Home is about the people you are with. The familiarity of a thing or a location is always attached to the connection with people. In the experience of AmeriCorps, part of my sense of home changes with the change among the team or the kids I’m working with. This yea, I’ve been so grateful of the opportunity to develop my connection with my Packwoodian family and it has definitely provided the foundation of that home sense for me. But a vital part of that feeling was missing and this month, “home” gets to be experienced completely again.
Because Mary is back in Packwood for an entire month!
To prove my love of this lady, I even agreed to the most obnoxious flight arrival time possible! Just kidding, it wasn’t really that bad and certainly never a problem. I may have rethought the decision to go for cider with Chad beforehand and found myself curled into the chairs at baggage claim, trying to muster up the energy to keep my eyes open, let alone check the flight progress. It was 1:15am and her flight was supposed to be in at 12:40. Just as I peeled myself from the chair, I saw the familiar blue jacket gliding down the escalator and giant smiles formed on our faces.
In my many trips to the airport these past few months, I’ve come to notice that the times that people run towards each other and hug with reckless abandon happen few and far between. I don’t get it; I do it every time. Anyway, we got through our massive hug fest and launched right into sleep-deprived rambling, which lasted us the whole drive home and dissolved the sleepiness that had been encroaching. Still, as we pulled into Packwood and realized the sun was starting to peek behind the mountains, we were instantly ready to curl into bed.
From 5-9am, we had a nice nap. And then naturally, we decided to hike Packwood Lake.
It took some time to get to the trailhead because simple stops for coffee and bug spray turned into a marathon of greetings from everyone in town. It was exciting to see everyone’s joy at having her back in town but beneath it all, I was also anxious to hurry things along a bit; the town had a surprise up their sleeves and I was diligently keeping tabs on every interaction, hoping that no one would let the secret slip out…
…fortunately, we made it through, secrecy unscathed. The weather had turned around just in time for Mary’s arrival and our hike kicked off the first of a full week of Sunny 80’s weather. Immediately after reaching the lake, we bunkered down on a flat rock and lay there for a good hour. I even dozed off.
After 4 hours of sleep and a hike, we figured we might as well go all-out and rally with a bonfire. Back in town, we stopped at the store for accoutrements and once again, ended up bombarded with hellos. Again, I tried to play it cool while JC almost gave away the surprise and Miss wound up in the check-out line just ahead of us, purchasing the cocoa she would be using to make Mary’s cheesecake. Later we found out what that we were both thinking ‘don’t you dare ask what she’s baking, Mary!’
Back at the house, we threw together some dinner and tried to pump ourselves up for the evening plans we’d gotten ourselves into. Three people we’d never met were coming over to join the bonfire and we were already a slaphappy mess, unable to form proper sentences or speak without laughing at nonsense; oy vey.
Fortunately we found a second wind within a few drinks and a blazing fire and began to talk relatively sensical-ly (or as much so as usual). Our new fire friends were delightful and with no knowledge of the big day ahead, there would be no reason for Mary to be eager for bed. Once again, we were up late into the night.
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