Florida Day 14

Last night. I slept remarkably well until a nightmare woke me up. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but I was dreaming about interviewing and doing a demo lesson for a teaching job. The lesson was not going well. I was trying to teach a book—a graphic novel, which seems so bizarre because graphic novels are not my favorite, but it was a dream—but the principals kept interrupting me to ask why I choose the book and why I thought a book about race was imported. In frustration, I threw the book and the impact of the book hitting the floor is what snapped my eyes open.

It is our last morning on the road, our last morning to wake up in nature and I wanted to linger in the moment. Not waking anyone else, I got my chair out of the car and sat down to read. It was a very pleasant way to start the day—alone with a book, surrounded by trees. When Kati and G3 woke up they joined me and we sat around talking, none of us in a rush to get on the road. It was peaceful and enjoyable, the kind of quiet moment that is often lost in the hustle to get get going and see as much as possible while on the road.

Before driving home, we stopped at Assateague National Seashore to swim at one of our favorite beaches. We came here for the first time when G3 was—I think—seven years old. We came for the horses, but discovered we really liked the beach. But the beach apparently does not like us. The second we stepped out of the car, thunder sounded in the distance and the lifeguards called everyone out of the water. We went down to the beach anyway, hoping the thunder would pass. I really wanted one last swim in the ocean this summer. But instead of passing, the storm grew closer until we saw lightning. Rain followed shortly after. I am more than a little disappointed. But disappointment seems to follow me everywhere I go. At least, I got to see the horses, including a foal who was eating grass beside her mother in the rain.

We left without ever getting in the water. We had checked the weather last night and again this morning and the chance of rain was less than twenty-percent. The rain is now coming down in buckets. After a fun summer, it’s ending on a very low note. And aside of my cats, there is absolutely nothing to look forward to. I’m kind of dreading tomorrow.

Of course, as soon as we left Assateague and got back on the road, the skies cleared. If only the rain had held out for an hour. I feel like the ending of this trip is a sign that the rest of the year will go poorly.

The trip ended as it began with G3 taking over the driving shortly after we crossed into NJ. Even though it was rush hour, the traffic through NJ wasn’t bad. We are now home.

And this concludes the Jaeger family summer adventures.

Dante was really happy to have me home. All through the night, he kept meowing, pressing his nose into my face to make sure it was really me, and cuddling next to me.