Reality

I think it's finally starting to set in. It happened today after dropping my mom off at the airport. I've been expecting it, but wasn't quite sure when it would actually hit-- I live very far away from almost everyone I know.

I told the Engineer I was just waiting for a "sad day" to come along. I knew when we decided to move that it would be exciting and fun, but I also knew it would be hard and that there would be days I was "homesick" and sad. In three weeks time I didn't have one single day where I felt sad. (Of course I have not really slowed down long enough to think about whether I missed our old home or was sad or not...)

Today, though, it sort of sunk in. When I dropped my mom off at the airport and we said goodbye it seemed real. That it really would be months before I saw her in person again. It was sort of strange and overwhelming and sad at the same time. I was sad to say goodbye to my mom, but I think this departure represented the whole of friends and family and the realization that they are all very far away and that I won't see them again for months or maybe longer.

On top of reality setting in about the move and the changes I also finished a book that really made me think pretty hard about some things. As it shapes-up into a cohesive thought I'll share it. For now it's just one of the many things swirling about in my head.

Notables

1. Gas is at least 30 cents more per gallon.
2. People drive VERY FAST on the main highways-- we're talking 70+ (more often + than 70 in a 55 on one of the main roads), but seem to obey the speed limits as long as they are posted at 45mph or less.
3. Lanes appear and disappear within a 50-foot span.
4. There are more homeless people here than we are used to.
5. They don't joke when they say "Live Free or Die".
6. There are no seat-belt laws for those over 18.
7. There are no helmet laws for motorcycle or bike riders as long as they are over 18.
8. Perhaps it should be "Live Free AND Die" in some cases. On the other hand, perhaps it's the state's way of wedding out the idiots and keeping the gene pool a bit deeper.
9. I can already hear myself talking a little differently. I feel like I have to speak more clearly and enunciate better to be understood.
10. Some things just don't translate well here. Yesterday I met a lady named Ann and she said her name twice and I thought she was saying Ian both times. She finally spelled it for me. Sometimes the accents do feel almost like a foreign language.

From the Drive

Unfortunately there are not a lot of photos from the drive. There are two reasons for this:

1. We drove through 11 states in two days and that took roughly 24 hours of actual driving time. (We stopped off at the half-way point for a snooze and then hit the road again early the next morning.)
2. We drove in the middle of the remnants of tropical storm Lee for roughly 24 hours. It was like driving through a tunnel of white. All we could hope to see was the road in front of us and the fog and rain that surrounded us. Not too many scenic spots to pull off and take a photo in weather like that.

The pup and the cat settled in for the drive. Don't they look pitiful!?

The cat perked up when we made bathroom and refueling breaks. (She only thought she wanted out. We put her on the leash to see if we could get her to take a potty break and she panicked and just squatted her whole body as close to the ground as possible, presumably to try to "hide".)

One of most interesting stops happened just outside Charlotte, NC. We found ourselves a 2-seater!

Day two found us crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and formally entering "The North".

To be honest, not many of my Pennsylvania experiences have made me want to smile. I used to refer to it as "the state of no bathrooms" instead of the "state of independence". This goes back to an insane road trip from Knoxville, Tennessee to New York City. We left Tennessee around 6pm and drove through the night to NYC. Somewhere around 4 or 5am we were all in desperate need of a bathroom break. We were in Pennsylvania and must have stopped two or three places before we found a bathroom someone would let us use. I haven't really cared much for the state since. (The remainder of that trip included just over 24 hours in NYC, a parking ticket, our car getting broken into and a miserable 12-hour drive back with a busted out car window.

Back to my feelings on Pennsylvania-- In the midst of all the negative feelings, I must admit I had a very enjoyable visit to Lancaster County in 2010. (There's not much to dislike about the Amish.)

This trip through was, as mentioned, smothered in rain and fog. The state had some major flooding that closed down main interstates. Thankfully, we were just ahead of the flooding and were able to pass through before roads shut down. (The engineer and his dad in the 26-foot moving truck were not so lucky.)

I'm told the Poconos are beautiful. Maybe one day I'll see more than fog and rain and no bathroom stops in Pennsylvania.

More to come on the drives and the move before long! Stay tuned!

Notables

1. We are among the few who have already used their heat.
2. We wear jackets when everyone else is still wearing shorts and T-shirts.
3. We say "Y'all".
4. People KNOW we aren't "from here".
5. The Fall is magnificent!
6. There were only two bags of grits tucked away on the shelf at the grocery store. Both were white grits. No yellow grits to be found.
7. Contrary to popular belief, people are friendly here.
8. Not everyone sounds like the guys on "Car Talk".
9. The squirrels are bigger than my cat.
10. There are spiders EVERYWHERE.

Filthy Paws

This guy...

...had some fun this afternoon digging holes in his new backyard and... he forgot to wipe his feet...

After a day of light rain the sun is actually peeking out from behind the clouds. It was in the upper 60s today, which wasn't bad even in the rain. Of course I could be seen sporting a jacket most of the day. Upper 60s is a bit cool where I came from.

The need for the jacket in "great weather" is one of the many things I'm finding that make us stand out here. I noticed a lot of them today while dealing with lots of government agencies. More on that later!

A Wild Story from Benson's Wild Animal Zoo

We have friends. Hooray! (That is not the "wild" part.)

We were invited for an afternoon out with our pup last Sunday to visit Benson's Park. We met up with our friends and their awesome dog-- a Chinese Crested-- and spent about an hour walking around. It was one of the coolest places we've been in New England!

In 1926, John Benson started an animal park. It went through lots of changes over the years becoming a zoo and amusement park until it closed in 1987. It was bought by the state and eventually sold to the town where it's located. In the last three years the town has spent countless hours revamping what was left of Benson's Animal Park. They have restored old buildings that were left standing, including the old Gorilla House and Elephant Barn. They have landscaped and just done a general clean-up of everything on the property.

It. Is. Beautiful!

We had a blast walking around and reading the signs that tell you what used to be there. One of the coolest things was when I found out that one of the African Elephants that lived at Benson's when it closed in 1987, currently resides in a zoo near my hometown. It seemed unbelievable, but sure enough, after tracking through various news articles (here and here), Tina lives in the Montgomery Zoo and actually gave birth to the first elephant calf to be born in the state of Alabama. (That is the wild part.)

I hope to go back and take some photos soon. They also just dedicated a new memorial to honor those who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York. It looked great from a distance but was pretty crowded so I didn't get to take a good look.

It is indeed a small, small world.