On the Road

We’re finally in motion! After months of planning for our trip and weeks of packing up, stowing away, giving away, cleaning up and clearing out our house for the renters who will move in this weekend, we are en route to Brazil, via California, where we will eventually fly from Sacramento to Chicago to Sao Paulo to Belo Horizonte next Tuesday.

But before that very long day of flying, we had another long one in the car. Yesterday we had a twelve-hour drive, starting before dawn, to Brian’s parents’ house in Davis. Five hours in, Ginger announced that she was ‘done being in the car.’ Weren’t we all! But the kids did an amazing job entertaining themselves and us for that many hours.

Some high-lights on the road…
Seeing the street sign ‘Chicken Dinner Road’ outside of Marsing (makes me want to take that right turn and see what’s down there)
Driving through southeast Oregon at dawn, as the high desert was cast in light and shadow, while we listening to the Star Wars soundtrack. It was more on the annoying side when Bas requested the same album for the tenth time in Nevada. Although slightly endearing that Brian could describe what was happening in the movie based on the music.
Bas asking questions like “Where does the sky begin?”
Ginger requesting then serenading us to the Gourds’ “Country Girl” (wake up wake up! We’re going to the country…)

Arriving to an empty house - Brian’s parents, JoAnn and Dave (who just celebrated his 70th birthday in late July) are out hiking a chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail this summer - we quickly shed our road weariness for a dip in a public pool then dinner out at the fantastic evening farmer’s market in downtown Davis. Now we’re spending the next 4 days at the family cabin on the Russian River, just chilling with the kids. We’ll even get to spend a few days with JJ, Kira, Sophie and Leo.

You forget what a fortunate situation you are in to be able to pick up and try something new for awhile until it’s time to say your goodbyes. That’s when friends and random folks who hear of your adventures away tell you how envious or happy or in awe of your life they are. We were lucky enough to spend our last evening in Boise with some wonderful friends. The children ran around while we sat and chatted over glasses of various concoctions and talked about random things.

It’s bitter-sweet to say goodbye to the good life you are leading at that moment. You have to hope that the one you are leaving it for is just as rewarding in its own way and that you’ll be welcomed back to the fold when you finally come back home.