Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Week One

Week one of American life has been, happily, relaxing. Decrompressing was the aim of the game. I've been surprised at how much I miss Jordan. I was absolutely dying to come home my last week there and, while I am basking in the joys of being home, I miss a few things about Jordan. I just want to tell everybody all the great experiences I had, crack all the inside jokes, and talk about the people who changed my life.
I missed the greenery.
So after my first day and a half of recover, my mom and I drove to California to visit all the family. Sadly, my dad wasn't able to get the time off work, so we left him to his own devices at home. We stopped in Grass Valley for a few days with my Aunt, Uncle, their dog, the sun, and the lake. This was exactly what I needed! I was just so surprised at the opportunity to show my legs in public.
Next, we were on to Lake Tahoe. Another one of my absolute favorite places in the world. Mom and I enjoyed a some time on the beach, a little kayaking, and good walking along the shore. Sadly, we had to leave the next day, but were on to other great things. Next was a visit with my Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Harley, along with their daughter and her two year old son, Jack. I spent the evening meeting Jack's dinosaurs, running around the backyard sniffing for "sharp-tooth" eggs, finding some (on the lemon tree), and then waiting for them to hatch. He was an absolute riot.
Next, on to my dad's side of the family. This time it was dinner and watching the Olympics with my Grandma, Aunt Bern, and Aunt Nancy. We ate at a restaurant, Melo's, that Grandma has been raving about for ages. My mom and I also stopped at a deli, Genova's, down the street and were in heaven. The place is like a little piece of New York life in the middle of Walnut Creek. That's when I told my mom I would live in New York one day just so she can come visit and we can get sandwiches at the local deli.
Lake Tahoe
Two more stops left....and yes, this was quite a whirlwind trip. We hadn't realized it, but we overextending ourselves a bit. Of course we love all our family and were happy to see them, but it was a bit intense moving around every single day. Next time we'll just have to take longer vacations.
Anyway, on to Kathy and Dave's house. My mom and Kathy have been friends since they were young nurses together. Kathy and I had a great discussion laying by the pool about her upcoming trip to Turkey. Since I went there a few months ago I tried to give any of the little advice or insight I had. It was really fun to have somebody pick my brain about my experience abroad. Many people are fairly disinterested and here I am just wanting to talk about it all the time. I keep going, "Well...in Jordan..." or "You know, Jordanians do this...." and I'm hoping I'm not driving anybody nuts just yet....
Finally, we hit Vacaville to visit my Aunt Kathy, her son Mike, and his family. We went out to dinner and then had another relaxing night of ice cream and Olympics. I missed the first half when I was in Jordan, so I was really trying to get my fill so that I could handle waiting another two years until the next Games.
All in all, I'd say it was a successful trip. I got to visit my family, eat great food, relax, and enjoy the sunshine. You can't ask for much more than that. But I am happy to have my own bed and absolutely no plans.

No comments:

Post a Comment