Honeysuckle

Ahhh... days spent in Georgia are just refreshing! The pace of life has been much slower for me this weekend. I took a walk this evening before dinner. Misty, my parents' dog, went with me. Normally I'm out for the exercise, focused on my breathing, when to run, and when to walk, but tonight it was all about the enjoyment of the scenery. I leave for Boston in the morning and while I was packing I felt the need to get outside.

My parents have lived in the same house for 31 years. It is amazing how the area outside this little haven has grown. I don't recognize much of it for all the stores and new streets, but the neighborhood is relatively the same and hidden from the rest of the world. There is almost a mile loop with 5-acre lots all around it - my parents have one of them. Growing up we always spoke of "going around the block." This is the area my brother and I terrorized with other neighborhood kids. It is so much fun to look back and enjoy the memories - crazy adventures in the woods, hiding from my mother in a ditch, bicycle rides as fast as we could go (because we were the Dukes of Hazzard and had to chase the bad guys), horseback rides on a horse that always knew which direction was home and turned towards it every chance he could, and snow days spent finding the perfect place to sled.

As I walked in the cool of the evening, I took it all in - the sights, the smells, the feel. I am thankful that I will always have this to come "home" to, no matter where life's road takes me. Tomorrow that road is taking me to Boston. I think I am ready. Well, actually, I need to finish packing my suitcase!