Last week we finally visited my parents. We went up on Tuesday and returned on Saturday. It was a short visit, mostly because we didn’t want to leave our pet rats by themselves for longer without knowing how they’d fare. But, three days is pretty much the ideal visit time, so the rats might have done us a favor by forcing our return before we had overstayed our welcome. Impressions:
- It was good to see my parents. The last year-and-a-half took its toll on all of us, but on some more noticeably than others. Going forward we need to get together more often, even if COVID-19 gets bad again.
- I’m planning to visit again soon. I may take the kids up there myself and leave my husband at home (but only if he wants to stay home–a little time alone might be nice for him, but then again, maybe he’d like to relax up in VT, too).
- Vermont is full of wildflowers. I took some pictures, but not as may as I would have liked. I hope to find more time for that on my next visit.
- TBH, I do not love the lake that my parents live near, particularly because it’s so far away. But, there are a lot of positives. The house is pretty, comfortable, and conveniently located. There are restaurants, a grocery store, and a weekly farmer’s market within walking distance, plus plenty of scenic places to walk. The children enjoy collecting shells on the beach, and there’s a boat landing nearby with an excellent view of the sunset.
- It’s good to be home. We hadn’t done a ton of cleaning before we left, but our bed was made, the dishes done, the kitchen counter clear, and my office neat. All of those things helped to make our return comfortable rather than anxious. The older I get, the more any disorder in my immediate surroundings affects me, so I am grateful to Me-Last-Week for getting those things done.
- The rats were physically fine when we returned and seemed to be in good spirits. They still had food and water left. So, if we need to leave them home alone again, we can feel comfortable doing so.