All in the family

Tracy, Loretta, Stacy and Tonya at Sunrise Mountain, Sussex County, NJ - Oct. 17, 2010

This past weekend, my mom and sisters Stacy and Tonya packed up their car and drove 15 hours from Bowdon, Ga., to visit me in New Jersey. They just left today, and I'm already feeling a little bummed out. It makes me realize how much I took for granted living in Carrollton for the first 23 years of my life. In Carrollton, my mom and sisters were only a short drive away. My friends were literally right down the hall at the Mandeville Mill Lofts. I knew where everything was, I knew who most people were, and I felt totally comfortable and settled in with my surroundings. The Corner Cafe and the Border became lunch time regulars. Oh, what I would give for a deluxe pot roast sandwich and zorba the greek salad at the Corner.

Now, hanging out with my mom, sisters or friends is a couple-times-a-year event, if that. I will be lucky to see them twice a year I think. In many ways, I'm glad that I've been able to move around these last couple years and see new places and experience new things. It definitely makes life exciting. But it also makes me realize that Carrollton will always be my home no matter what, and that my family and will always be important.