Going home

It has been an eternity since I have been home (home home that is....), okay, not that long, but a really long time, over a year, which is a long time for me. I have wanted to visit to see my grandmother after her cancer surgery and haven't made it home yet to see her. So when my best friend from high school was home, my high school English teacher/friend asked for one of our famous lunches, and I had a free day, I jumped at the opportunity. (Though it probably indicates that I have lost my mind since it is a 5 hour drive both ways, I wasn't leaving until 8:30pm and had to be back the following night since I had a youth beach trip the following day....but, whatever. right??). So I hit the road (fortunately my bro decided to tag along, which made the long drive much better and less sleepy).

So, being from a small town, there are certain things that are obligatory. I think I covered most, if not all, of them:

• seeing high school math teacher--check.
• lunch with high school English teacher (now friend)--check.
• breakfast and a walk with h.s. best friend--check.
• staring at the amazing site of the amazingly star-studded sky--check.
• seeing parents of former classmates and hearing how they are doing--check.
  
• seeing h.s. sweetheart--check.
• visiting the world famous bakery--check.
  
• Visiting with family--double check.
• Drinking pure, straight from the tap, well water--check.
  
• Seeing people who never left or came back to town still working there--check.
• taking a package that's been sitting in the car for 3 weeks to UPS at home 5 hours away because somehow it's easier--check.
• seeing pastor--check.
• Soaking in the beauty of the mountains--check.
  
• Struggling with the bittersweet sensations of *going home*--check, and double check.