Visiting GF's Family in Raleigh, North Carolina

So, we did not quite get to visit Raleigh, North Carolina, like I wanted to. We did get to drive through a lot of the countryside the next day, once we departed from our trip to the South, and I could see why so many people are drawn to North Carolina. This is a land of lakes and woods, an outdoors advocate's paradise. It was quiet, very rural, and the price of homes here is cheap. If you can land a job, the quality of life is surely not worse than in suburban New Jersey. If you are retired and get some income that way, than it would be a nice place to retire, indeed. The family told us that it hardly ever snows and, although it does get hot and stuffy, on those days, they do what so many down South do: stay indoors, going outdoors only when necessary, or when the temperatures and conditions are relatively cool and mild, such as early mornings and evenings. The family seemed very happy there.

Okay, not my family. At least, not yet.

This was my girlfriend's family. Specifically, an uncle who lives in the United States, her only relatively close relative living in the United States.

She was an interesting woman.

Born in Germany during the war, she can remember the bombings, and the invasion by the approaching Soviet army. She remembers being forcibly removed from what is now part of Poland, and struggling to make a living in what would soon become the Federal Republic of Germany, better known as West Germany.

She moved to the United States in the 1950's, to Buffalo, New York, and married my girlfriend's uncle (brother to her father).

They lived up in Buffalo until the mid-eighties, when they retired, and moved to the area of Raleigh, North Carolina.

She showed us her garden, with all sorts of vegetables that she took obvious pride in. They were not ready yet, she said, or she would have made a point of having us taste it, making a salad or other dish incorporating the fresh veggies.

Oh, and she absolutely loved my son, even slipping him a $20 bill! Needless to say, he was quite thrilled by that, even though he had seemed typically indifferent and disinterested in the conversation up to that point, not surprising for an eight year old boy. Several times, he turned to me and, in a whisper, asked when we could leave. He started doing that within the first half an hour or so.

As for him, I am not entirely sure how and when he came to the United States, but he has been here a long time now. So long, that he mostly seems to have forgotten how to speak Polish. He visited Poland, and his family, once, since leaving Poland, and that was decades ago now - either the seventies, or maybe the very early eighties. It has been quite some time, and it seems doubtful that he will return back to Poland anytime soon again. When my girlfriend talked to him about family, he really did not know who she was talking about other than her father, and maybe one or two other people. Even then, he had only foggy memories of those people, and those times.

We visited for a few hours, and before long, we were embracing and saying goodbye. It was then that my son received the $20 bill, trying to hide it from me (although I watched her sneak it to him). I told him to use it wisely.

The next morning, it was out final day. The estimated drive length back home was around 71/2 hours, and we got started relatively early. We were doing well, too, until we hit Washington, DC. Predictably, it was then that we hit traffic, and heavy, heavy traffic that, unfortunately, lasted until we got past Delaware. I regretted having taken I-95, kicking myself, since I knew better. Should have gone up the peninsula, the way we had originally come down. It might

(might)

have taken longer, but it would have been a whole lot less stressful.

At last, we got past that. I avoided the Delaware Memorial Bridge, since it was a parking lot to get onto it, let alone what was beyond it. I always hated driving on the New Jersey Turnpike, since every time that I drive on it, it seems heavy with traffic. Heavy with stress.

Instead, I went through I-95 past Philadelphia. It might seem counterintuitive to head directly towards a big city like Philly, yet I have rarely had problems there, ironically. It certainly always seems like the better option than the NJ Turnpike, anyway. Plus, our home in Hillsborough is in that general direction.

We more or less got through eastern Pennsylvania painlessly, and were back in New Jersey while there was still some daylight left, for which I was thankful. I can't remember the last time that I was so happy to be back in New Jersey!

It was a good trip, exciting and surprising at times. I would be going on yet another trip shortly (about a week and a half), but for now, I needed to get acclimated again with the regular routine back home. That included taking a nap before the night shift, which I would be working in a few short hours. So, after returning the rental, we came back and took that nap, and I then dropped my son off with his mommy, before heading off back to work, and the regular routine, this trip now history!