Home Sweet Home

There is just nothing quite like being home!  I'm so happy.

We did have a great time.  It was a memorable trip.  6350 miles.  16 states.   28 days. 

 (and not a cross word between us :)

It did take a while to get re-acclimated, to settle in.  First there was the unpacking and putting things away.  That was actually a pretty big job!  We had that car really packed, and both of us concluded that if we were to do such a trip again, we would pack a lot less, especially in the clothes department.  I actually took more shoes than I used.

There have been lots of chores around the house and yard to be done.  A storm hit the area on Sunday morning and broke off a big limb of one of our trees.  That had to be cut off and cut into pieces and disposed of.   There was the laundry to do and grocery shopping.  Gerry cut the grass.  I picked up the mail at the Post Office, and we sorted that.  Had to get the computers up and running again, and plug in the TV and let it get its brains back.

I've been pulling weeds out of flower gardens.  They are huge and massive with deep roots.  It will take a week to get that job done!

One might think that it would be fun to eat out every night, but nothing could be further from the truth!  I love to cook, and Gerry loves to eat my cooking.  We eat much more healthily at home.  We both feared that we had gained lots of weight during the traveling weeks,  but thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case.

Happiness is sleeping in your own bed and cooking your own food.

Plus, I must admit, we really love our routines!

Why Did You Go?

A friend we were visiting asked the question:  "What precipitated this trip?"   I didn't know the answer.  So I asked Gerry, and he didn't know the answer.

My answer:   "Because Gerry wanted to do it."
His answer:   "Because Nancy wanted to do it."

Even though we might not recall exactly how the whole thing got started, we are both really glad that we DID it.

We saw so many fascinating sights, learned so much interesting American history, visited so many lovely places.  We mostly avoided the interstates and saw the good ole U.S.A. via the roads that no one travels any more.

Even though we started each day with a specific destination at the end of our driving,  we never knew what we might encounter along the way.   We were constantly amazed and surprised by the things that popped up in each day.

So, we had the best of both worlds.  We had a plan and also lived completely in the present, frequently spontaneously.

If we ever happen to decide on another road trip, it definitely won't be that long.

But this one we can relish, and re-live, and laugh about for a long time into the future.

Lovely Surprises

We have only had a couple of rooms that were "duds", which isn't bad out of about 27 or so of them.  One or two of those were in locations where there were no other options.

This evening's discovery was a surprise indeed.  We left Ames, Iowa around noon, and traveled across the rest of the state, arriving in Le Claire.  Much to our surprise, the Holiday Inn Express sits facing, and just a few feet away from the Mighty Mississippi River! 

You cannot see it in this picture, but the room has a nice "sitting area" with sofa, and other amenities.   But the best part--our room overlooks the river!  We are just delighted.

Today we spent time at Iowa State University where Gerry received his PhD in 1966.  Of course, the campus has changed enormously in the past 47 years.  He visited buildings where he had studied and went inside to locate his old office space (which of course has been reconfigured countless times since).

We also spent some time viewing new and lovely botanical gardens there on the campus, the Reiman Gardens.  We have seen several such gardens on our journey and this one may well be the best garden experience of all, so it has been a really great day .

We even managed to stop and get an oil change along the way, which was overdue.  We located a place by using ipad and wireless at a Rest Stop and GPS to find it.  We are real "techies".

We are weary travelers at this point, and really did not expect to still find surprising and delightful things along the way.   We thought out "sightseeing"  was all over,  but you just never know!

The Last Stretch

We are approximately four days away from home.  I'm ready to be home, for sure. Can't wait.   In the next couple of days, we will be seeing, and staying with friends.  Hopefully, we will be good guests.

In light of some recent experiences, I can say I know something about how not to be a good host.  And it is not as if this is the first or only time to have such an experience----far from it.

Here is the basic rule I would like to share with others who are willing to hear it:

 In any social interaction,  do not talk exclusively about yourself, without including or asking about others.

I never fail to be amazed, and sometimes disappointed whenever that happens.  It seems so obvious,  so simple,  so natural to say:  "And tell me about you."  "What's going on in your life?"  "What have you been up to lately?"  "How is your family?"

Communicating is a shared experience.  It is not one person talking about themselves and the others listening.

Other than that, it has simply been an Iowa day.  And there is nothing more that I can say.

July 2013