-four cities, five states, nearly 1500 miles, $175 in gas (much of which was supplemented by my gracious father), and three family get-togethers (two with my own family :) ). Good times. Sore butt. Yay for holidays!
Thanksgiving break highlights:
-I caravaned with Wheaton friends Kristy and Elizabeth all day Wednesday to Kristy's family's place in Cleveland, TN (just north of Chattanooga)to enjoy Thanksgiving with them, as my families' celebrations were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. We stopped for gas just north of Indy, and during our brief filling-and-emptying stop, Kristy and I each had separate "Yay! We're out of the cold city and back where people acknowledge you and treat you like a person!" experiences. My cashier saw me walking past the women's restroom and said, "Ya walked right past it, honey!" Then after taking my first installment on the Turkey Day Gas Fund, she reminded me "Have a good Thanksgiving, honey!" I left the gas station with a warm glow in my Chicago-frosted heart. I was still driving, but I was already closer to home.
-Our 10 hour trip dragged into 12 hours, due to the heavy rains that pestered us all day.
When we finally arrived at Kristy's house, we were road-weary and more than ready for the warm reception we received. This was my first experience living with a family in the south (I've been to the south, but you don't really start to understand a culture until you get the insider-experience of living with the locals). Kristy's mom and dad, Dawana and Don, were exactly what I expected in my tv/movie/stereotype of downhome, good southern folk. Don was quiet, but told me all about his deer hunting and the local legend of "Poor Ma", pronounced "poehmaw" by those who know. Poor Ma is a bobcat that's been in the area since Don was a kid. Some nights you can hear her screaming- just like a woman's scream. Don and his brothers and sisters used to be threatened with Poor Ma when they were lolly gagging outside too long on summer evenings, "If y'all don't get in here, Poemaw's gonna gitcha!" DaWana says some people claim it's a woman screaming, without a head. We all silently pondered the difficulty of screaming without a head for a while.
-Thanksgiving with the McClanahans was a treat.
Most of the dishes I recognized- turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls, creamed corn, and a plethora of desserts. We also had cornbread dressing (not to be confused with stuffing, as I was to learn) and okra. Both were really good. The dressing was solid, and cut and served in little squares. Not at all like the soft, moist bread-dressing I've grown up on. But I liked it. Went back for seconds, in fact. The best part of the meal was interacting with Kristy's family. Her aunt came, and a cousin and her husband, in addition to her immediate family. It was much smaller and quieter than the Foster gatherings I'm used too. Phrases like "fixin' tah..." and "Are you serious?!?" "As a heart attack" abounded, and I snuggled into the warm, familiarity of a family that was so comfortable together that they hardly noticed the invasion of a well-intentioned Yankee.
-I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and realized how much I miss stores like Wal-Mart, Big Lots, and local grocery stores.
I also enjoyed Friday shopping in Chattanooga with Kristy, Shelly (Kristy's sister), and Elizabeth. I was a shoppin' machine!!
-Friday afternoon I packed up and headed north. After 6 hours on the road, I arrived a little after 11pm at my cousin Jodi's house, I accepted her wonderful hospitality of the use of their guest suite by immediately showered and falling into bed. :) The next day we had a little visit time, together with another cousin, Sheri, before the hordes began to arrive for the Foster Family Thanksgiving. Per our usual mode of operation, we grazed until it was time to eat, then we ate, and then it was back to grazing until supper time. :)
The guys watched football, and we put together some new picture boards for Grandma and Grandpa, who'd just been moved to another nursing facility. We ladies did a little Christmas shopping before dinner. After eating I headed north again, stopping on the way to visit G&G in their new pad before truckin' on home to Ada.-Sunday morning I headed to my favorite church in the world, Union Chapel Missionary Church. It was, as usual, SO GREAT to see everyone. It was a quick visit, but long enough to put a little more family love in me before heading to my sister's house in Bellefontaine for a House Family gathering.
-Uncle David and Aunt Janie have been in the area for awhile, vacationing from their home in Oregon, so it was especially good to see them. It was also my only chance to see my brother and his family, including my wonderful nieces. We had a good visit over lasagna before it was time for me to head west.
-I hit the road (again) just before 3pm and started west. The raindrops literally began as I pulled out of the driveway, and continued for about five hours. :) But it was still a good trip. I made good time and came home to my roommates, who wanted to watch a movie, and far be it from me to dissuade a movie-watching opportunity! :)
Thanksgiving break reflections:
-1500 miles alone in the car gives one good thinking time. I thought about home vs. everywhere else. I thought about how when I was at home, going to Ecuador seemed like a terrible idea, but when I'm away, it seems like a good plan. I thought about how most of my friends at home are moving or have moved into a new stage of life- married with children, and how that distances them even further from where I am. And pondered what that's going to mean for our relationships. I thought about speed limits. Who decides which stretch of highway should be 55 and which should be 60? And is there really a difference? I thought about country people vs. city people.
I thought about the furry tail that was tied to the antenna of a car in my church's parking lot that morning, and how I would never see that in DuPage County, IL, and what a shame that second thought was. I thought about why some regions are just friendlier than others, and how the suburban lifestyle is so pursued and so overrated. How I'd rather be poor and live in the country than living high on Michigan Avenue.
-My future came up about 75 trillion times during the trip. I understand that people are curious, and even if they're not, it's logical to ask a near-graduate about their future plans. I wouldn't mind so much if I had something to say. But on the way home I tentatively decided to start packing. I think maybe I'll move home after graduation and look for a temp job, hopefully just through summer, when I hopefully will move to Ecuador and teach at a school there. Lots of uncertainty, but at least it's sort of a plan. And I know I should start packing.
Well, enough rambling for now. Real life is calling and I have things to do, places to go, etc. The break was wonderful, in spite of the long miles, and I'm excited to enjoy the advent season. Only 28 days 'til Christmas!
