Summer Fun

When I caught sight of my backpack coming along on the conveyer belt at O’Hare in Chicago, I began to cry.  My bag is like an old friend that has been tagging along with me as I venture around the world, and here it made it again without getting lost!  Plus I realized I was about to embark on the final leg of my trip.  It was almost over!  I had thought about going AWOL in Chicago over the weekend, but due to lack of funds and the fact my family was anxiously awaiting my return, I decided I best get on that last flight. 

 

So far so good.

  It was the weekend upon my return, that meant lots of family and friends were around.  Plus it’s summer here and Minneapolis is a great city to be in during these warmer months.  This city really embraces the nice weather, basically because we suffer for many months in the winter.  That means there are many things to enjoy right now, including music and movies in the park, great running trails around the lakes, and lots of fun events.  Yesterday my pub quiz mates and I celebrated Bastille Day, starting off at a British pub to see a production of all of a Shakespeare’s works, abridged of course, performed by three men.  We sipped beers while sitting on a blanket where they usually have lawn bowling and enjoyed the hilarity before us.  Afterwards we headed to Uptown where there was a block party going on in honor of the day.  Mostly there was a lot of drinking and lots and lots of laughter to go along with it.   It was a really fun day.  The night before my sister and I met up with friends at one of our favorite bars and then went next door to the VFW that has become a popular place for karaoke on the weekends.  I joined in singing Coming to America in honor of my return home.  I also picked up my car that my father was storing for me and I have been touring around visiting family.  It was great to see all my sisters and niece again.  They are all so young but growing up fast.  Like I said, it’s been good.

 

However, today is Monday and my sister and niece, whom I’m staying with, are both going back to work and doing what they do. I feel a little lost.  I have lots of business to take care of and errands to run, but I lack motivation to get things done.  It’s the whole “I have the rest of my life to get to it” feeling.  Plus I have lots of family yet to visit, which means I’ll be living like a traveling salesman for a while yet, living out of my car.  For some reason changing places to crash every few nights seems like more work here even though I’ve been doing it for over 13 months now.  At least I won’t have to suffer anymore 20 hour bus rides!