Our trip home was great--luck seemed to be on our side, starting with even making it home (with all the crazy weather). Weather overall for us was good, especially on traveling days. We spent 4-5 days with Ian's family, which was really fantastic. Just had a really good, relaxing time and a very nice Christmas--meals were good, games were fun, and playing with the puppies was...well...fun. I also was able to get in a decadent family-style meal at Maggiano's with most of the Hippos (minus Ashley).
We spent the next 4-5 days in Virginia with my Deedahn and Jeff, seeing Mom, Gran, Gran'ma, Chip, and new baby Parker (hope you're feeling better, trace! We missed you....). New baby is a doll--he has the squishiest cheeks, which is a recipe for a cute baby. Also had a night with my girls, Kris and Steph--and Kris brought her little man, Everett.
And lastly, we drove back to Raleigh, spent the night with Steph, Mark, and Riley, which was also just so comfortable and like home to me. Monday was brunch with Carmen, we played a game, I got a massage, and we met Ian's parents for dinner before flying the friendly skies.
Yowsers. It was packed. And Ian and I felt pretty bad when we got home. Just so much junk food. We've decided a few things that we've taken for granted since being out here, and then returning back east for awhile. Here goes:
1. It's illegal in California to drive while talking, texting, looking at your phone, etc. So everytime the phone rang when we were driving (or if we needed to text), we made the passenger take care of business. It's become ingrained that it's "bad" to do all these things while driving.
2. We become completely wasteful consumers when we go home, because North Carolina and Virginia make is SO hard to recycle. Sheesh! Really surprising the difference it makes when things are made easy for you--it hurt to throw things away (like wrapping paper!!!?!?!), but what else are you going to do with it? Drive it however many miles to a recycling bin? It's really disconcerting, and it makes me feel bad everytime we go home. Especially when you see how much "stuff" is gone through over Christmas when family is all around.
3. Food. In general. Not to say there isn't delicious food back home, but man oh man! Maybe it was just Christmas, or that we were on the road? We ate more crap than I care to think about. It was drive-throughs, and Gran's house for dinner (which was a treat, albeit laced with about a pound of Crisco, butter, and sugar), doughnuts, cakes, cookies--all sorts of things that aren't a part of our normal diet. Maybe that's why I got grossly sick on the last day (and am still trying to push it all out of my system?). Ian made dinner last night, and we had a grilled pork chop, brown rice, broccoli, and cauliflower, and my body sighed in relief.
4. Exercise--you have to seek it out there. I am thankful, thankful for having to walk everywhere here. Exercising is ingrained in daily living. There it was moving from couch to couch, from table to table, driving, sitting, laying down. We went out to play tennis once. It's not that I couldn't exercise--it's just that here you have to. There isn't a choice. And I really missed moving around. I actually think that if the weather holds out (rainy season is upcoming), I will walk to work in the mornings just to feel a bit better. Because sitting around and stuffing yourself for 10 days straight=poopiness. I think if Ian and I move somewhere, we will go on evening walks together. Because it's a nice pasttime, and a good way to be together.
Last super fun news is that Ian went out yesterday and bought me an electric full-sized piano! He said he enjoyed watching me play at Deedahn's house, and that I looked really happy doing it. How exciting. The great thing about it is that it is electric, so I can plug in headphones and not subject anyone to my crazy banging. So, it's a fun new toy....and Ian is incredibly thoughtful.
And so, it's New Year's Eve--not a favorite holiday of mine. Kind of anti-climactic. Our good friend Carrie and her new man-friend are coming over. I think we're going to have Little Star Pizza and possibly play some board games to ring in the new year, which seems just my speed.
Have a safe and happy new year. We miss our friends and family already, and thank you all so much for your hospitality and great company.
Pictures to follow, once we can upload them. :)
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