car plane shuttle train ...boat.

Home from Lake Hartwell, Georgia.  It was absolutely perfect.  We got up super early on Friday morning to get to the airport.  (I would just like to add that I am a master at packing light.  I fit all my stuff in one carry on.  Woo.)  We ended up dropping off our car and taking a shuttle to the airport.  Even though it was incredibly early, we were all laughing our heads off about anything and everything all the way to the gate.  

We started to board and I noticed there was a soldier and his family waiting to get on our plane.  As soon as they called our seat section, his mother burst in to tears and gave him the biggest hug.  It was heart wrenching.  I really hate goodbyes.  I start college in two weeks and saying goodbye to my family is the only thing that makes me emotional.  I hate it.  

The plane ride was pretty smooth, even though it smelled like rubber gloves and fruit loops.  It took us about two hours to get to Atlanta - the craziest airport I have ever seen.  From there we got on the Marta train.  Atlanta is an insane city.  The high ways are six lanes of traffic - coming AND going.  The Marta is a train that runs over the top of it.  It was really interesting to see all the people that use it. Workers, families, travelers, everyone uses it.  I had never been in one space with so many different people in it.  Black, white, latin, asian, middle eastern... everyone.  At one point during our ride, a middle eastern man with a suit on and a thick black turban on his head boarded the train.  Immediately everyone around him was looking down, uncomfortable, it was like you could see people's thoughts, most of them probably thought he was a terrorist.  He sat down and was very quiet, his expression kind of said "dont-fuck-with-me," but then, a woman came on the train with a baby in a stroller, four kids, in her work uniform.  Every seat was taken.  Nobody moved except the middle eastern man who got up and offered her his seat.  People can be so unexpectedly beautiful.

The train ride was about 45 minutes long and afterwards, my aunt Kathy picked us up in the rental car.  We drove for ANOTHER hour and 45 minutes, all of us tired and totally sick of vehicles in general.  Soon the city kind of dissolved from six lanes of traffic, to four, to two, until finally we were out in the boonies on a single dirt road.  Lake Hartwell is beautiful.  The beaches are red clay, the weather is a steady 98 degrees every day, and the water is so nice.  It was a big family event, my cousins were there, my aunt and uncle, my grandparents.  The cottage was like home away from home - (with central air and guitar hero).  We spent the days out on the boat, floating around, jet skiing, tubing, taking boat rides to all the different coves, taking "coffee cruises" in the morning (basically taking breakfast on the boat to see the lake during the morning hours.)  We watched movies in the air conditioning at night, went to the famous T-60 boil for a heaping pot of seafood, read books, did puzzles and just completely relaxed.  I may have looked like a tomato with my sun burn, but I could have cared less.  

To get back home we did the same routine - backwards - car shuttle plane etc...It was good to be home, to see civilization again, to see the dog and our own bedrooms.  I found myself a little emotional though. We came home to a pile of mail from Naz, and it hit me - I'm leaving.  Soon. I wont be living here much longer.  And then that fear of good byes kicked in again when I opened the orientation pamphlet to see pictures of parents saying goodbye to their kids.  God.  I felt homesick already.   But I felt incredibly lucky too and reminded myself - I'm only twenty minutes away, its not like I died, and pretty soon I'll be so absorbed in school I wont have time to be emotional.  Letting go is hard.

The Olympics started.  AMAZING opening ceremony.  I've been watching it all weekend now.  (Especially volleyball)  Right now gymnastics are on and the "women" gymnasts, look to be about 8 years old.  All the guys are what...4"11?  Nice arms though :)  The cameras kept showing George Bush in the crowd and he looked bored out of is freaking mind.  They even caught him checking his watch and yawning.  Way to go Pres, way to conk out on an amazing event bringing people all over the globe together. We can obviously see your enthusiasm.  I cant wait till this loser is out of office.

Till next time :)