We have been in Tucson, AZ since Sunday, after a tiring 2.5 day drive from deep in the heart of Texas. We LOVE it here….Peter and I lived here for almost 5 years; Jess was born here (and therefore qualifies for native “desert rat” status) and Aidan was concieved here (oh, you probably didn’t want to know that!) In short, we have deep ties to this laid-back southern Arizona town.
It is nice to come to a place that has such fond memories for us. Pete and I really struck out on our own for the first time here, leaving our southern roots and families to “seek our fortune out west”. We grew up a lot here, and learned much about ourselves. We explored this state with a hunger to know it inside and out. I would venture to say that I know Arizona better than I know my own home state of North Carolina!
I am also blessed to have my Aunt Wendy here; she has become more of a mother figure to me than an aunt, and it is really lovely to connect with her when we come here. My grandmother is also here; we enjoy taking the opportunity to visit with her and let the boys spend a little time with their Great Grandmother. Aren’t they beautiful?
We are doing all the nutty running around, getting errands done before we leave the state and make our way into California. I am nervous about how crowded things are there, and imagine it will be lots more expensive to travel there than anywhere else we have gone. I was a bit of a stress monkey today as we made reservations and tried to figure out how to navigate around Los Angeles…I felt my heart close up and I credit my son, Jess, with asking me the quiet questions to crack me open again. I had a little cry, expended the pent-up energy, and was all better.
We plan to be here until Sunday morning…we will travel across I-8 to San Clemente, where we will say hello to the Pacific!
