Travel Update

I am writing this post in the library of the retirement community where my parents live in Williamsburg.  I can't get wi-fi in my room, and I'm racing against a battery that's draining.  I decided not to transport the power cord, but in the future, I will.

I had thought about visiting at the holidays, but in many ways, it's easier to come in January or February.  We're all busy people, and my parents can be even busier than I am, even though they are retired.  It was easier to find time when we're free after the holidays.

The airline fares are cheaper too, although I don't know if we have fewer people travelling, since I'm flying from one of the few warm places in the nation in January.

Yesterday before I left, I had a delightful morning with my friend who was giving me a ride to the airport.  We talked about a manuscript we're creating, we ate goodies she had baked, and we had wonderful conversations catching up.

I had a fairly easy flight yesterday--we had a brief delay for maintenance, but it ended up being just under an hour delay, so we were all happy--there had been rumors that the delay might be 3 hours. The flight was easy but a bit bumpy at the end. 

One of the things that made yesterday's airport experience feel fairly easy is that I had a great book:  Stephen McCauley's My Ex-Life.  It's been on my list since I heard him interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air.  I got lost in the book, in a way that I don't often get lost these days.

It's always a relief to me to get lost in a book.  When it's been awhile, I worry that I'm losing my ability to read in a deep way.

The weather was rainy, not icy, so we had a safe drive home. If the flight hadn't been delayed, we'd have had an easier drive because we'd have had more daylight, but oh well.  We had a cozy evening by the fire.

I feel fortunate that I have a good relationship with my parents, that it's easy to get to them (most trips), that they're in good health, as I am.  I'm happy that I could find a few days when I was less needed at work.  I'm grateful for a trip to see my parents for happy reasons--I know that it won't always be this way, and I'm treasuring these times while I have them.