Some years ago I started taking a solo trip between Christmas and New Year’s Day to visit geographically inconvenient friends. I make 3-4 stops in a circuit, so that the next stop is on the way from the last one. On my second or third time to do it, I named it the Precious Hearts Tour.
The first stop this year was Fort Myers, where I visited my Bob Jones classmate DeAnna. I hadn’t seen DeAnna since 1998, and it was so good to catch up with her in person!
Now this was 790 miles one way, which was too much for a single leg. I’m sure I’ll get that far away from home again on a future trip, but I won’t do it again without an intermediate stop. Lesson learned.
Next up was Margaret, at Jekyll Island. Margaret used to be in Newnan, Georgia, which was much easier. Since she moved herself to the Georgia coast, she’s been tough to hit–until I found myself driving north out of the Florida peninsula the morning of day two! Margaret is one of my oldest friends. We were Episcopal Day School pupils together. And her brother David was visiting from southern California, so I got to see him too! Had to be 1980 or 1981 the last time I saw David.
Driftwood Beach at Jekyll Island is one of the only places I’ve ever visited that looks plausibly extraterrestrial. Wow, what a strange and beautiful place.
Back to Newnan on day three to see my Oxford classmate Karin! We enjoyed some marvelous burgers and a lot of laughs. I love falling back in with Karin because hers is genuinely one of those friendships for which no time ever elapses. You just pick up where you left off.
For lunch on day four, I caught back up with Mr. and Mrs. Thagard in Oxford, who both taught at The Donoho School in Anniston. I had Mrs. Thagard for English in the fourth grade at the Donoho-associated Episcopal Day School, before it moved from Grace Episcopal Church to the old Anniston Academy campus off Henry Rd. She was the first person to actively stoke a love of language in me, so she had a lot to do with the person I became. I left Donoho before getting to have Mr. Thagard for history, but I certainly have enjoyed building an adult friendship with him.
I tried to put a Birmingham leg together for the evening, but I couldn’t make it work. So I headed home from Oxford. All told, I turned the odometer on my very well-liked zillion-mile (really 194K) Accord, the old Melaniemobile, for 1,745 miles.
I love these trips. There is nothing so soul-warming and restorative for a friendship as close, in-person time, and we (the collective we) are not making enough time for that anymore. It’s also a good amount of time for Lea and I to do our own things, and be missing each other by the time it’s done.
The trip’s good. Coming home is good, too.
It was so wonderful of you to drive all the way here!!
I had a great time catching up with you as well. I truly benefit from your insight. ♥️
DeAnna, wonderful to see you! I’m so happy you’re doing well. We will do it again! Much love!