Several months ago, I found out about a Breech Birth conference in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend and desperately wanted to attend (I may write more about this conference later, as supporting and advocating for women's choices in childbirth [and health, life in general] is something I consider a true calling of mine and the conference has been incredible). This would be my first solo conference/travel since having Niall, but since I have family relatively close by in Wisconsin (2 hours away in New London), I wanted to come a day early to be able to visit them (my in-laws, including auntie Kat, came up to our house to help Kelvin with our kids so I tried my hardest not to feel guilty about my absence).
I really got to know Allison (a first cousin of my Dad's) and her family well when I used to head over to their place (a ~4-hour drive) from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, some weekends when I was in medical school (they were, by distance and time, my closest family, even though I had to cross a state line). I loved the warmth of Allison's home and spirit, being able to take a true break from my studies and forget about school, and I really enjoyed hanging out with (then kids) Natalie (now in optometry school in Indiana), Ryan (a senior in college in Madison) and Brayden (also a college student), who I still picture as a five-year-old with a broken arm (!) as he had on one of my last trips. Their whole family made it out to California my wedding in 2011, and I saw Allison last year at my Grandmother's funeral, but haven't been to their home in Wisconsin in probably about 13 years!
Due to cold weather (a few inches of snow on the ground!) and other circumstances, we hunkered down indoors, drinking warm drinks, cuddling with the doggies, and just catching up for the better part of the just-under 24 hours I was there.
with goldendoodles Wilson (6) and Bentley (8)
Brayden surprised us with a visit home from school in La Crosse
Peter came home from work on Friday for lunch to hang out with us.
When in Madison, I was able to meet up with Ryan and his girlfriend Kasey for pizza dinner (alas, I didn't take a photo).
It also snowed (about 4 inches, I think) again!
With where I am now, both in geography and in life/career, my time in medical school in the midwest truly feels like another lifetime ago. Driving by Wisconsin's silos, farms, and cheesehauses instead of through redwood forests (and scraping off snow) felt so foreign to me, but family will always be familiar (even when the "kids" are now grown-ups towering over me!) and their home will always feel like home to me (thanks, Allison!).
No comments:
Post a Comment