Home again (briefly)

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We left Kiawah Island Sunday morning. The general rule is that it takes three hours each in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. It usually takes a little longer, but is a full day in any case. We had hoped to stop and see my sister-in-law, Echo, in Raleigh, but we were not able to reach her before we passed the turn, so decided to continue homeward rather than risk showing up unannounced. Echo, we will definitely see you soon.

It was remarkable when we crossed the state line into Virginia. We had managed to arrive at the peak of Fall color, and as the setting sun turned everything golden, we knew our home state was as beautiful as any we had visited on our journey.

The drive was uneventful, and we arrived Sunday evening, tired but happy. We decided to leave unpacking for the next day and fell gratefully into our own beds for the first time in six and a half weeks. During that time, we visited 27 states and one Canadian province. We saw an unending sequence of beloved friends and family, a great many of the natural wonders our country boasts, experienced the diminishing but still present regional differences in customs, food and lifestyles, encountered regional and native customs and people, and collected enough memories to last a lifetime. I had two haircuts, the car is overdue for its third oil change, and all of our clothes were washed at least three times (probably should have been more). We saw a number of the country's great cities, shared the monastic lives of monks in California and New Mexico, sampled beer in at least a half-dozen brewpubs, smoked Havana cigars, drank great Tennessee and Irish whiskey, and cooked a whole lot of pancakes in our trusty iron skillet.

It has been a splendid experience so far. We have traveled well together and I have taken the greatest pleasure from being with my sons. I wish Vicki could have been with us to experience it, but that was not meant to be. I am sure she journeyed with us in some way. The dream of her I had at Yellowstone was just one example of the way she remains in my consciousness. I have no doubt she would have relished the trip to the utmost. An enthusiastic camper, lover of scenic beauty, and most of all a loving wife, mother, family member and friend, her memory was part of our experience on every leg of the trip.

Tomorrow, we head off to Spain. It promises to be another outstanding trip. We chose it because it was the last place Vicki expressed an interest in visiting, telling us a year ago that "our next trip should be to Spain." We'll try to carry her enthusiasm with us over the next three weeks.

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Photos

Vicki, 2008
She remains with us, wherever we go.