Well, I made it back to Iowa. Michelle and I decided not to wait until Tuesday morning to leave because the car was packed on Monday afternoon and we were bored. So we left about 3pm on Monday… and drove home. It was so fun because I’ve always wanted to roadtrip with friend and really haven’t had the opportunity to do so till now. I drove the whole way and it rained the entire way home!!! When we reached about Peoria, IL (about 4am), we stopped at a rest car and slept in the car for two hours. My car was so full of stuff I was bringing home that we couldn’t put our seats back at all, so we had to sleep sitting straight up. Fun times, let me tell you. 🙂 We made it home though, about 10am Iowa time on Tuesday and suprised the family. 🙂 We spent the day with the family, and then I went with Michelle to Carroll, Iowa to spend the night and morning with her. Good times.
It was good to drive home. It rained, never hard, but constantly, 18 and a half out of 20 hours on the road. We had fun though – creating new dance moves in the car to loud dance music at 3 in the morning is probably most memorable! We drove up from Gainesville, through Chattanooga, cut the corner of Kentucky, then into Illinois and then to Iowa. It was cool to watch the landscape change as we drove north, out of the mountainous areas and into the great midwest. I wish that I could express in words better how it feels and looks driving back into the midwest landscape again. Rolling hills speckled with cows, different from the small mountains of North Georgia, and the jagged rocks along the interstate in Tennesee and Kentucky. It felt good to come home. I know that it took my family a long time to call Iowa ‘home’ after we left Colorado, but it is to me now for sure.
Once I got back from Carroll yesterday I went in to my old job – Court Ave. Restaurant to visit friends there. I had a chance to just sit and visit with one of my managers for a couple hours and get caught up. I went back today for lunch to say hi to whoever was working lunch today. Its been nearly a year since I was an employee at Court Ave., but having made so many friends there, it’s part of ‘coming home’ for me as well. I hope to have dinner with a few one evening soon.
After lunch I came to my Anne’s house (my sister) to visit and to work online. My neice, Julianna, is 19 months old and so much fun. She didn’t know me when I saw her first on Monday, but after today, I think we shall be best friends!! As we should be. I have let her play with phone, my camera, my chapstick and I gave her chocolate. Hmmm… I think I am a great aunt!! We are having lots of fun, which is, consequently, why it has taken me three hours to write this much in this blog!! She is talking quite a bit, though not a whole lot is inteligible, and likes to be chased, like most babies. 🙂 She has been laughing a lot, and is so distracting because she’s so cute. It gives me a greater appreciation for moms who try to get anything done at all!! She’s so cute when she runs, and her hair is light and whispy and sticking up. Oh, I do miss being around her more.
Anyway, I have a friend from Kansas City passing through Des Moines tonight, so we will be meeting for dinner. I’m looking forward to getting caught up with him as well.
