Our Trip
We're finally back from our trip and it's good to be home. The train was definitely the way to do it...there was something very special about watching the trees go from lifeless to full of life once we got to TX. We were hoping they would be a little greener when we returned! We had a sleeper cabin most of the trip, so we could close the door on the other passengers if we needed some quiet time. We read most of the books on grieving that were sent to us, and most of them did provide some help. Amy finished the cross stitch she started for Evan before he was born and it's in the process of getting framed right now. We talked a lot about Evan and our feelings, wrote in journals, watched movies, played Scrabble, and slept. Yes, even slept! After the first night on the train, sleeping was no problem at all. In total, we spent about 6 days on the train and would do it again in a second.
In TX, we stayed with Jon and Alicia in their beautiful house. It was in the mid to high 70's most of the time we were there. It was nice to wear shorts for a change! We saw the Alamo which was pretty neat and took a stroll on the River Walk. Most of the time we just talked and watched movies. We joked about how everything is labelled "Texas Size" and everything really is Texas size, right down to the shoulders of the roads! It was nice to be able to spend time with Jon and Alicia and get the change of scenery.
After TX, we got back on the train in San Antonio, travelled through Chicago, Washington DC, and then made it to Myrtle Beach. Yes, the WORST way to get from TX to SC, we know...but remember, we LOVED the train, so we didn't mind at all. In Myrtle Beach we stayed at the Riptide Beach Club with Josh and Lauren. The accommodations were quite interesting...right on the beach which was nice, but looked more like a cottage in the woods without any windows....oh wait, there was one window in the bedroom that overlooked a dumpster! But we were there for the relaxation and the beach, not the room, and the weather was nice all week. Most of the time in the 80's except the last 2 days in the 50's, but sunny everyday. We took long walks on the beach, sometimes together, sometimes alone. There is something about looking at the ocean, seeing it go on forever and ever until it touches the horizon that brings a huge sense of peace to us. It was a perfect place to feel like you could so easily talk to God, and we did. Again we cried and reflected on Evan's life, and it brought such an enormous sense of peace. Almost every night we went miniture golfing, and it's clear that Myrtle Beach has the best mini-golf we have ever seen! We ate good seafood and just relaxed as best as we could.
Finally we got back on the train and stopped in Lancaster to stay with our great friends Jill, Dennis and Joey. We were hoping it would be spring-like, but it was cold here in good old PA! The week was so nice...good friends just let you talk and cry and laugh and do whatever you need to do, and they listen intently without getting uncomfortable. And they did that perfectly! We mostly just talked, visited and played with Joey all week. We weren't sure what our reaction to Joey would be like, but it went well. We had hard moments, but like we said beofre, friends just let you cry when you need to, and talk when you need to. The best thing they did was to let us talk about Evan, and actually talk back to us about him...we need to do that, and it's an uncomfortable thing for some people to do. The fact that they were able to do that so naturally made our visit with them that much better.
