"There's No Place Like Home"

[catherine]

This is what I was feeling, and what I said tonight, to my new summer friends.

I had a very busy week: starting with a delayed flight from BTV to EWR. Then I found myself in Newark not knowing how to get home--I preferred the train because it was pouring in Newark but I missed the Amtrak train into Philly I was trying to get. I wound up at my NJ home after having driven through the rain 40 miles.

Next day a very stressful first day of research followed by a second. More rain. More driving.

Next day, catch up day at home to keep up with 4 projects.

Next day, a presentation delivery from my car at 8am in the parking lot of a fast food place that wasn't opened yet but where luckily I could get WiFi, because I had to make sure I delivered a great presentation and then get on an 11:00 plane to Houston for a different client.

Houston Thursday and Friday. Too much client time for me--as an introvert. I saw my power waning through two days of meetings + dinners as quickly as the the little blue lights on the power pack I always keep in my computer bag. But still, I was wired at the end of the day, needing to decompress.

I heard early in the week that my very favorite aunt with whom I am extremely close, is in hospice. No immediate reason--just old age and frailty. So I decided on Friday that rather than go to my NJ home, I'd stay in a hotel in Newark and get up early and drive to the Connecticut facility she's in and then drive up to VT. I saw her.. she is very, very frail, but her beautiful blue eyes light up and she still has some sense of humor. I'm devastated about losing her. I was her flower girl, but she is my soul sister.

So I drove 4 hours to Vermont by way of New Haven, dropped off the rental car at BTV and then called Uber to take me 40 minutes to the islands. I was afraid he'd refuse (if he can). He's got a good gig with the college crowd in Burlington, but he didn't refuse.

The icing on the cake of the whole darned week was when I directed the Uber driver to my house down the narrow dirt road, and across the gravel path I saw 5 shadows--my neighbors and DH sitting around the weekend fire pit. I stepped out of the Jeep Cherokee and they all started in a chorus: "Catherine!!! Catherine! What a great surprise!! Come on over! [J...] missed you and so did we!!" They offered me moonshine (really) and fresh baked cookies.

Wow. I had felt all week that I really wanted to get back to VT. And when I drove up 89, and viewed the ribbon of road framed by grey/green mountain peaks, I wanted to be "home." I finally made it up here, and my neighbors confirmed for me that I am, indeed, home.

I'm not looking forward to the winter in NJ.

[Teacher Terry]

So maybe you need to make Vermont permanent and sell the New Jersey home.

[catherine]

So maybe you need to make Vermont permanent and sell the New Jersey home.

Yes, TT. I am more and more sure that's what I need to do.

[Teacher Terry]

Seriously my husband and I could come help you declutter in a exchange for a place to stay so we could explore and enjoy the area. I have helped many people sell their stuff and move on.

[Ultralight]

Home is an intriguing concept.

[Tybee]

Catherine, i second Teacher Terry's offer and maybe we could both come help--what fun!

[happystuff]

Catherine, I'm in NJ and have always wanted to move to VT. You are living my dream! LOL. What a wonderful, warm welcome after a long week.

[catherine]

TT and Tybee--that would be fun! I'll think about it! Thanks for the offer.

happystuff, this dream was a long time in the making for me, so there's always hope for yours! NJ was great while it lasted--I have lived there 33 years, so it's not that I don't love NJ, too, it's just that it has outlived its usefulness.

UL: Yes, I agree. "Home" is a very interesting concept. I'm fascinated by it, actually. One of my very favorite movies/books is House of Sand and Fog. Very intense movie about what "home" meant to two completely different people.

[iris lilies]

Awwww, nice! Two houses are expensive, so get rid of that NJ property asap.

Like you have said, if VT is just too cold and isolated in winter you can rent a place elsewhere.

[Teacher Terry]

Tybee, that would be fun with the 3 of us!