Friends With Whom We Can Be Just Us

Nich and I set out last Thursday evening toward Mount Vernon, Ohio. We had planned to drive until we couldn't stay awake, which came much quicker than we anticipated. We had hoped to make it out of the state, but NY is a bit wider than we could handle. Thus, we spent a night in Batavia and got back on the road much refreshed in the morning. I've had a bit of a cold the past few days (VERY drippy sinuses), though, so I was bummed that I didn't get to use the fitness room at the Best Western where we stayed.

Anyway, the weekend was wonderful. Our friends Jesse and Jess, who reside in Australia, were "home" visiting their family. We had a small reunion with them at Jess' parents' home (in Ohio), along with our other friends from college, Dan and Jamie and their little girl, Kylie.

It was such a relaxing weekend. It's nice to get away and out of normal routine from time to time, but often, you return feeling exhausted. This weekend was not like that at all. We were able to laugh, tour the campus at MVNU (where Jess' parents work), play games, watch movies, and just enjoy being together with friends. Nich and I often struggle with not having friends locally with whom we can just be ourselves, and this trip was a blessing to us.

One of the many topics of conversation was the concept of "home," and Nich asked me on our drive back to NY where "home" was for me. And I think I can truly say that for me, home is where he is, at least in this world. 

So now we're home. It's so nice to say that and really mean it. We're home. In our own home. It's quiet, other than the occasional swishing from the dishwasher in the kitchen. So following a quick peek at the week ahead, we're winding down for the night in our newly painted office. It's nice to be home.