Day 23

It rained last night. But it didn’t come down hard, nor did it last long. There were too many clouds to watch the sunrise, but the sky was a brilliant shade of orange, pink, and yellow. G3 was really tired this morning so he opted to sleep in. I can’t blame him. We were up late last night. I couldn’t imagine leaving without one last walk on the beach. I missed G3. It is always more fun to walk with him. However, the beach isn’t such a bad place to be alone.

While Kati and I broke camp, G3 went off to explore the dunes. I think that is one of the things he has enjoyed most here. He is old enough to have some independence and he enjoys going off by himself. He has spent much of his free time—not that there was much of it—here exploring on his own.

When the car was packed, G3 and I went for one last swim. The water was wonderful. It was rough and there were no jellyfish. I love watching G3 have fun in the water. When he was a toddler, he was petrified of the bay—which was super calm. Dad and I worked hard to get him to feel safe in the water. We wanted it to be a place of enjoyment for him. Now, he is extremely comfortable and confident in the ocean. He’s completely at home in the water, just like his grandfather was. If only his grandfather could see him.

Kati loves going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. It’s one of her favorite bridges. We went over it today as we journeyed north. Since the sun was shining and we wanted a break from sitting in the car we decided to stop at Chatham Vineyard for a tasting. We sat outside to drink our flight. The property was bordered by cornfields which reminded me of the wineries on Long Island, which reminded me of Dad.

While we waited for our flights, G3 and I tossed around one of the footballs they had for guests to play with. Playing football with G3 always makes me laugh. When I was a kid, I asked Dad to teach me how to throw a football. He said football wasn’t for girls. So I countered with, “Well, if I have a son someday, I’ll have to be able to teach him how to throw.” Dad, very seriously, said, “That will be his father’s job.” Needless to say, I taught myself and I taught G3.” I’d venture a guess that Dad is also laughing somewhere. After catching one pass, G3 noticed a frog hopping across our path so we stopped to say hi.

Nope! I couldn’t do it. We couldn’t do. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to go home today. I’m rubbing off on my family. Being on the road beats being home any day. Plus we had firewood left over. We needed another night. Another campfire. So we decided to stop for the night at Pocomoke River State Park in Maryland.

This is absolutely amazing. We are all alone. We have this entire loop of the campground all to ourselves. There isn’t a single other person anywhere to be soon or heard. I am totally in my element. Of course, that also means no one will hear us if we scream. If you never hear from us again, you’ll know where we were last.

We got here with plenty of time to make a fire, cook dinner, and enjoy our last night away. Our menu was the same as last night. G3 only grumbled a little.

It was pleasant staying up late, sitting by the fire, chatting, and listening to the cicadas. I am going to miss the cicadas. I love being disconnected from the world. Kati just said she is looking forward to sleeping in her own bed and showering in her own shower. There is nothing I am looking forward to once I return to New Jersey. Not one thing. I had hoped to have a few interviews, but even they didn’t materialize.