2023 R&R: Family Tour

In October 2022, a week of vacation attached to a training trip home took me to three states in one week. It was exhausting, though I did manage to see my parents and grandmothers, which was the goal. For my May 2023 trip, I wanted more time to breathe, relax, and chat. I also wanted to focus on and reconnect with more family. So this time, I took a month to visit nearly 30 family members in 7 cities across 4 states, while also squeezing in a solo 3-day road trip. It was a fantastic month and reflecting on it from my couch in Cambodia makes me feel really, really good. 

An extra special, huge thank you to all those who were kind enough to host me: Remi, Sarah, Naomi, mom and dad, Paul and Mary, and Eva. 

On a more depressing note, during my time in the U.S. it was disheartening to hear breaking news of bans related to transgender healthcare, and Disney movies, and works by non-white authors in grade schools; seeing 'Let's Go Brandon' or 'Trump 2024' signs; and hearing offhand comments about socialism (in relation to fishing catch and release laws?!) and other bamboozled or deliberately obtuse ideologies. During my trip the books I was reading (one about a cousin who escaped Nazi Czechoslovakia and another that discussed the bottom-line focus of social media companies that ignore health risks and invade privacy) made it painful to imagine what could happen if 'illiberal democracy' or 'Christian nationalism' were to become the political norms, and I had a lot of unhappy but thoughtful conversations with various family members about these issues. 

In any case, below are quick summaries of my travels, organized by state!

Georgia

Remi met me on arrival at the Atlanta airport and hauled my tired butt and suitcases back to his house in Stone Mountain. He and Liz were very kind as I adjusted from jet lag and I enjoyed hanging out and catching up with them. Liz took me for a nice long walk to a nearby park, lovely and green. Remi took me to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which had trolls made of recycled shipping pallets and gorgeous orchids, among a peaceful landscape of all kinds of plant life. 

Remi and I also went to Marietta, GA, to visit our cousins Ben and Rebecca and their families. We last saw each other pre-pandemic, at our grandmother's hundredth birthday party in 2019. This visit we got to meet their spouses and kids, which was really special. 

Me and my brother at the Atlanta botanical garden.

My sister-in-law and me at Stone Mountain park.

Cousins in Marietta: Rebecca, Remi, me with
Avery, Ben with Olivia

Solo Road Trip: Blue Ridge Parkway

I headed north from Atlanta, going through Helen (weird little German-esque town in the northern part of the state) on my way to the Great Smoky Mountains national park. A pit stop at a park office got me a lifetime National Parks pass when I flashed my veteran ID - yay! The first day, I drove to Cherokee, NC, and stayed in an AirBnB yurt: a comfy affair with a gorgeous view. The second day, I trundled along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a gorgeous road winding around and through mountains. I stopped regularly along the way at overlooks, braving the cold air to look at the incredible vistas. Occasionally I went on short hikes, lost in my thoughts and just enjoying the greenery. On day three, I found my way onto a highway and landed in Durham, NC, for a night with my parents. 

Random hike along the way.

View from my yurt (thanks AirBnB!)

Enjoying the views along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Florida

Next up was Miami, where I stayed with my aunt Sarah and visited with my grandma Norma, who turned 104 earlier this year. Remi flew down to join me and we enjoyed a great afternoon in the pool and some quality catch-up time with Sarah. 

After a couple days in Miami, I hopped in a rental car to head up the coast. My first stop was lunch with my friend Cait, whose husband was in my Foreign Service entry class, and their two adorable little girls. Then I drove to New Smyrna Beach to visit my cousin Naomi and her smarty pants little daughter Ella, as well as my cousin Mitzi and her fiancé Josh. Naomi, Mitzi and I enjoyed a morning on a pontoon boat, seeing dolphins and wandering on a secluded beach. That afternoon, Remi caught up with us and we all went out for dinner together. Then it was back down to Miami, a quick visit with cousin Galen, and on a plane to the next city!

Me and Cait.

Sarah and me.

Cousins! Remi, Josh, Mitzi, Naomi, Ella, me.

North Carolina

The next stop was a nice stretch in North Carolina, spending a week and half of quality time with my folks. They had a full and fascinating schedule whipped up, which was a real treat! Campfire in the back yard with friends, remake of Around the World in 80 Days, Kure Beach getaway, Mother's Day fun, garden tour, shopping, art museum visit, farmer's market... it was really a special and dynamic North Carolina adventure. Best of all, I got to catch up and talk away with my mom and dad. The motel on the beach was so comfy and swimming the ocean was a welcome treat, rough waves and all. 

Mom and dad enjoying a Mother's Day snack.

Me and the folks at Kure beach.

Dad and me, watching the waves.

Exhibit MamaRay by
Wangechi Mutu at the
Nasher Museum of Art

Minnesota

Finally, it was time to head to the last state on my itinerary. Duluth and family welcomed me with cold wind and lake waves, but that just made it feel familiar. I enjoyed the hospitality and fantastic home of my aunt Mary and uncle Paul, and watched as the frame of a greenhouse (plans include a fireplace and a shower) sprung up. Extra special was that cousin Annette and her husband Ken drove in from Milton, WI, and cousin Ramon came up from the Twin Cities. So it was a full house of chatter and visiting and catching up! I dined, talked books, and worried about the state of the world with my grandma Nancy, who is turning 100 this summer, and her partner Jo. A trip up the North Shore of Lake Superior made a great reunion with my Foreign Service friend Lisa and her family. 

Then I drove down to the Twin Cities with Paul, saw my cousin Amelie perform in a dance recital along with her parents and siblings, and stayed with cousin Eva. Before heading to the airport, we walked through George Floyd Square, a sobering and yet uplifting experience.

Mama Superior gives a gift.

Cambodian connections on the North Shore

Blue Fin Bay, MN

Me and Nancy and Jo

MN Family: Amelie, Ramona, Milo, Eva, me,
Josh, Grayson, Paul and Mary

The renamed grocery store and now-famous
mural in George Floyd Square.

Phnom Penh

Then it was back on a plane across the globe, returning home to Cambodia and adjusting to the heat, which is affecting even the locals.

Heat-of-the-day nap.

Cambodian summer skies.