When I was young and my cousins from the big city would visit, I never understood why they were bored. Now I get it. It's been almost seven years since I moved to Tennessee from northern Wisconsin. I grew up in a town with a population of 1200. I never thought much about it, that is, until this last trip home a couple weeks ago. Home this time felt desolate, but it'll always be where I'm from and a huge part of who I am.
I will admit that this trip was an emotional one for me. Grandpa's been gone six years and this was the first time for me that his spirit felt like a distant memory. Grandma has moved on as well and now resides with her male companion. I'm thankful she has someone in her life to do things with.
The main reason for the trip was to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. Ya know, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Actually, this was only the second wedding I've been in. I was ten the first time and not in the least bit interested in boys. Times have changed. =)
The wedding was nice and the bride was gorgeous as you can see from the below photo. Unfortunately, it was cold and an all day rain. They say if it rains on your wedding day, you will be monetarily blessed... here's hoping!
The great thing about a wedding is it brings relatives together that don't usually see each other. I couldn't believe how big my "little" cousins have gotten.
Mr. and Mrs. Chad Zastrow
Mom and brother Denny.
A trip home always means trying to see all my friends and family in a small time frame. I never quite fit everyone in, but I do try hard. I do more running around than I do relaxing. There is one thing I will always make time for and that's fishing. I love it, even if I have to buy an out of state license! My cousin, Adam, took me out in the boat and I caught a couple large mouth bass. With me, it's not so much about catching the fish as it is just being out there on the water with the fresh air soaking up God's serenity. How I miss not having lakes and rivers in every direction within a ten minute drive.
This trip also provoked me to track down some people I hadn't seen since I moved south. The first on the list would be what I call "The East Bay Hotties". We were all waitresses together and have kept in touch via email, but it was certainly time for some one on one. To this day, there are no waitresses that could match our ability to drink mimosas in the back, reapply makeup (Brenda) and balance our checkbooks (Danielle) while waiting on customers. I'll admit, I felt a bit out of place being the only one who is not married and does not have kids. Although, I really enjoyed loving on their kids and then sending them home with mom at the end.
Then there's Paul. We went to high school together and were good friends. I was pleased to find out that he resides about fifteen miles down the road in Boyd, WI. He has his own company, Red Wing Custom Cabinetry and OMG are his designs beautiful as are his wife and two daughters.
Paul and I at our high school lock-in. 1998.
Paul and I now. 2009.
The trip up went by fast so naturally the trip back seemed like forever. It's kinda funny, the one thing that drew me to Tennessee (country music), kept me awake for a safe return home.
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