is, or was. He was in the Marine Corps when he got it and it’s an eagle with a banner in its beak. Just looks like a blob to most people today. Obviously I wish people wouldn’t get tattoos because I know what they’ll look like many years from now. Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Hope to read your newest book one day, but have many others waiting now. Wishing you well with your newest book.

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