It’s exactly four years later, and a lot has changed. That girl I was running away from (temporarily anyway) is now my wife, and we’ve been happily married for three of those years.
We’re driving up the same route John and I drove down as we head up to Myrtle Beach for a vacation (homecoming and veterans day combined for a great excuse for a trip four years ago, and they still do today). We just passed through the valley of the shadow of death in Georgia and are STILL not planning on stopping so I can see Katie Holmes, just like last time. I think I’m a bit more OK with it this time though.
A few other things are the same, and yet different as well. Bush was re-elected, but this time Florida’s not the butt of any jokes, so I feel a bit safer identifying myself as a Floridian. I’m also hoping we get some of the great cooler weather John and I enjoyed last time, even though we’re not going nearly as far north.
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks lately, pretty busy trying to get things ready around the office for this trip and still not getting it all done. I’ve got a long todo list waiting for me when I get back, but for now it’s a perfect time to get away and enjoy ourselves.
I’ve been hit with some heavy doses of nostalgia lately; visited Winter Springs and saw my old home-town (it will always be my hometown in my mind, no matter where I was actually born or lived, that was where I grew up), and discovered that it had grown up as much as I had in the years since I’ve last really been there. This trip on this weekend on this road is no less of a mind-trip.
On the more here and now front, Jaime and I have come to more of a decision about our future. We’re actually planning on staying in Gainesville for at least a little bit longer. After all those years of promising to get out, I’m turning into one of those Gainesville-ites who just can’t manage to leave. Probably won’t surprise some people, but it sure surprised me. This despite the fact that I’ve got a sort of informal interview on this trip; one of the reasons for picking Myrtle Beach to visit is that I’m meeting someone I’ve known online who works for a security company for a brief visit to check out their office and say hello. We’re still open to other options, so who knows, maybe the experience will totally wow us, but we’re definitely leaning more towards staying in the same place.
Oh yeah, guess I’d better warn Jaime about those lane-shifts in South Carolina.
These things happen; you plan on leaving but it doesn’t ever seem to work out that way. Next thing you know, you’ll be a Senior VP of IT, Dan will be an Alachua county commissioner and I’ll have a frisbee league named after me.
Left by Dave on November 11th, 2004
Those lane shifts were insane. I was almost asleep, you were asleep (and being a bitch about not letting me turn the radio up enough to stay awake), it was raining, and all the sudden the road slides sideways fifty feet thanks to construction. I don’t think I’ve ever related quite how close we were to eating a temporary barrier and hydroplaning through a construction area. Most of the heavy breathing and cursing (that woke you up) was well after the fact.
It’s amazing that it’s been four years. Funny that we went back early so that you could study for a Chinese test and now I’m the one in China, studying Chinese, and that Danielle and I would probably agree a whole lot more now than we did then.
Have fun in Myrtle Beach (all I know is that they have a pretty nice Wendy’s on I-95). If you have a few days sometime in January, I’d be all up for another aimless trip somewhere :).
Left by John B on November 12th, 2004
Dave: You think a vocal right winger could be elected Alachua County commissioner? Dare to dream, I suppose…
Left by Daniel on November 16th, 2004