It'll Always Be Home

My dad turned 75 in August and prior to his birthday, I was trying to find a way to visit Indiana so the family could all be together to celebrate. Unfortunately, I was unable to but Chris (brother), Missy (sister-in-law) and I started planning a later surprise. I took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and we successfully pulled off the surprise!

I booked a ticket from Florence to Indianapolis through Charlotte but they cancelled my original flight time and moved it up 4 hours! There was no way I was going to sit in the Charlotte airport for 5 hours so I just drove to Charlotte and parked in long-term parking. Usually, a flight directly out of Charlotte is cheaper but when I checked flights, the fare was less out of Florence so I booked it knowing I may just drive to Charlotte anyway. It’s always best to weigh all the options, especially when it comes to travel!

I anxiously awaited travel day and worked really hard to not ruin the surprise. I had to double and triple check when texting that I didn’t accidentally send any spoilers to my family group chat. It may be the longest I’ve kept a surprise a secret! ::pats self on back::

Travel was smooth, my brother picked me up from the airport and we headed to Bloomington. We met up with Missy and headed over to my dads. I climbed into the hatch of the car and we got dad to come outside. We had puppy sounds playing on one of our cell phones, hoping he’d hear them and think we got him a new companion....

Surprise, fooled you!!!

We got up bright and early the next morning to spend the day on Lake Monroe. We rented a pontoon boat, soaked up some sun and truly enjoyed the day. The weather was perfect and the company couldn’t have been any better. Well, we were missing Derrick but otherwise, perfect! After tooling around on the boat, we put the top down on the Miata and headed back to town. While sitting on the front porch, I saw two hot air balloons appear over the tree line off in the distance. Then we heard the sound of one much closer. More were just clearing the tree line and floated right over the house. We saw 9 total! Mother Bear’s pizza and wings was for dinner and a nice camp fire in the back yard put a cap on the night.

We went to Nashville, Indiana the following day and met my friend from Kentucky, Allison and her fiancé Angela at Hard Truth Distillery. The three of us took a quick tour of the facility while Chris, Missy and dad had a couple drinks and grabbed a table for lunch. The food was tasty but drinks were a tad pricey and the portion sizes a bit small, for my meal anyway. Before we met at the distillery, dad and I drove around some. We went to visit mum at the cemetery, drove around IU’s campus and then through Brown County State Park. The park is full of great hiking and biking trails and nice overlooks that show off the rolling hills of Southern Indiana.

Missy left from Hard Truth Distillery to head home and Chris spent the night at dads. We relaxed on the front porch and chatted. Dad has a hummingbird feeder and he’s had two regulars this summer. I waited patiently and got some cool photos! Dad recommended Chris take me to Bean Blossom Bottoms for a quick hike. Bean Blossom Bottoms is part of Sycamore Land Trust and it’s a wetland preserve. It’s home to many endangered or threatened species. 

The following day, Chris left after breakfast and dad and I went to McCormick’s Creek State Park to see the renovated fire tower and hike a little. Dad had been dealing with some knee pain so we took it nice and slow. McCormick’s Creek is one of my favorite places so it was a nice was to spend the day. When we got back to the house we ordered Indian food from Taste of India and back to the front porch we went to relax. 

Dad and I drove to the airport early and met Chris in the food court area of the airport. We sat and chatted for a while and then they saw me off. Over the years, I’ve lost my desire to want to live in Indiana but it is always a bit of a bummer living so far away. It’s always a little bittersweet to leave.

So, here I am, sitting in the airport. There are way fewer people in here than in the Charlotte airport. It’s kind of apocalyptic feeling. I can’t help but wonder if face masks will become a common accessory while flying even when all this Covid mess is gone. What a strange, strange time.

— It’s the next day. I made it back to Charlotte safely, walked down to ground transportation and there was a Long Term 1 bus waiting. I was the first person on and only one lady joined. On a scale 1-10, I rate Pandemic Travel a solid 9. This morning I’ve come up to Bean Bar - the best coffee shop in Florence, SC - early today to write a little. It’s in the 70’s, a nice breeze and a comforting rain. The day after a trip to see family, I find I’m always a little melancholy so this weather is quite fitting. Life gets busy and there never seem to be enough hours in the day so time with family, and ones I love, is priceless. These times together must be enjoyed to the fullest and I try to hang on to every moment.