I’m in Ohio. Have been for almost 4 weeks. This is the point
where we would be moving to our next country. So it’s still a little weird to
sleep alone in a full sized bed and actually have a closet and accessible warm
shower. But home is good. It’s very snowy in Ohio, uncommon for this time of
year, but it’s been nice getting ready for the holidays. And although it’s
cold, snow definitely puts me in the Christmas mood.
Some of my family came to visit last week. My World Race
family. Ever since Tyler figured out that my house was a mere two hours away
from the “A Christmas Story” house, he’s been talking about a road trip.
So he and Brook, both from Alabama, made it happen. And a
very enthusiastic Bek decided to fly in from California and join the fun.
We went to the Christmas Story house in Cleveland. It was
perfect. There were several inches of snow on the ground and it was snowing
exactly like it did in the last scene of the movie on Christmas night. Tyler
was in heaven.
Bek, Brook and I had worked with a couple in Thailand who
were in Ohio for the holidays. So we packed up and headed over to see them and
their two adorable kids.
I wondered if this visit would be weird. All of a sudden
integrating my pre-race life with the people that watched me change over the
past year.
There wasn’t a moment where it was awkward. I talked to an
old friend on the phone and she asked if it was strange or hard to have these
people at my home.
No. It was easy, like the Staples “that was easy” button.
They know me so well, that it doesn’t matter where we are, or what we’re doing.
We experienced so much together that we became family. And with family,
situations don’t matter. I can be anywhere with them and it will feel like
home.
So Thank you, Bek, Brook and Tyler. Thank you for being my family.
