There's nothing better after a seven-week road trip than stopping home one more time and spending time with family and friends. After North Carolina, Craig and I spent four days in Tennessee with my family, then four days in Nebraska with his family.
In Tennessee we spent the days hiking in the Smokies, spent the nights hanging out with the fam, and even managed to see Claire, one of my best friends from high school, and her parents before heading out. The highlight of the trip was "Thanksgiving dinner," and believe it or not, all the siblings were able to make it! It was the best. Here is a picture of the whole fam outside an old church in Cades Cove which is located in the Smokies.
In Nebraska, we also had a family-filled time including a day on the farm, surprise birthday party, and even my very first HUSKERS game. Craig's aunt Becky and uncle Don invited us to the family farm to see how things go there...well, I sure did get a taste of farm life. Not only did I get to de-worm the cattle, but I also had my first experience trimming the tails....and getting pooped on in the process. Awesome. Not everyone can say that. Now I'm ready to work on some dairy farms in New Zealand, ha ha.
I mentioned we also had the opportunity to go to the Huskers football game; I didn't mention, however, that it was also homecoming and the 300th consecutive sellout game. What a great game for my first time in Lincoln! We actually spent a night in Omaha with Craig's best friend from high school, Greg, his wife Leah, and their new baby Landon. They treated us to dinner, a fantastic breakfast feast, and... oh yeah... free tickets to the game....on the 35 yard line....in row 16. Sweet! Thanks, Greg and Leah, for showing us such a great time!
Somehow in the middle of both stops home, we have managed to make all the last minute arrangements for leaving the country for an extended amount of time. Canceling insurance, cancelling cell phone service, sending in license plates, printing all kinds of info for customs, cleaning the car, buying a webcam, etc. Fun, fun fun.
We also want to thank Craig's parents for storing all our stuff and my parents for keeping an eye on my car while we are away. We honestly don't know what we'd do without your help, so thank you!
Now we sit here in the L.A. airport with only a few hours left in the states, and we are doing some final reflecting on our road trip. We have seen so much but learned even more...about America, about ourselves, and about people from all walks of life. We are so excited to continue this "lesson" abroad.
Thanks to everyone who made this road trip possible. We had a blast and can't possibly thank you enough.
Next Stop: New Zealand
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