Travel plans

No, not now with the bambino business happening, and probably not for a while unless you count inevitable road trips to see the family in the future. I've been flipping through my latest issue of Travel + Leisure, and when I should be thinking about my forthcoming nugget to snuggle and care for, I'm thinking about travel. Places I want to go with Jonathan. Thinking about when I can go to these places with Jonathan. The fact that I'm reading Parents magazine at the same time illustrates the dicotomy of today's mothers. Can I get a "Hell yeah!"?

On my international travel list:
Egypt: Ever since 6th grade when we learned about Egypt and its pyramids, I've fancied myself an Egyptologist. I even made a paper mache King Tut mask for a project, and I have to say, I wish I still had it. My craftmanship was quite extraordinary.
Ireland: I have a thing for wide open spaces; it's why I love the Midwest as much as I do.
England: For its charm.
Italy: Do I really need to explain this one?
France: To put all my years of studying the language to good use. I know I'll fail, but at least I'll have tried.
Jamaica: It always just looks so pretty. Really any island would do as long as it's not incredibly touristy. I hate crowds and I love seeing things off the beaten path. Oh, and nature.

On my national travel list:
Nantucket: I have a thing for coasal cottage living. I dream of owning a vacation closet here.
North Carolina: The pictures always make it look so beautiful.
Maine and/or Connecticut: Again, picturesque.
Chicago: Just to say I've been.
Seattle and Portland: I think if I ever were to move to a big city, it'd have to be one of these two. I haven't ever been, but for some reason they already speak to me. I love rain. Must be my water-loving Pisces heart.
Montana and/or Wyoming: I don't know why. Must be the wide open spaces.

Places I could care less about:
New York: Crowds-hate. Theater-not particularly fond of. About the only thing I'd go for is to see it in the fall, the art museums, and the architecture.
California: Just not big on California in general. I know I'd probably enjoy the wine country, but this state just isn't for me.

Time flies when you're having fun

The apartment is empty of our great guests. The only evidence that remains that Andy, Chance, and AJ were ever here is the water bottle they forgot. I miss AJ's little voice and giggle, and my listening to my sister's oh-so-exciting conversations in person.

The trip was fun, crazy, and at sometimes a little challenging. It rained everyday we were in Missouri. We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove. Poor AJ probably can't stand the site of his car seat anymore—or Black Beauty for that matter. We ate lots of food (including some evil fast food!), but I did manage to get in homemade chicken pot pie, asian lettuce wraps, and roast, Crock Pot mac 'n' cheese, and mashed potatoes. I've been declared a fabulous cook! I'd say the trip was a success just from that compliment alone.

Got to see M.O.M., who got to see AJ for the first time. It was such a sight to behold watching her take him in and snuggling him up. We also fed the rainbow trout at Bennett Springs State Park hatchery. It was too cute watching AJ throw in fish food pebble at a time. We would have been there all day if Chance and I hadn't throw in a few handfuls ourselves. The upside to the rain was everything was lush and green. My most favorite parts of the trip was holding AJ's hand (it's so tiny, it's almost hard to hold) and watching him give me a sleepy grin.

Apparently the trip is on for next year as well, only this time camping out at Bennett Springs. Bugs, mud, spiders#&151;I think I might have to be busy next year. But for that cute grin of AJ's, I'd get bit by spider. It's worth it.

Haunted Atchison

Last night, I embarked on a road trip to Atchison, Kansas to go on the Haunted Atchison Tour with my friend Amanda. Her excitment and amusement upon hearing about the tour, which was featured on Travel Channel, made me book spots for the two of us aboard the tolley tour. I was scared, but not of the long legends of ghosts that wonder many of the beautiful Victorian mansions in Atchison, but those ghosts of my past.

This was the first time returning to the quaint rail road town that borders the Missouri river since Mom passed away. Although she wasn't living in Atchison at the time, I think if Mom had a choice her spirit would be sitting in one of those very houses we stopped by on the tour. Atchison was home to her.

Mom lived in Atchison twice during her short life: during college (I was in grade school) and then later in life when my sister attended college there. The town for me isn't haunted with infamous ghosts of Sally or Molly, but rather those memories of Mom. Returning was like looking at a photo album.

At each turn of the trolley, there's the house she lived in on 2nd street, there's the house she and my sister lived in on 10th street, there's the pharmacy I used to go pick up her medication from, there's where I attended school as a youngster. And each time my breath would catch in my throat, and I would remember some long-forgotten memory, such as when we were little and my sister and I talked Mom into getting a real, live Christmas tree. Well, three girls and large Christmas tree isn't a very balanced equation. After it was wrestled up the stairs and an attempt made to get it in the stand, we needed a break. Mom hollered breaktime and let go of the tree...she let it fall right onto my sister trapped into the corner my mom had released it to. I can't remember if my sister cried. I can't even recall what Christmas Day was like or how we ever got the tree in its stand. I just remember Mom.

Atchison holds a lot of memories, some good (Christmas tree) and some bad (learning Mom has cancer), but returning to Atchison wasn't as near as painful as I thought it would be. Atchison has changed, which is only fitting, because I've changed too.
I expected ghosts, but Mom wasn't among them—neither was Sally or Molly.