Tour d' Midwest

As July wraps up (way too quickly!), I am currently home in Wisconsin for two weeks spending time with friends and family before I depart. Let me back up a week or so to July 16.

What a busy day! I woke up, went for a run in my neighborhood, made some telephone calls to change addresses and pay bills, sold the remainder of my big furniture (bed, nightstand, mirror, coffee table, lamps, TV, DVD player),

called Verizon and canceled my service as of Aug. 11 and had them unlock my phone (I THINK I can take my Iphone 4s with me and buy a local SIM card once in UAE), had lunch with some friends at Green,

 

got proof of employment by my school district, moved all of my remaining items and clothes up to my parents' condo, bought two suitcases (the biggest I could find!),

 

 

then returned to my guesthouse to clean (finished around 8:30) and headed back (again) to North Scottsdale and the condo to pack one of my gigantic suitcases for my two-week visit to Wisconsin.

After a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call, my friend Derek dropped me at Sky Harbor and I was on my way!

 

 

I spent my flight daydreaming. Thinking of all the people I was going to get to see and all those that I would have to say goodbye for now to. I had hopes to see all of my college roommates, a few people from Watertown, spend some quality time with my parents, go to my dad's family reunion, road trip down to Chicago, brunch with some high school girl friends and see my grandparents.

 

Landing in Milwaukee, I was picked up my friends Annie and Lindsey and got to meet Annie and Joel's new baby, Maggie. I spent the next two days with my Milwaukee-based college roommates (Lindsey, Beth, Annie, Angie, Dana and Kirby), staying with Annie and Joel. So wonderful to see my oldest and truest friends (and Kirby, who surprised all of us by driving down from Pulaski!) -- some of whom are now moms! So different from our nights out in La Crosse, but ladies, you are meant to be doing what you're doing now :) I am so proud of you and happy for this new chapter in your lives!

 

 

On Friday morning, Annie dropped me off in Oconomowoc and my mom scooped me up (first time seeing her since being home!) and we drove north to Sparta/Norwalk for my dad's family reunion. These reunions happen once every three years and it was the perfect opportunity to see and catch up with my grandma, uncles and cousins that I don't get to see often. In addition to eating fresh lobster tails, corn on the cob and pork from a pig on the farm (shot by my dad)! The Warriner cousins got involved in a heated volleyball tournament against the Flock family (another vein of family from one of my grandma's sisters), but lost in game three :(

 

 

During the nights this weekend, I drove into Onalaska to stay with Emilee, Mike and their son, Calvin and got to see Skye as well (two more college roommates). We were doubling over from laughter Friday night ... it felt good to let loose with people who know me so well!

Sunday morning I drove from Onalaska to Viroqua to visit my last college roomie, Chrissi, her husband, Duane and their son, Bronson. Went on a five-mile death run in the hilly countryside with the marathon sprinter : / I think I tripped on her dog, Elvis, half the way and died along the last half, and had to be brought back to life by Chrissi. Lol.

 

Finally, Monday evening, I made my way back to Watertown and had a yummy home-cooked meal with my mom and my dad. It felt different driving up to their house this time. Connected and detached at the same time. But good to be home :)

The next day I went to lunch with my parents and the young man and his wife (friend of the family) who is slowly but surely taking over my dad's business and I bumped into a high school friend on Main Street, who now has step-kids and is expecting his own this fall. I swear, Watertown is a time machine. You never know WHO you're going to run into! My mom and I went past my elementary school and got someone to let us in and tour. Douglas is completely different, I barely recognized it. With all places I have been before, I subconsciously take my mind back to when I was there before and look at the place with a new perspective. Being in that building catapulted me back into time, more than 20 years since I started kindergarten there. I touched everything, opened lockers (so small!), bent down (severely) to get a drink at the bubbler, and traced my hands over the cement blocks on the walls...thinking to myself that my six-year-old self may have touched that same spot. And then of course, my mind went to Brunson-Lee and my kids. And how much I still miss them. They start school on Monday already!

That night, I met up with a friend that went through Douglas with me, for his 30th birthday! Talk about warping quickly from one end of my life to another!

Yesterday, I got to catch up with Nick's mom for lunch in Sun Prairie -- we went to The Cannery (the restaurant I worked at part-time while working for The Star) more than five years ago. I saw one person who was there when I was and he said no one else still worked there. Food was great, weather was beautiful (we sat outside) and conversation flowed easily.

That night, I drove to Pewaukee to meet up with Annie (Joel and Maggie), Dana (Jesse), Lindsey (Brett), and Angie (Matt) at Angie and Matt's house for dinner/drinks/goodbyes. I was reminded, how, no matter how far I travel and for whatever amount of time, this group of friends are always in my corner. Supportive, loyal and always, always only a phone call away. I am so lucky.

I will be in Chicago tomorrow night catching up with my friend Joel and Jill/Toby (Harris and Finn), then seeing Shannon (Pat and baby Mayson) on Saturday, having brunch with some high school girl friends Sunday, and seeing my grandparents. The rest of the time will be spent with my mom and dad.

Time has never flown so fast!