I’m going to California!!

While talking to my mom last Thursday, she mentioned to me that my Aunt Sue would be driving out to California for the week of March 15th on business.  That’s spring break week for me, and my aunt agreed to take me along, so it looks like I’ll be visiting home soon!  It would seem that my aunt, who only lives 1-1/2 hours from me, drives out to California every 3-4 months, and yet this is the first time it occurred to us that I could go along and have the opportunity to see my family for next to no cost.  So, this will be the first time I’ve gone along, but if all goes well, perhaps it won’t be the last.  It makes it much easier for me to afford it, since all I’ll have to do is pay for my meals during the two days trip there and the two days trip back.

This trip’ll be good for many reasons and I’m so excited!!  With me going, my aunt won’t have to drive across three states alone, I’ll get to see my grandparents on the way, I’ll have the chance to catch up with my aunt who I’ve not seen in 12 years, and I’ll get to see my family.  I can’t wait and luckily, with the extremely short notice, I won’t have to for very long.  We leave early the morning of March 12th, head to Lubbock & Plainview to stay over night, then on the morning of the 13th we set out for California.  We’ll stay the night in either Flagstaff or Kingman and then finish the trip into California on the morning of March 14th.  We should be at my mom and dad’s around 2:30 p.m. on March 14th.  I’ll stay with my folks for a week and then she’ll pick me up on her way back to Texas on March 20th or 21st and we’ll spend two days coming home, with a stop off in Plainview to see my grandparents again.

Matt won’t be going, the notice is too short this time.  He’ll stay home with Ani and Galileo, and hopefully come next time.  I haven’t seen my family in more than two years, but they’ve not seen Matt in far longer than that.  I know he misses them, and they him, so hopefully he’ll be able to go out to CA with me next time.  This will make three visits to CA for me that he’s had to stay home.  It’s just much more cost effective this way, which is unfortunate, but a reality nonetheless.  I always hate to be apart, even for a few days, because we miss one another and because Matt can’t cook, at all, and I worry about him eating while I’m gone.  He’s been fine the other two times and I won’t be gone as long this time as I was before, so I’m sure he’ll be okay.  Still, it doesn’t keep me from worrying.

Let’s see, I’m hoping to get some visiting done while I’m out there, to see my sister and nephews, my Aunt Pam, and some of the many friends I have in CA.  Unfortunately, I won’t have a car, so getting around will be a little difficult, but I’m sure it can be worked out.  More than anything, I’m dying to see my parents, I miss them like crazy.  I’m going to take pictures of everyone and post them online, probably via Facebook, so I have up-to-date pics of the family and friends, for myself and for Matt since he’s not going to be able to go — I got a new camera in January and I’m dying to put it to good use!  I’ll probably come back with an absolute ton of pics of the landscape between here and there, of the desert and the mountains.  I miss those things here, where it’s flat and there’s not a Joshua Tree in a thousand miles.

So, there you have it.  If you missed it in all that chatter, I’ll be there from about March 14th – March 20th (or 21st).  If you’re one of said California friends and would like to get together, let me know.  I think almost everyone I know out there either knows where to find me, or at least has a general idea about where I’ll be staying and could find it with directions.

Did I mention I can’t wait?!