This is my beautiful niece. She lives in Nebraska, which is a problem because we don’t get to see her nearly enough. Actually it’s a big problem that all of our family is at least (at least) 600 miles away. We miss all of them so much.
Which means that Christmas break and summer break never mean a complete break. They mean driving. At least 500 miles. To be with the people we love and who love our children. Even when (especially when?) we have a four-month-old, an impossible book deadline, and a sick dog.
The trip this year was like those I’ve done most Christmas breaks. Wonderful family time. Hours in the car until we’re all punchy. And very silly. Hotel rooms and friends and bunk beds and blow-up mattresses that seem to make our kids grow up faster. Or at least widen their world view about what other people are doing at other places in the country.
And after living on the road for a week, even when it’s with family, always makes home seem that much more home-y.
Ah.
