I have had several ups and downs in this arena.

Since my last post my Great Grandmother has passed away. I can honestly say that I think of her daily. I’m truly regretful that I could not have found a better way to be closer to her. I do my best to not dwell on it as I cannot change the past.

This past July/August I made a trip to California and saw my Dad for the first time in six (almost seven) years. We did not get along very well, which I guess I expected. Luckily, I only spent about a day and a half there.

At that point, my brother and I took a road trip together from San Diego to Tallahasee. We stood like too tiny ants on the side of the Grand Canyon and looked down. We oohed and awed at the site of the Petrified National Forest. We ate food laiden with chilis in New Mexico. We enjoyed the company of my Grandparents, Aunt and cousins in Texas. We chowed down on some local favorites in New Orleans. We brushed the edges of the Gulf Coast. And we got him unpacked and in his new settings at graduate school.

It was a fanastic time.

Currently, I am gearing up for winter which does not yield many traveling opportunities for me. My Grandparents are wanting me to swing down to Houston around Christmas. However, due to vacation availability at work, I am unsure of how easy this may be. I would really like for my boyfriend to be there with me if I can swing it. He went down there the first Thanksgiving we spent together and I’ve wanted it to happen again ever since. It is one of two times I’ve gotten to be in a house full of people I truly care about.

Next warm season I am hoping to ride my bike across Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and George to my brother’s place in Florida. These are states I really want to see more of. And now I have a good excuse for getting down there. Hopefully I can make this work with money and my employer.