Of Corn and Camping & Friends and Family

Ah, summer vacation back home. It came at a truly needed time. The excuse to get away was to two-fold. One – so that I could attend another annual camping-kayaking weekend with my Iowa City friends (plus see everyone who didn’t go), and two – to go home and see family at our yearly whoever-can-make-it this year mini reunion.

I flew into Omaha, but immediately then next day drove out to Iowa City. Oh how good it was! I hadn’t been back to Iowa City since I moved last June. It was even pretty awesome to drive on the interstate for 4 hours to get there, spending only 25 min in anything that looked like a city and being surrounded by green cornfields stretching to all horizons the rest of the time! Oh, there is something utterly fantastic about being in the middle of nowhere!

It felt so good to be back in Iowa City. It was almost as if I had never left. . . except I couldn’t remember lots of street names and was pretty forgetful about how to get to places I used to know well! However, I had NO PROBLEM getting to Oasis for some hummus and falafel. :) Oh, how I have missed this place! Oh how I have missed Iowa City food in general! Post my Oasis fix, I met up with my friends Katya and Dan to head out to the campsite for the 3^rd year of Camping and Kayaking with Iowa City friends! We went to a different camping place this year than we have gone to in years past. The campsite was. . . so Iowa.  Hehe. It was a picnic bench and a fire pit located on a strip of grass in between a gravel road and a field of corn. Forget camping next to trees. Why not corn? Although it was rather strange, we actually had quite a fabulous time! It was a rather quiet campsite, and I think it is more about the company one spends the time with than where one spends the time at.  A total of 8 of us made it out for this years adventure, and we had quite a blast kayaking down the river, telling funny stories around the fire pit, and drinking our French press coffee for breakfast each morning. (can we say, coffee snobs even when camping? I even brought Peets with me.) And again, it was so great to spend some time in the middle of nowhere, with only friends around. Thanks so much Katya, Dan, Christy, Sarah, Erin, Jenni and Josh for a wonderful weekend! (and thanks to everyone who's pictures I borrowed for below!)

 

I hope this gives you the idea at least, of our campsite next to the corn. The picnic bench is kind of small. And of course we couldn't resist the pictures in the corn!

After the camping I had time to catch up with other great friends whom I miss so much! I got to see Jennifer, and the DuBrava’s, Melissa (and we got to go visit Melissa’s parents, her sister Anna, and their adorable new dog!), Becky, Karen, Jean, Huy, and some of my old lab people. 

Here’s a pic (missing Melissa, who is taking the picture) of a great dinner with some fantastic gals that I miss very much!

After all the fun and friends in Iowa City, it was back to Nebraska for me! I spend the first day and a half in Omaha where I got to hang out with Ani and the kids (and see Jacob for a bit) and then spend some time with Sara and Matt and family in their new house! After that it was hanging out with my family! Although we weren’t a big crowd this year, it was so good to see everyone who did come. I think the life of the party this year was my cousin Jenny’s three adorable girls, so full of energy! And so cute! I felt a little old this year as my youngest cousins Faith and Grace (who recently got their drivers’ licenses) drove my brother and I down to see Grandpa. I remember when they were born. . . now they can drive! We did a lot of eating good food, hanging out around my parents’ house, playing games, going to the park with the girls, and visiting Grandpa. I miss home. One night, a number of us found ourselves on the deck as the sun was setting, just enjoying the actually very nice summer weather, with the smell of grass and earth in the air, listening to the sound of the cicadas. It was so peaceful. I appreciate the chance to have gotten a little bit of time just to slow down, and sit and enjoy such a little pleasure in life with people I care deeply about. Something I forget to do when life get so busy and stressful.

I'm so glad I made it home for the mini-reunion this year, it was so great to see everyone! I didn't get too many good pictures this year of us all, so perhaps I just leave you with a picture my cousin Jenny took (as long as its okay with her if she reads this!) of my brother and Grandpa and I.