Hooray for Family!

Brad and I are hesitant to settle down in Utah for many reasons, but I would have to say that most of my desire to move back east is to be closer to family. We get to see our family so rarely, and it's hard to feel connected to family events (new babies, illnesses, ridiculous month-long marathons). I experience a flood of relief when I think about leaving Utah tomorrow. It's like I've been held hostage and I have finally been allowed to go home.

I'm still pretty sad that we wouldn't be able to squeeze in a trip to Cincinnati. I miss home. But, while I can't go home right now, I have been very blessed lately with opportunities to see my family. Nathanael popped over the other day, and I saw Clara and Mom at my uncle's wedding. Even cooler is that Dad is going to drive down to Lexington Monday to intersect us on our trip. That's a display of true fatherly devotion. And amazingly, Joey is going to be in NC when we are, staying only an hour away from Greg. I feel like the universe is compensating for my inability to visit Porkopolis. Hopefully Nicole will be able to come out here soon with Lulu. I really want to see my niece :)

I'm probably going to be able to meet Tookie, which scares me to death. I'm terrified that she won't like me. I really admire her already and hope that she appreciates my high opinion of her. Brad says that I remind him of her. It would be very cool if that were true. Who knows? Might be. He says that he's going to buy one of her paintings, regardless of how much it costs. He's a really cute grandson.

In summary, family is one of the most beautiful things in the world. I'm glad that Brad and I are taking a vacation that celebrates our love for our family. I pray that all of mankind will be blessed with similar opportunities.

P.S. Our trip is also an opportunity to hoard cans of skyline and boiled peanuts. Can you blame us?

Onward, Eastward

Natalie and I will be driving out east to North Carolina tomorrow. My family is planning to move out of my childhood home (to which they moved in just before I was born) and we're going to help and ensure the safety of my junk that's been kept at home. This is especially important for us to do since Dad had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and has not yet recovered to the point that he can operate independently.

We made a similar trip just after the wedding last year. I think we learned a few things:

1. Don't camp out next to a Missouri swamp unless you want to feed the local insect population with your blood.
2. Keep the car as free of clutter as you can. This doesn't just mean trash, but everything in general. No need to have mounds of snacks and food in the back seat.
3. A well-organized trunk makes life better.
4. The driver, in general, gets to pick the media, no matter how much Bradley doesn't like it.
5. Dress comfortably; you'll be sitting for a long time. But make it something you'll feel good about yourself in. Sometimes when dressing too casually, in pajama pants, it's easy to start feeling bad about myself.
6. Twizzlers are not food, but you must have them while traveling. Keep a small supply and remember that you're not normally eating almost every second of the day when you're not spending all your time in the car.
7. Expect to have some fights along the way. Deal with them properly! The mental demands of long road travel are rigorous and affect emotions easily. This is alright and unavoidable, but there's a right way and a wrong way to deal with it.
8. Stop somewhere interesting. Yeah, you're trying to make good time, but no one said you couldn't have a good time while you're at it.

We will probably deviate from all these tidbits of travel wisdom before the end, but I thought it'd be nice to write a few of them down. Maybe it will help me remember them. Wish us luck!