I traveled to Napa, CA for work and brought my son and husband with me. We had a great time for 7 days, of which I was working for three, traveling for two. We spent some time in Yosemite and San Fransisco, which were great fun. Yosemite was beautiful and reminded me of my time spent in the Rockies. I nearly cried as a gazed at mountains that I wasn't prepared to hike over, across, and down... especially since we had a one year old with us. San Fran was nice and we managed to find some really great restaurants and bakeries in Chinatown, rode the trolley, and took the tour of the bay in a cruise boat.
When we got home, Walker celebrated his first birthday in a low key way. Cake and grandparents were present and not much else, which was just fine by him. My mom made the cake since we had returned the night before and didn't have time to pull out all the stops for a birthday party and cake. My aunt stopped by to give him a gift, and he received a few cards from family too. He also got to play with cousins after his cake party. These things wouldn't have happened if we didn't live near our families.
The day after his birthday, my son and I got on a plane for a trip to Cleveland so that I could spend 4 days working with schools in the Cleveland area. He is going to daycare at the place where he used to go while I go to work each day, and we spend the night in a hotel.
I had a few reflections in my travels in the past few days on what makes a place suitable to live and raise a family. San Fran was great, but super crowded and expensive. Napa was great for a family, but everything was brown and dry and expensive. North Olmsted is great, and I wouldn't be opposed to moving back here because it has everything we would want... but no family, and no land to really own of your own. As I flew over Southern Indiana in the return flight from California (layover in Dallas), I noticed that once we got to the Ohio River, the trees and greenery perked up. That beauty didn't stop until we were right near the Indianapolis airport. I had flown over more than half of the country and nothing was as green and lush as Southern Indiana. I know this because I had a window seat, but also because I was looking for something to be critical of when I landed, having come from a really great place in California.
I also appreciate that when we landed, my parents were there to pick us up. We were a short ride home from the airport, and fall had begun to settle in the air.
Even though I love to travel and explore, my heart is really in Putnam County. You never really leave a place you love, so even if I head off to another location... in some ways I am always near that 42 mile marker on U.S. 40 in Western Indiana.
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