Today was the last day, the day we would drive all the way home. We took a lot of pictures with Todd and his family. Then we all said our goodbyes. It was still early morning when we drove away from the Telancher house. 7 or so hours to go until we would pull into the back alleyway of our house. I was excited to get home. There was a watermelon stand we were going to stop at first. The internet had told us they had organic melons. When we arrived at the 'stand' we realized it was a farm. We walked to where the garage of melons was. There were bins and bins of giant melons. We asked a employee if they were organic and it turned out they weren't. The melons just looked so good we couldn't help but buy one. The next stop on the list was Parrilla Grill in Bend, Oregon. We had gone to Parrilla Grill in the very early part of the tour as well, (check out blog number 12). So coming here on the way home was kind of an end of an era.
Our stomachs were stuffed and we were ready for the last couple hours home. It was only 3 or so when we left Bend, and when we got home it was about 5:30. I had been laying in the back of the Rv, and at one point I looked out the window and saw some very familiar looking hills. Instantly I had known where we were. I got up and went to front of the Rv. We drove down our street, I knew we had drove down this road so many times, but after being gone for so long it felt like a completely new experience. A few minutes later the Rv was parked and I was the first one out. I dropped my bags at the foot of the stairs, the guinea pigs upstairs heard us or smelled us or something because they started squeaking right when we came in the door. I had hoped that they would and it was a relief to here there little voices.
The first thing I did was go and get out each and every on of them. They were a little more skiddish then they were when we left. And weirdly they felt skinnier too. I weighed them on the guinea scale and realized they had actually gained weight from last May. I guess I had forgotten just how fat they were. I had left my room decently clean when we had started the tour, so that was nice to come home to. For the rest of the evening I rotated through the guinea pigs while enjoying the fact that I was in a room bigger then the Rv.
Anyway, with a heavy heart I have to say goodbye to this blog, at least for now. It has been an amazing journey and I'm so thankful to have all the memories written down. Thank you to all of my readers who read, liked and commented on the blogs, it kept me inspired to continue writing each and every day. By the end of the past 60 days I felt a little tired of writing one every day, but with the thoughts and memories of all the people that had told me not to stop as well as my families persistence in telling me that endings are important I persevered to the end. And my gosh am I glad I did. Just earlier today I was scrolling through the titles of the previous blogs and a smile broke out on my face when I remembered the goat we had seen in the Grand Canyon. Man has this been an incredible journey! Thanks again for everyone's kind words over the past couple months! :)
So, blogging under pressure is over...but don't stop writing every day!! keep a journal or something. Even if it's just one line summarizing the day or planning the next day. You have talent. Also, after some mental and spiritual digestion of the trip, might it be fun to write a retrospective...a how did i change and how did i not change...or what was totally unexpected on the trip..or ????. Just keep your hand in. I had a very wise person tell me (about practicing a skill or art) - "it's not how long you do something, it's how often!"
Thanks for blogging, it was fun to experience a road trip through your eyes. The best spelling error (or editorial comment?) is still making me laugh; soft mores instead of sophmores. You went to a lot of places I know, so that was fun as well Hope the movie does great everywhere. Now it's time to face, BACK TO SCHOOL.