Home at Last

As is our tradition, we spent the Christmas holidays in Louisiana with the parents and extended families.  Being there was big fun as always, but I always dread the drive there and back.  It’s basically eight hours of monotonous highway driving in a straight line, which is mind-numbingly boring.  However, this year we came back via a slightly different route, one that had us cutting across the edge of the Mississippi border, and letting us see Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas all in one drive.

It wasn’t any faster, but we did get to see some really beautiful scenery.  There’s something about long asphalt roads cutting through vast stands of pine trees that reminds me how much I love the places where I grew up.  The towns are small and every gas station has a tiny food counter full of amazing things like boudain balls and meat pies.

I complain about the drive every year, but only now am I starting to realize how much seeing this part of the country means to me.