My travels from Denver to Florida were long and annoying in the change-planes-and-gates-after-already-boarding kind of way, but relatively uneventful. I arrived back at our home just after dark and in the pouring rain and high humidity that only Florida in July can provide. Also, I had not eaten more than airport grapes since the morning, and knowing I had a pretty long list of things to do and a very short span of time I was eager to get going. Even the stores and restaurants that were open (it was July 4) were going to close shortly. So I attempted to just jump in our CRV and run a couple quick errands first. Unfortunately, the car had different plans. The battery was dead. Luckily, my dad recognized my car’s dramatic nature and left me an extension cord and a battery jumper. And gratefully, Larry was available to walk me through my first time jumping my own battery. It’s a little intimidating for a person raised on cartoons to play with electricity. Ultimately I was successful, but by that time everything — even Domino’s delivery (which I don’t think I had since college) — was closed. Everything, that is, except the sad Cumberland Farms at the end of the road. Resigned, got some gas station charcuterie and canned cold brew for the morning while the car stayed running outside.

After that excitement, the less than 12 hours that I had in Florida went to plan, and the next afternoon, still in pouring rain, I collected Meredith from Orlando airport. We made our way (albeit a bit bumpily at times) to Savannah, then DC where she caught up with a high school friend, then New Haven, where we enjoyed some excellent pizza, then to Haverhill to give big good luck hugs to my lifelong friend preparing for major surgery, and then, finally, home in New Hampshire, where my parents eagerly awaited our return. Larry beat us here by a day. His route from Denver to Indiana to Pennsylvania to New Hampshire was a smidge quicker.

And now we all let out a collective, releasing sigh. We will hold (relatively still) in New England for a few months. We have some visits with family in friends lined up as well as doctors, dentists, grad parties, and concerts. Mer has the love of her life coming to visit for two weeks. Mom and I will be making a sidequest to go visit Elliot in the Netherlands. We will be celebrating his new job just before he starts. He has a four year contract as a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. Larry will also make a sidequest for work and family over to Europe. Dad and Lily will stay and make sure the river keeps flowing.

I don’t know how frequent posts will be here and on Instagram over the next few months. I’m immersed in an intensive Spanish course with the aim of not being completely hopeless when we visit Mexico in the fall. When I’m not studying or swimming I am likely getting soundly beaten at cribbage or scrabble or canasta (but not Bananagrams; that one I still can hold my own).