Weekend Trip

Something fun about not having children, other than making up fun reasons for why you don't have any, is being able to take trips to see family and friends without hours of planning and preparation. This past weekend was just such an example. Friday morning, I drove down and spent time with darling college roommate Ada. Her in-laws live in a gorgeous home outside of Baltimore with a pool, plenty of space inside and out and lots of nice cool air conditioning. I could easily see why she spends a month there every summer. I love visiting her and remembering all the fun things I love about her - especially her hugs.
After visiting with Ada, I drove over to another college friend's house, Leah. Leah and I have kept randomly running into each other over the years, each time realizing we have more in common than we had previously thought. I love Leah for her easy openness and her honest acknowledgement that she is just as wacky as I am. I tell you, I get along so much better with people who recognize their own neuroses. Hey, we all have them, isn't life so much more fun to just embrace them?
After saying good-bye to my new best friend Adam, Leah's 3-year little boy, I made my way through downtown D.C, past the worst pedestrian's maybe on the planet, through every single red light, and behind every person going 10 miles an hour to see my darling Isabella and Marie from Wenatchee. Isabella, one of the high school kids I tutored, won a state-wide essay contest on what Gear Up means to her and thereby won a trip to D.C. with Marie, one of the Wenatchee High School's Gear Up administrators, to supervise. I absolutely fell in love with Isabella while living in the Wenatchka so of course I made time, while I was in town, to see them. It was wonderful to get to spend some solid time with them, trying to impart any last minute words of wisdom, like "make who you marry the most selfish decision you ever make," and "texting while you are having brunch with someone is kind of rude, put your phone away." Hopefully she remembers something of what I tried to impart.
Saturday afternoon, after a very quick run through of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum I drove down to Fredericksburg, VA to see my brother Phillip and his lovely family. I am so super duper excited to have them within easy driving distance. I am going to love getting to see them and fall in love with them every two to three months. We played games, chatted, played more games, ate, played even more games and slept. Oh, and Sunday we went to church. What a fun weekend. My new favorite thing about Phillip's family is the way he and his wife are teaching their children to serve - often by volunteering them. But the children don't complain or shirk. They go and do. It was amazing to witness!
So thank you husband for letting me go and take our only car with me. And thanks to my wonderful family and friends for hosting me this past weekend. It was a wonderful excursion!