So where do you think we've been on this long hiatus from blogging? Broke down on the interstate? Lounging on sugar white beaches in Florida? Braving the cold on the way up to the inauguration? Or maybe all that loving togetherness finally turned sour and Jason and Keta are skiing in Colorado and Jaycie is slingin' hash at a diner in Louisiana until we can stand the sight of each other again. The answer is none of the above, but it may be just as surprising!
We spent some time in swampy north Florida, but decided not to go further south on account of the expensive, crowded campgrounds and general dog unfriendliness. The beaches of Miami will have to wait until another day! Wanting to stay warm but continue exploring, we took the only option and headed up the Georgia coast. There we happened upon a Bluegrass Festival, headlined by Ralph Stanley who Jason had been hoping to see at some point during our trip. This was not your average beer drinkin, work up a sweat dancin festival crowd, but instead was more like 65th high school reunion...we were the only people under age 70 at the event!! Remember too that this was in the south and that bluegrass music is rooted in gospel music, so the performers were laying on the lord language pretty heavy! We were a little nervous that Jesus was hiding behind the stage curtain, ready to strike us down for tapping our feet at any minute! At one point, the band was asking the crowd which state they were from. Never known to blend into the crowd (without gray hair how could he with that bunch!) Jason hollered out that we were from, "California!" This was just as an old local walked by and looked at us and said, "Welcome to the United States." We were feeling very far from home! Then Ralph Stanley came on stage (it was 8:30pm, we almost had the place to ourselves!) and folks, he was the oldest one in the room! Sweet as he was, his arthritis kept him from playing the banjo and he forgot the words to one of the songs! It was great to see such a musical legend though, and we went away happy!
From there we drove up the coast to Savannah with it's great little historic parks and then to South Carolina. There we enjoyed Charleston where we saw a movie in a theater where you could order dinner and drinks while watching the film, went to a much needed Jivamutki yoga class, endured a time-share presentation for a couple of free tours and a great dinner, and took long morning walks on beautiful beaches at sunrise. It was on one of these walks that we realized that as much fun as we were having, it was time for the trip to come to a close. We miss our independence, the normalcy of a work routine, and the security and space of a home. This trip has brought out the best parts of our relationship, and has shed the bright light of clarity on what we genuinely need in our lives at this moment to feel grounded. And, we now realize, that does not include sleeping in a different Hampton Inn parking lot every night! Not even the witnessing the historical inauguration could keep us on the frigid east coast; we decided that our marriage and sanity were more important than freezing our behinds off in a long lines in DC. We have made great memories over the past few months, but are ready for the next adventure!
So where are we now? After we made our decision, we made an abrupt U-turn towards the west and back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we now call home. After a great night in Asheville, North Carolina and long days of driving through Arkansas and Oklahoma we were rewarded by quickly finding a house downtown Santa Fe that is at the same time just 15 miles from the ski area. It is adobe with a little fireplace and a great yard for Keta (who nearly refuses to get back in the dolphin at this point without a Puperoni treat). At this exact moment we are in a $35 a night hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona on the long mission back to blaze up and down the California coast picking up our stuff and then back to the high desert that we fall in love with more each moment we spend there.
What a trip!! Thank you all so much for following us and for your support! We will see some of you in California! Look us up if you're in New Mexico: 100 A Williams St Santa Fe, NM 87501
Love you all and remember: The biggest oak was once a little nut that held his ground!
Signing off!
The Coburns
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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