Hello from chilly Ohio! We had a great week traveling northward toward one set of grandkids, despite Nathan coming down with a cold. We had some fun in Nashville, where we had a pleasant surprise, and in Dayton, where we finally visited a museum we’ve been trying to catch for years. Now all is grand, as in grandkids!
We spent a couple of nights in Nashville. This was our third visit to the city and it was pretty cold, so we didn’t have much planned. As we arrived, we immediately started to see the destruction from Winter Storm Fern from the week before. There were downed trees and branches and damaged power lines. We were hearning stories of people who were still without power or trapped in their neighborhoods a week after the storm hit. It was dramatic. We booked a show at Zanie’s Comedy Club based on the Nateland Podcast hosted by Nate Bargatze. We like his comedy and this was a compliation show of comedians from around the country doing 5-10 minute sets. It was really good and there were definitely some talented comics. Then at the end, the host announced that there was a surprise and out came…Nate Bergatze! He was working on some new material and had just won a Grammy the night before. He was very funny and we felt like we got a steal of a deal.
Then it was on to Dayton, Ohio. We almost always drive by Dayton on our way between Alex’s place and Lauren’s home, so we often consider stopping. It was the home of the Wright Brothers and there are some really good historical sites there relating to aviation. The problem is that the national park sites aren’t open on Mondays and Tuesdays and that’s usually when we are driving through. We purposely planned to be there on a Wednesday this time so we could check it out. However, we also thought we could catch the National Mueseum of the Air Force on Tuesday afternoon as a bonus. But, alas, not this time. It was closed due to the partial governmenet shutdown. We did get to visit the national park site, though, including the museum outlining the Wright Brothers’ history and the only one of their bicycle shops that’s still in tact. It was worth the wait and we will probably be back to see more sometime.
Now we are happily installed in Marietta, Ohio again and spending a portion of every day reading stories, building projects, and giving piggy back rides. It’s just perfect and we are soaking it up! Have a great week!
Closing This Chapter
So, here we are. It’s been 90 weeks since we drove out of our driveway in Sandy, bound for new experiences and a unique chapter of our life by moving to Europe. We started another chapter when we returned to the U.S. last summer. A LOT has happened since then, and we have been blessed to spend tons of time with family and friends across the country. The last ten months have been such a precious season to reconnect, to celebrate, and to mourn with those we love. Now, it’s time to close that chapter and open another — time for another adventure!
Mountains and More
Another fun week in Utah with family and friends doing some of our favorite things!
Utah!
I missed doing a post last week because we were en route to Utah from St. Louis. We really enjoyed our last week with Alex, Hanna, and the boys. We had a great time playing outside with the kids, going to the library and the St. Louis Science Center.
This week we have been in Centerville staying with Margaret (who is such a kind and accommodating host) and having a good mix of family time, outdoor fun, and working on sorting through Nathan’s dad’s office/studio. Our daughter, Lauren, flew in from West Virginia yesterday to ski with her dad. We are enjoying the beautiful, snowy mountains and the relaxed visits with family and friends. We will be here for three more weeks, so if you want to meet up, send me a message!