My visit North -- a wrap up

Spending 2 1/2 weeks on vacation was a new experience for me. I usually only go away for a week at a time, but my schedule and money situation allowed for a longer visit with the family. I returned home yesterday feeling refreshed and rejuvenated (aside, of course, from the need to grocery shop and run errands and just get back to normal. I mean, seriously, I moved into my new place on June 10th and have spent five nights in my own bed!).

Upstate really is my home. My parent's home is situated on a large lot of land (something like 20 acres), and it is wide, open space. B gets to run around and never be on a leash. The air is clearer, and the sky is bluer. When it's not raining! But even after the rain stops, the sky is beautiful and the clouds make amazing formations. Spending time with Mom and Pops (as well as the rest of the family) reminds me of where I come from and how I became who I am. So much of me is embedded in the people and the hills and the valleys of CNY. It's sometimes too easy to lose sight of that when I'm so far away.

But don't get me wrong, I love my life down here. Especially with all of my new opportunities!! I like being in the city with great restaurants and fun things to do and see. I like the hustle and bustle of an urban setting. I just need to have that time to collect myself and find my center once in a while. And two weeks was wonderful! It gave me time to relax and reconnect with the people who mean the most to me.

But, sadly, now it's back to the daily grind. I've got a dissertation to work on and lessons to plan and a house to make a home ...