Day 7 Racoon Creek State Park, PA to Alexandria, VA 282 miles

It is so hard to believe that we have crossed the country and that we are now in Virginia. We have settled Hilary and Nate in their new home and we are resting up for the last leg of our trip tomorrow.

Many of you do not know that I was born and spent my first six weeks in Alexandria, Virginia. It holds a special place in my heart, although, of course, I have no real memories of it. When I worked at Castilleja I had the opportunity to travel to D.C. with the eighth graders on their trip to the nation's capitol four years in a row. Kiel and Carly lived in D.C. at the time and I was willing to do an eight day trip chaperoning 13 year olds in trade for a dinner with my son. I love D.C. But, the surprise of those trips was how taken I was by the beauty of Virginia in the autumn.

Tonight, as we sat on the porch of Hilary and Nate's house, we had a thunderstorm with lightening the likes of which we do not see in California. It was a very warm (and humid) night that invited sitting on the porch in our camp chairs (no furniture has arrived yet) enjoying an evening outside that stretched on and on in its temperate climate. Four of the neighbors came over to welcome us to the neighborhood. It literally feels like a warm and welcoming place to leave my daughter and her husband as they go on to their next adventure.

One of the best parts of this trip is that Covid has not seemed front and center in everything we do. I have still not gone into a store or dined at a restaurant but our ability to insulate ourselves has just felt normal. We just drive all day and then set up camp and go to sleep. We are friendly to people passing safely by; we put on our masks as an extra precaution but it feels like second nature. It hasn't felt as if I am missing out on something all the time which is the vague feeling I would have at home sheltering in place.

Tonight I feel normal. I am having a respite from all the craziness that Covid has created for us. I am appreciating feeling like life is normal even if it is a passing experience. I think the fact that I get to see my granddaughter tomorrow, my granddaughter who only knows me from FaceTime calls (she can't possible remember me from when she was less than a month old), and after all this time, and after planning and planning about how to see her...

I think I get to feel something very normal in my excitement to have this simple experience. I get to be a Lola. Tala, we cannot wait to see you!