It was actually a really nice trip

Okay I’m done with the “actually” jokes-had to get one more in there.
The first leg of the journey-from SD to IN went smoothly. Adeline and I had some good conversation about Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, love and logic, periods (the girl thing), fashion, and ice storms. It’s warming to go on a road trip with someone and get to know that person better-especially when that person is my daughter whom I already know so well. We swam both nights at our hotel even though we were tired. We took pictures of the most beautiful ice covered trees at rest stops in Iowa. We ate at Steak and Shake where she had a mint chocolate shake with mini chocolate chips so small they went up the straw. We pushed it a little hard to get as close to Madison as possible because a huge winter storm was predicted for our last travel day to IN-and the predictions were correct. Saturday morning the snow did fall and I fretted for awhile. I couldn’t decide if I should stay another night where I was as some people were doing, go a little further south closer to our destination and hopefully a cheaper hotel, or if I should do as originally planned and travel to Nashville after leaving Adeline in Madison. Despite the ominous warnings on tv and the national weather service, and after a couple calls with Eric we decided to meet a little further along the interstate then I would continue south. The traffic crawled at about 20 mph on the interstate and by the time I got to our meeting place it was sleeting and snowing and raining. While waiting we shopped for old fashioned candy for stocking stuffers at a ubiquitous Cracker Barrel. It was just raining by the time we were done. I crawled along again until just after Louisville where it was pouring rain but not frozen. Visibility still sucked for a while-we just don’t get rain like that here.
Once I got to Nashville I drove up and down I65 a few times looking for an exit that didn’t exist. So instead I pulled off on an exit and explored the downtown area until I found a Holiday Inn where I knew I could access free wi fi and mapquest. Then I made my way to Brad’s hostel for weary travelers.
I hadn’t seen my friend Karrie in nine years. We’ve kept in touch but something is always lost in translation when communication is limited to emails, blogs, and an occasional card in the mail. But after a few minutes I knew it wouldn’t be an awkward weekend-not that I was horribly afraid it would be. It really is comforting to have a friend who hasn’t change so drastically she is unrecognizable, in both spirit and body, yet has evolved enough that she is a better version of the person I once knew. It was also a good reminder to myself to not abandon parts of myself that I cherish but have maybe let go dormant a little too long or at least haven’t let shine like I should.
I felt a little like Anthony Bourdain- traveling and experiencing parts of the world unexplored by tourists-the local shops and eateries, the neighborhoods and ghetto Kroger’s. I also got to go to the yuppified yet still awesome Whole Foods and Whole Body.
I think its great that organic and sustainable living has reached the higher income and mainstream market as long as it stays accessible to others. I admit I am a yippie (a yuppie and hippie combined) I’m nostalgic for beater cars and makeshift gadgets. I still look for a bargain and try to work from a budget. I try to compost, recycle, and grow my own food. Yet I like to be able to afford higher end tools, appliances, cars, technology, and homes (although I’m perfectly happy buying a cheap home and fixing it up to my specifications).
And for my fellow natural mom readers, how jealous does it make you feel that my friend had/has friends who live on The Farm-that she is so close to a community that respects the woman’s right to birth naturally and in an environment that is comfortable for her-aww such seemingly little freedoms.
Later Brad came home. We chatted, went to a movie (anyone remember the French film The Red Balloon?), chatted some more at a coffee shop, chatted some more at Brad’s while sipping tasty chokecherry jelly in port form, and watched Planet Earth. Brad is one of those humans who is genuinely interested in other people-at least that’s how I felt when we conversed. I realized only later that he asked so many questions about me that I didn’t even think to ask much about him. But I learned enough to see how beautifully he and Karrie fit-they get each other. I rarely get to spend time with couples let alone couples who are healthy together and as individuals.
I could have stayed longer but was starting to feel the sting of Adeline’s absence and wanted to get home to my own partner. So I pushed myself again and made it home in two days. My ankles were not happy-they were really scary and swollen. But they are slimmed down now. My creative projects for the holidays are done (mostly), the house is cleaned, the tree is down, my office is organized, the shopping is nearly done, and since everyone cancelled for our annual New Years Eve Party, I have time to get this blog written and posted.
Four days just Josh and me bumming around the house-what a good start to the New Year.

23 weeks

Happy Holidays!