snippet

"Should we eat, or go to the bookstore first?" We are in the car deciding what to do with our limited time.
"We should go to the bookstore first. Since we're hungry, we won't stay there as long as we would otherwise," My sister suggests, knowing full well how inextricably tangled one can get in the interesting offerings of Barnes & Noble. We arrive at the stoplight and are still undecided.
"To eat!" Mum decides.
"Ok, Mum won!" Dad announces, then adds to her, "But now you get the job of dragging Laura out of the bookstore when it's time to go! With force if necessary!"
We get a good laugh out of the image of my mother hauling me out by my feet as I dig my fingers into the carpet, wailing that I won't go! Why they would think it is difficult to get me out of a bookstore, I don't know.... :)

grand tour

Where does the time go?! I think that in the recent days, it has neatly disappeared into our mileage meter as we have navigated the freeways of the South. We drove through five states during our ten day stay there. I already mentioned we were in Georgia, but here are some moments from the others:

NC
I tasted some of the best coffee I have had at the Crooked Door Coffee House in a small town called Marion. I forget the name of the process for this coffee, but it involves making a coffee concentrate by pouring a gallon of water through a pound of ground coffee and allowing it to soak for ten to twelve hours. The result is a soft chocolaty flavored liquid best served iced! After trying a tiny blue cupful of it, the regular coffee flavor tasted second rate. Apart from the friendly huge windows overlooking Main St., the wi-fi connection, the fireplace room with tall green velvet armchairs, the hardwood floors, the friendly barista and the redbrick walls, it also had an attached art gallery that made me wish I lived in a house with plenty of empty wall space.

VA
"If you could have anything for dessert, what would it be?" Uncle Gary asked first my sister, then me. We both answered promptly, "Flan!" But realizing such a wish was probably a bit unrealistic for the afternoon barbecue moment, we also added that chocolate would also be good. But some wishes just come true, and our taste buds were happily surprised by delicious caramelized flan! (My favorite!!) It was a small moment, but it captures in my mind the essence of the friendship, hospitality and surprise element that was part of our time in Virginia. A lazy day on the lake, a movie, cute dogs, a surprise birthday party for my dad, reconnecting with friends we hadn't seen in years....aaaah!

SC
Panera: not only your neighborhood soup and sandwich hangout where you can meet Spanish-German men with tropical-sea-colored eyes planning to sail in the South Pacific for six years, but it is also the tasty intersection for friends who knew each other way back when Alosta Place at APU was called home. In this case, it was Abbey from California, and her beautiful children. It is the people, you know, that make travel worth its while. And their smiling faces certainly made the stop in Anderson worth its while!

AL
The Toomers' home has a backyard view toward a jungle much like the one in our beloved Shell, although the foliage is somewhat tamer since Auburn is not quite the Amazon. I think the fact that it was raining only made the comparison more appropriate. I love surprises. So does my family. So we successfully surprised Aunt Trish by showing up at her coffee shop in the university town of Auburn where we enjoyed catching up and tasting some good southern barbecue!

Our road tripping continued upon our return to California, but now we are helping my sister pack her five years worth of belongings in too few suitcases. Condensing drawer-fulls of books, photos, cards, memories, backpacks, shoes and clothes into a space that fits within the airline allowances is no small task! My parents leave tomorrow. Perhaps they will need another vacation to recover from this vacation! I know I could probably sleep for a week straight through. But how else would we have gotten to see all the incredible people and places that we have!?

the south

My favorite war to read about in US history is the Civil War. I am reminded of the division between the North and South whenever I come to the East Coast, away from the completely different dimension of California (that carries its own fascination with its Spanish history). I've always liked the South, perhaps because I have not visited the North yet, or perhaps it is due to my romanticized imaginations of sprawling plantation homes and gently rocking chairs on verandas that overlook green lawns with huge old leafy trees. Here in Monroe, we've driven by amazing old homes with tall pillars framing painted front doors and homes hidden behind tall trees and vibrant flowerbeds, very Sweet Home Alabama-ish. It is humid. People drink sweetened iced tea and stretch one-syllable words into two-syllable words. Life seems slower here.

The negative aspect is that it seems people have no clue of the outside world. There is a whole planet out there, and some people are just not curious about it, or feel that it does not touch them in any way. I have to say that some places exude a red-neck mentality that strikes me as bizarre. I realize that everywhere on the planet people have localized thinking, because what is in one's immediate context is what takes up most of daily life, and that's normal. But to expect that the whole world should (or does) live the way you do or think the way you do is to forfeit the opportunity to learn something new or expand your world.

(Stepping off my soapbox now...) Our journeys take us up to North Carolina and then Virginia in the coming days and I am looking forward to visiting with dear friends I have not seen for many years! I have been enjoying my stay here in the US so far, and am having a blast with my family. We are at the Charles' home, and they have a precious grand-baby named Cidney (affectionately nicknamed Chivito). My mum has a grandma glint in her eye....uh oh! :)

San D

His name is Gus and he's from Oregon. My sister introduced him to me as the new love of her life. I must say he made a good impression on me too. He's kinda cute...for a volkswagen! And he got us safely and swiftly from the airport to my sister's house along the vast California freeways.

Now I am sitting in my sister's office at her university as she studies for a final and around us the campus workers and moving students flow in and out with requests for summer housing forms and mail slips. Aaah, the final days of the spring semester, such memories!

As it turns out, my parents will not make it for her graduation on Saturday. The weather in Quito is wretched, their flight was delayed and the next one will not get them here until Saturday night. It is disappointing for my sis, to say the least. However, they will eventually get here and our family adventures can begin!

In the meantime, we are doing cool things like rock climbing and chillin' with all of Sonja's friends!
Greetings to all from San D,
Yours truly