~wendy77

One of my favorite parts of a vacation is coming home.
We just returned after driving 4200 miles across the US over sixteen days.
We made our journey to Northern Virginia to see family via Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and then North with stops in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, a family visit in Maine, and on through New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

One aspect of the trip that is always enjoyable for a Northerner is the possibility of seeing green grass, flowers, and warm weather after a long winter in Minnesota. Realizing those hopes is definitely accompanied by positive feelings. Visiting with loved ones is the best part of the trip, reconnecting, and sharing time together. Seeing new sights and getting a flavor for the surroundings in those unfamiliar places offers another high point on a trip like this.

Traveling through New England has long been a goal of mine. I had certain expectations and most of them were met. I find its best not to have expectations that are too firm as disappointment will follow in earnest. For some reason I expected Cape Cod to be one long sand dune surrounded by the cold waters of the Atlantic. When it turned out that we drove the length of the island on a super highway surrounded on both sides by woods, not water, my hopes were dashed. When the seafood I longed to taste was second class to the fare in Minnesota, I was thoroughly disappointed. I certainly wasn't expecting my Filet of Sole to be stuffed with Ritz crackers in herbal butter doused with cheese from an aerosol can!!

A part of our itinerary included stopping by Plymouth to see the Plymouth Rock from 1620. It is a beautiful seaside town but unfortunately the rock was in hiding that day due to construction on the shelter surrounding it. The submarine Nautilus at the Museum in Groton, Connecticut was closed for repairs the day we tried to board. A caution again to all--don't be surprised if the things you plan to do along the way are not going to turn out the way you expect. On a road trip like this you must expect the unexpected and be willing to accept it and move on. I had hoped to photograph the many lighthouses along the journey up the Eastern Coast, but our schedule didn't permit as many stops along the way as I had anticipated.

So, I've learned that vacations are a mixed bag, just like life in general. You have ups and downs--high points and low points, and its important to have few expectations if you aim to enjoy the ride.

Being a lover of oceans I found it interesting to have enjoyed even more, the breathtaking sights of the rolling green mountains of Vermont . I learned traveling from city to city, life is pretty much the same wherever you go--be it Europe, or Canada, or the US. People reside in all these locations, and tourism is a part of what keeps these towns flourishing. The people that live here are all racing to their destinations, trying to maintain their houses and lifestyles, and are engrossed in their own daily routines,. Life is pretty much the same wherever you go. It's seeing the new sights that makes the trip intriguing.

Coming home is good!! There's a lot to be said for routine, familiarity, living in your own space, having your clothes in your closet, not in a suitcase in the trunk of your car. But, I've seen New England now--and I have those pictures in my mind of the ocean, the lighthouses, the rolling green hills, the seaside overlooks, and the colonial villages. I like adding those views to my mind's eye.

Reconnecting with loved ones was wonderful. It was a good trip. Coming home feels good. I am content.