An Odyssey of Friends

Today concludes a two-week stretch of vacation and travel. Though Sherry took two weeks away from work, our main vacation lasted only one week. Okay, one week plus a pair of weekends. The second week was a vacation of sorts, but with home as our base of operations. 

One of the interesting quirks of this two-week stretch was that it afforded me the chance to touch base again with a half dozen friends, friends I came to know at different stages of life. In Portland I met with Rob, who was a partner in crime after I became comfortable in my career. His friendship was invaluable during challenging professional times. On the way home, we saw Karen, one of the most genuine people I came to know at Gettysburg, the sort of interesting person that college attracts. When we got home, I had the chance to touch base with Ken and Jess, friends who have helped me figuring out this whole dad/teacher thing. We took a day off at the shore with Juanita, a friend we came to know as we lived here in Lansdale. She actually invites us down to the shore each year to spend some time at the beach with her family. And in Alexandria, I had the chance to dine with Jeff, a friend since I was younger than my son is now. 

Me with my best friend, while dining out with friends. 

Oh, and let's not forget that I got to see brothers- and sisters-in-law who feel more like friends than what the term in-laws suggests during these weeks. 

I sometimes chuckle at the episodes through which I frame my life: in roughly four-year periods that go back to the early eighties. In each of those episodes I was fortunate to be in the company of really good people, and I've had the ability to keep in touch with many of them.