Midwest to East

The past two days have felt a bit surreal. I’ve observed everything through a haze of pain as my body reminds me every few seconds, with a shocked expression, that oh my gosh your wisdom tooth is hurting! Despite that, I’ve managed to have a good time. I generally sit in the backseat, couched between the door and my backpack, with Christian poking and bugging me as he has been doing since I was born. I have my staple snacks: almonds, apples, and ingredients for PBJ, as well as some extras such as pretzels and chocolate. The weather everywhere we’ve gone has been cool and bright, with intense sunlight that paints the world in vivid orange. I’ve enjoyed the winter landscape— trees, shapely in their bareness or feathery in their numbers— and the terrain that has transformed from the quilted flatness of the Midwest to the rolling foothills of the East.

Best of all so far has been the time we spent with my relatives. This morning our “Poppi” and “Nonni” (my dad’s parents) fixed us a down-home breakfast, complete with sausage, bacon, biscuits, and scrambled eggs. We didn’t have much time before we had to hit the road, with a full day of driving ahead, but it was good to see them.

Now the four of us are hanging out in a cheap but clean hotel to the eastern side of Atlanta, watching River Monsters Unhooked on the tele. I’m tired and still in pain, but I’m happy to be on the road again.

~Lisa Shafter