On the Road Again ...

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Wednesday! Well, there is nothing quite like a long road trip to get the cobwebs and thoughts of work out of the brain. Dani and I left Sunday morning to take in the beautiful drive from New Jersey to Houston, Texas, where we have had the pleasure of spending quality time with family from both sides. From Houston, we drive up the East Coast to stop in Atlanta, Knightdale, NC, and Richmond areas to see folks before we head overseas. After all, what child of my mother's would I be if I took this kind of time off and neglected to take the chance to see some distant relatives!?

Sunday was gorgeous: driving through the mountains of West Virginia, watching the trees change from early-Spring bud growth to the full foliage of more Southern states, and enjoying singing along to music along the way. We both brought books and other items to keep us occupied, but nothing was cracked but our windows to let the fresh air in and to take photos of the passing countryside as we drove towards the Southern coast. After our first 11 hours, we arrived in Louisville, Kentucky, where our buddy, Buford, just happened to be attending a conference and had invited us to share his space for the night. Thanks again, Dr. B! So glad to have had the chance to see you before we leave!

We left around 9:15 on Monday to make the 14 hour-leg of the driving trip, the longest we'll encounter as we visit with folks along the way. It was another gorgeous day of driving and staring out the windows. We took turns napping, and Dani passed into Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas for the first time. Once I have access to our camera and a bit of time, look for a post with a link to photos from the states we enjoyed! (I hear you, Jorge! Thanks for the comment!)

We watched the mountains turn into flat field lands, the traffic dwindle in comparison with home, and the foliage deepen in its green tones. Of course, we picked up some BBQ as soon as possible, in Arkansas. (Dani tried to hold out until Texas, but didn't quite make it ... returning to her home state always seems to include many trips to the local watering holes for BBQ and Tex-Mex ... I don't complain!) Aunt Peggy Darroh was awaiting us upon our late-night arrival in her true Night Owl fashion, always the gracious hostess with dinner at the ready (just in case we hadn't eaten!) and an open house of food and beverages. Thank you so much, Aunt Peggy!

After a night's rest, we met up with the Holland crew at Aunt Betty and Uncle Phil's, where LeeAnn, Kimberly, and Andrew all skipped out of school to join us for lunch. I seem to be a popular cousin, and perhaps a bad influence coming into town, taking the teens from their classes. There were few complaints and it was an amazing time to catch up and share some family stories. Thank you all again for making the effort to come on out, and for the great lunch, Aunt Betty! We'll look forward to seeing you again around Christmastime, hopefully!

To complete our full day, we met up with Dani's dad and stepmom for a lovely evening, when we enjoyed seeing their photos from a recent six weeks in Hawaii and their continued dreams of permanently relocating to their home in Montana instead of spending part of the year in Houston and obviously "too little" up North. We look forward to seeing Chuck in Spain sometime in November after tax season. Now it's in print, Chuck, so you MUST COME! :)

Now, we have enjoyed some tamales for lunch (did I mention the Tex-Mex cravings?) and are looking forward to another full evening of dining with Dani's uncle, aunt, and cousins, followed by an opportunity to meet up with my cousin, Buddy, for a bit after he's done with work tonight! Houston is full of great opportunity to see loved ones! It's so nice to be here!!

Be good to each other!

Love,

Martha