Northern Migration

Birds fly south for the winter, but the Smith family has moved north this time of year. It has been too long since my last entry, but we have been a bit busy! So much has happened I have to look at my calendar just so I can remember where I, PH and the PLOs have been as of late.

We checked out of our hotel home in Alabama and went on a whirlwind tour to squeeze the necks of family and friends just one last time. Fairhope was the site of grandmother's new home, old faces at a neighborhood block party or over a long cup of coffee and a peek in at Sawyer's site in Montrose. Next it was off to Wilcox County to spend a few more lazy days on the Alabama River. One more walk in the woods, one more swing on the back porch, one more look through the Spanish moss at the slow, muddy waterway below. Since we had to wait out a doctor's appointment for PLO's broken elbow (she was released and given clean bill), we spent one more Homecoming at my college Alma mater. I am thankful for all of those that let us stay with them, break bread with them, or just plain went out of their way to see us before our two-day trek to the DC area.

As mentioned, we had some extra time in Dixieland before our actual move, but PH came up about two weeks early to close on the house...the house I had never seen, save pictures on the Internet. He spent his time here alone, painting rooms and unpacking every last box of our worldly possessions. He thoughtfully went to the local grocer and bought our favorite foods, hooked up the washer and dryer and even picked up a bag of Halloween candy. And it's a good thing...because the neighbors came out to see what the moving truck brought in!

The girls and I were thankfully accompanied by my mom on the 48-trip up. We all stayed with my sister the night before, and when she saw us off that morning, she cried and cried. It was truly endearing. Now, I have never been a very emotional person, especially when it comes to saying farewell before a trip. I'm more of a "see you later" kind of girl, not the goodbye kind. It isn't until now that I am reflecting on how much love I was able to experience as we said our goodbyes to so many over the past few weeks.

We saw some beautiful scenery and the fall leaves were absolutely stunning on the hillsides from Birmingham to Knoxville. But then the love ended there. We were only half way into the two day thing (I keep mentioning the length of time we were in the car...I just want you to understand we were all in this jam-packed vehicle, both babies, my mother and me) and then we hit a literal detour. No problem. There were billboards every other exit for a McDonald's, so we would just find one, play for a while and be on our way. Unfortunately, not one, but both of the Mickey D's locales were closed for re-no-va-tions. Try explaining this to the three year old who can spot the yellow "M" a mile away and with a jones for a Happy Meal.

Finally after the detour and closed down restaurants, we found a McDonald's not only that was open, but had an indoor playplace AND a Starbucks on the exit ramp! The road trip trifecta...except that the service was atrocious, the fries were cold and on the way out of the bathroom, our server did NOT wash her hands per employee regulations. Yuck. And the Starbucks on the off ramp was C-L-O-S-E-D. Windows soaped over and everything.

By the end of our trip the car was trashed and the DC area traffic was living up its reputation. We were resolved to make it to our final destination despite the pending poop diaper and resorted to singing songs from "The Sound of Music." As we skirted the District on I-66, I looked up and actually saw multiple groups of Canadian geese in a V-formation...headed in the opposite directions. Delirium had set in, but then in a calming Anglo accent the Garmin said we had arrived at our destination. We were home.

PH and his girls were so happy to see one another. Youngest PLO had certainly changed in the weeks she was away from her daddy...more hair, more attitude, I think. After a much needed diaper change, I took a quick tour of our new place. The pictures on the Internet did not do it justice. Maybe it was the month in temporary quarters or the weeks of living out of the back of our car and sleeping away from my husband that made me love this place even more. I am just so happy to have my family back together again.

So the migration is complete. We have already been visited by multiple families, welcoming us with their cookies and brownies, opening their doors to these strangers from the south. Again, endearing. And I wonder when I will feel settled, because when I go back to Alabama, it will only be as a visitor...for now. In our new home, I will try to recreate the only room our girls have ever known, put my Southern Living and Paula cookbooks on the kitchen counter and hang pictures of my family, Gee's Bend quilts and Judge Roy Bean's. Tomorrow I will begin to feather this new nest.