Driving, surrounded by mountains and trees

Today was good.
It was mostly uneventful, but really nice.
And so I will tell all about it, complete with beautiful, mundane details.

I woke up lazily, rolled out of the daybed in Dana's magic attic, climbed into the rocking chair and lolled around on the computer for a while.
I got cleaned up, and called an old college friend who lives near Dana's folks.
Dana and I went on a consumer mission, and I found excellent deals on memory (card for camera and stick for computer).
We had lunch from the Sheetz, which I have to say is just as exciting as I had heard. That ordering kiosk is fancy.
Then I put practically my whole computer on my newly acquired flash/jump/thumb drive.
Mid-afternoon, I headed out of Roanoke on I-81 North, hit I-66 East, and drove curvy, hilly roads passing numerous cows.
On the drive, I listened to Ben Kweller and Ben Lee. (I decided that the Bens -- Lee, Kweller, Folds, and perhaps Harper -- should get together and have some collaborative efforts. If they already have and I am oblivious to the existence of what is no doubt magical music, someone had better clue me in.)
I also utilized some drive time to call some friends. It's always good to catch up with folks, and it's especially nice when you are making plans to see them soon.
At some point, the sky started to darken as the sun set, and the mountains and the clouds began to blend together. I love that. I stopped at a rest area, ran across the parking lot, jumped on top of a picnic table and got some photo documentation of the blending.
I stopped at Target. I heart Target. I bought some champagne, a purple table runner (on clearance after xmas), and some Cheerios.
I proceeded to Beth and Kevin's house in Springfield, the next stop on my journey. Beth is all pregnant and gorgeous and lovely. And I get to hear her preach in the morning.
I drank the rest of their milk with my ham sandwich, so I went out to the grocery store while Kevin went to bed and Beth set out to finish her sermon. I bought the milk, and picked up more champagne. (I really like champagne, so I might be a little extra excited about New Year's Eve tomorrow.)
And now, I'm sitting in the papasan in Kevin's lime green office while Beth types away, listening to Christian music.

I love this roadtrip so far. It was a very good idea.
This morning, Dana and I counted up all the people on my "to see" list and I had at least 19 people on there from several categories/arenas of my life -- Candler people, college friends, high school friends, and relatives (both mine and those of my friends).
The stops on my whirlwind week and a half adventure include:
Roanoke, VA
Lexington, VA
Springfield, VA
Middleburg,VA
my aunt's house in Maryland just north of DC
Richmond, VA
Greensboro, NC
Mooresville, NC
(possibly Raliegh, NC)
and Lancaster county, SC
Then back to the ATL.

I really love Atlanta, and I am glad my parents live closer to Charleston and the ocean now, but there is just something about the mountains. You know on those old profile emails that used to go around like crazy, one of the questions was usually "Mountains or Beach?" I always had a very hard time deciding. I love them both. There is a serenity and beauty about the rolling mountains, the various shades of green (or blue in the early evening), the old and new farmhouses, the cows and their paths along the side of the hills, the twisty roads... And a similar peace and beauty comes in the warm sand, the roaring waves, the birds walking along the water's edge, the sea oats blowing in the warm breeze...
Here's the thing. I just love the world. I love being in it. I love travelling. I love seeing people, sharing stories, laughing over how things were and how things have changed.