A ball full of emotions

3-22-13 Thursday
A ball full of emotions

Thursday was split in two separate days... One in the car on the way to meet my brother.. The other going to my hometown of Shenandoah.

We started the in Gothenburg well rested and ready for breakfast. We had a free breakfast at the hotel which was a very nice treat. We packed up the car and went over to the local high school to drop off the pictures. it was cold and very windy but the morning had a different feel to it. We knew today is the day we finally get to land somewhere and stay for awhile.

Gothenburg, Nebraska is a super cute little town! Its what u'd like to see all midwest towns to look like. All the houses were nicely kept and it was not a depressed town. I took a lot of pictures because it reminded me of what my memories of shenandoah looked like. Gothenburg is also the town of the first pony express and also had a lot of sand crane birds. Oh several houses had ham radio and cb towers on the rooftops. Talk about flashbacks! I could hear the "dit dit da dit dit" in my head from the morse code my dad used to do. The john deer tractors and grain elevators were all a reminder we were almost there. I had a big grin riding thru that town.

Back on the 80.. Wanda and I had a new energy. It was still cold and windy but the flat mowed down corn fields with cows grazing freely along with the old wooden windmills were encouraging... We were getting there.

As a child radio towers were a landmark as to where u were in your travels. I can remember counting towers and old windmills to see which one there was more of. Nebraska has many of both. I couldnt keep the tears from flowing as I saw tower after tower. Now I'm sure they are mostly cell towers verses radio towers but they still had the same meaning to me. I'm almost home.. Its amazing how u can remember and recognize one tower over another.

 I'm a ball full of emotioms! I'm excited, nervous, giddy, happy, sad, and at times I feel like a little girl. Missing my parents, and family back in oregon but excited to see my brother. Oh I need a drink. Press on.. Almost there.

The last couple of hours in the car before the "hand off" to my brother wanda and I talked about our church memories growing up. Some good, some bad...but oh the pot luck dinners. Once a month the church would have a pot luck fellowship. Everyone would bring something ... We talked about our favorites... Tator tot casserole was on the top of both of our lists. Swedish meatballs... Real ones that had a hint of sweetness to them. We discussed the Swedish families and how everyone was a Johnson. we discussed religion itself and why we have the beliefs we do now. I had a few "ah ha" moments about my personality and my moms. It was a nice discussion into the past.

As we pulled away from York it was time for my brother to get on the road too. I could tell he was excited to. Dot (wanda's dog) sighed as she sat back on my lap. Only a little longer. Going past Lincoln and then in thru Omaha... Oh we are close. I called my brother as we passed by the Iowa sign (I missed the picture opportunity). only 2 more miles.. aaahhh! breathe.

There's his truck.. Finally I am with my brother!! But that meant saying goodbye to my travel buddies. Wanda was the best listener anyone could ask for. I realized going into this trip I needed a therapeutic ear as I was a emotional mess. I was able to talk to her, someone who was non-judemental, someone who understood my Iowa ways, someone who listened to all my childhood memories, adult pain of losing my mother, trials of having my dad marry across country and missing him so much, to the joys of own family; my wonderful husband, my children, my inlaws, my relationship with kathy, as I reflected back on my relationship of mom. Kathy has made a wonderful mom "stand in" and is a wonderful caring person! I went into this thinking I would type all across the countryside but instead we talked and watched the scenery. that was a big part of my first part of this journey. Thank you wanda.. and dot.. You gave me an incredible gift getting me across the country and providing me your ears and words of wisdom. I will never be able to repay you or express how much it really meant to me!!