Off for another adventure

Ok, so, I did make it home. I know my last post way two months ago and I never actually stated I made it home safely. Well, I did make it back and home was everything that I was needing. I can't really give a great reason why I haven't written in the last two months. I've definitely had the time to write. I think part of it is that being home just isn't as exciting as being in New Zealand or living in Antarctica. I didn't have a whole lot to write about at any given time. Now that it has been two months a lot has happened that is noteworthy, just not really travel related. So here is a bit of a summary.

I got home at the end of May right in time for the Blossom festival in Chagrin Falls, which is really the town next to my home town. The family has been going to the festival since before I can really remember anything. There is a carnival, parade, and a 5.25 mile race during memorial day weekend. It's always a good time and having this as the first few days back was perfect. Lori and the Fed 5 came up for the weekend and we did the typical feeding the ducks at the park, getting ice cream, race running, and parade we have done for the last six years. I've run in the race the last six years and was really looking forward to this one since I felt like I was in pretty good shape to run it. After all the hiking in New Zealand I was faster and stronger than in past years and wanted to set a personal record of less than 40 minutes in the race. It was tough course with the hills and it was not an easy run but I made it and finished in 38.40. So each year I've run in it I've improved so the next time I run I'll have to do better once again. Although next year I may not be back in time for the Blossom run so I'm not sure when I will run it again. It may be never if the parents move sometime before I get back.

Speaking of my parents, being home also allowed me to spend time with them and I have to say how fortunate I am to have mom and dad. In a way I know what I've been these last two months. I've pretty much been a free loading bum. A homeless, no car, no job, freeloader. Maybe I'm not that bad but they have never let me feel like I've burdened them these last weeks and like they have done all my life, they treat me very well.

For the first two and a half weeks I split time between home in Cleveland and my sisters place down in Columbus. Life at my sisters is pretty much ruled by what the Federer kids are up to for that particular day. In my time there I got a lot of pool time in (which was fantastic), some T-ball (which really are brutal to watch), field day at kids school (where I got questioned by moms thinking I was kidnapping my niece), and lots and lots of the Disney Channel. For the most part, it was a fun time hanging out with the kids. It keeps things simple and they can be pretty darn cute.

In the middle of June I borrowed mom's car and did a little traveling in the states. In three weeks I hit Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, back to St. Louis, and Indianapolis to visit various friends. I spent two weeks of that time in St. Louis at my old condo. It was just like old times being back. I met friends at the same restaurants, got some golfing in, and got a game night in with the gang. I also got to play soccer during the three Sundays I was in town. Besides the people in St. Louis, soccer was probably the next biggest thing I missed about home. By the third Sunday I was injured and starting to get my groove back on the field. It felt great. While in town I also got to spend some time with a former co-worker that I just started to get to know before leaving St. Louis the fall before. Getting to know her more while I was in town was the highlight of the trip. In some ways it was a lot harder to leave St. Louis after the short trip there than it was when I left last year. I think it is because leaving the first time it was all about the new adventure I was going on and I had little time to really realize what I'd be leaving. Now that I know I will be away from a lot of really good friends and I had missed them all and will miss them again it was harder to leave.

On the way back from visiting friends there was a near week long stop over at Pokagon State Park in Indiana for the Ott Family Campout. The family campout has been going on for 34 years now and I look forward to it each and every year. This year was one of the best in the history of the campout as it was the first time it was going to be longer than just a weekend. Because of the campground rules changing a number of years back the only way the family could get the group camp in June, July, or August is to rent out the camp for the entire week. This year the family decided to do just that and bring it back to a summer event instead of a September event that a lot of people can't make. It turned out to be a good move. I got to the grounds on Tuesday of the week long camp and there were about 10 others as I arrived. So for the good part of two days it was a small group hanging out and catching up. More and more people arrived Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and the turnout was one of the best in years. Lots of kids running around and lots of time to fit all the activities in. Usually the campout runs at a frantic pace and it seems like I would arrive on Friday and in a flash it would be Sunday morning cleanup and pack up. The extra days allowed for some great volleyball, multiple trivial pursuit games (one a ultimate showdown resulting in a 3 am tie), the annual 16" softball game, lots of wiffleball with the kids, a round of golf with the godfather, and a lot of time to chat up all the aunts, uncles,cousins, second cousins, and on and on. Because of the success of the campout this last year the family is once again planning on renting an entire week. If things work out as planned I should be back just in time for it next year.

After the campout it has been three weeks of time in Columbus and in Cleveland. Not much really to write about. It was good spending more time with the family. At the same time though I've been really itching to go travel again. It was the right amount of time for me to stay home and recharge before traveling again. I leave for Ecuador tomorrow and am extremely excited to get going again. Since there is a lot of stuff still to get done today I'm signing off but I will start writing again more frequently as the adventure continues.......