Leaving Home

This morning, I left Princeton for Washington, DC.  I had a good visit in Princeton with family and friends.  There was quite a bit of snow and cold while I was there.  I wasn't really prepared for that when I arrived, but I quickly had to adjust.

I loved spending time with my mom, dad, cousins, and friends.  I can't forget Chloe, either.  She's a great dog.

As always, I should have taken more time to see other family members.  There never seems to be enough time to do everything that I want to do.  Hopefully, I'll be able to see everyone the next time I'm in Princeton.

Regardless, I'm now in DC, catching up with more friends.  It's not a long drive, just about 7 hours.  It's definitely an interesting one, full of mountains and valleys, twists and turns.  It's not a straight line.  Also, there are a few places you can stop to get some scenic views.  Since I wasn't on a schedule, I finally took the time to stop and see.  This is the view right outside of Charlottesville, VA, on the way to Richmond, VA.

 
It would have been an even better view if the trees had had leaves.

I had time on the drive to think about how we're all bound by routines.  I've made the drive from Princeton to DC multiple times in the past.  I always take I-64 until I get to Richmond, and then I-95 North.  To my mind, it's always been the simplest way, with the least likelihood of me getting lost or having problems finding places.  This time, I went a different way.  My phone set the route, and it sent me on quite a trip.  I'm actually glad.  I got to drive through several small towns in Central Virginia, and saw several horse farms.  If I hadn't gone a different way this time, I would have never seen the sights.  This trip is all about new experiences, and I'm glad that I had one today.  I look forward to having more.

It also amazes me how fast time passes.  I had dinner tonight with a friend that I haven't seen or spoken with in years.  She'd heard about the walkabout, and told me to look her up if I was in DC.  As we were talking, we realized it had been 12 years since we had seen each other, and about 7-8 years since we had spoken.  However, talking with her, it was clear that she was the same person I became friends with, all those years ago.  Neither of us were that different than who we were, maybe just a bit older (and hopefully wiser, although, in my case, the jury's still out).  Time just gets away from you, and it's easy to forget to call, write, or text.  I've got to do better about staying in touch with friends.