Followers

Sunday, August 27, 2006

A Week Away

It's Sunday and my daughter and friend Mary have returned from the Pacific Northwest. We, along with friend Bonnie visited four campuses in Oregon and Washington and hopped over to Victoria for a few days. Bonnie and Mary called themselves Mikayla’s fairy godmothers. We referred to all of us as Mikayla’s entourage as we took her on the college tour.

I feel I learned a lot about the colleges we visited, and the places they were located. The furthest away was hours from any large city, but the road rambled through soft rolling hills, laced with deep green forests. Lakes punctuated the landscape. I think the whole green palette from the yellow-ist to the bluest of greens was discernible.

It was 9:30 at night when we stopped to get some dinner in a one-street town. We entered the only bar and sat down near a handful of locals who gathered for the Tuesday Night Jam Session to play some oldies. I had tasty potato skins. Walking back to the car, I took deep, audible breaths of the fresh air. The scent of the trees and lakes mixed together to make a delicious potpourri. We drove for another two and a half hours and I fell asleep instantly even though the hotel room was unpleasant and rundown.

We saw some beautiful campuses, and listened to interesting students give their tours. Mikayla, in her usual way, was not nervous at all to be interviewed, and handled herself confidently. Maybe the role playing paid off! One campus, University of Puget Sound, stood out as Mikayla's top choice. I could hear the excitement in Mikayla's voice and see a sparkle in her eyes on the tour. I hope she gets accepted there.

Even though I am going through the motions I am supposed to go through to send her on her way to college next year, I am in denial that she is old enough to go and that she will be gone so soon. Funny: the year is long when I think of Ben being away, but short when I think of Mikayla getting ready to go.

After we dropped off Bonnie, the three of us took the Clipper from Seattle to Victoria. Victoria holds memories for me on almost every street and every corner. Incidents both minor and major, trivial and dramatic return to me like tantalizing muses, beckoning me to remember that The Garden City was once my home. Last year I went to Victoria often, as I tried to be helpful in my mom's last days. This time I visited some of her favorite spots and it was healing to write new memories on top of the sad ones at the teahouse, at the beach, at the Inner Harbor. I could remember so clearly how much she liked these places and it was as if she was there with me. She departed peacefully, and I think of her as being at peace now. I felt my father left with a struggle. He didn't seem ready to go, being young. When I think of him, even though it has been seven years since he passed away, I still think of him as unsettled in the after-world, like his spirit is trying to land, trying to reconcile, trying to find its way.

A week’s trip is much more than six paragraphs, but it is getting late and I have to go to work tomorrow. I will continue later.

P.S. Thanks to all who take the time to read this. It makes it worthwhile to keep it up. If you are so inclined, leave me a comment.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rozzi. Finally made it to your blog site. Wow! You have really been up against so many difficult trials. I'm so sorry to hear about your headaches. You are also very brave to travel as you have been doing to Tiajuana. Your story of getting lost and picking up the hitchhiker was very interesting and frightening to read about. I will now check in regularly. I love you. Lisa