I am so excited to see my family again! There are a lot of things happening right now, and not all of them marvelous, so focusing on the best thing is the most one can do. The best thing for me is my family.

I’m especially excited to have intense debates with my dad. We are both very loud (I wasn’t born with an inside voice) and usually dinner turns into us “discussing” with Mom and Emily just groaning as our food gets cold.

I get to hug my Mom. This is such a cheesy post, but seriously, I’m so close with my family. Being abroad for the better part of 2 years hasn’t changed that.

My grandparents are coming up for Em’s graduation in June! AH! This photograph was taken sometime in the early 70’s, I’m guessing.

My grandfather and I like discussing cars. I think maybe, since he’s got 4 granddaughters, it’s nice to discuss something other than what the other three do. I think we’re going to make a trip to a car museum in Deerlodge one day!

The more I look at old photographs, the more I realize how awesome my youth was. We were constantly either travelling around the States or camping or canoeing- we weren’t a very languishing family. My parents prioritized travel and being outside, which I truly think is extremely important. Even though we didn’t stay in luxury hotels or go anywhere international, I’ve done some amazing things that no 5-star resort or international trip can give you- like realizing how to paddle a canoe, or knowing how to track animals, or start a campfire, or how much you can stand each other on 16-hour car rides. Or even how awesome it is that your parents allow you to just go and play in the mud and catch snakes and frogs.

Family! I see you May 15th!