A trip by myself...

On May 13, 2013 my sweet Grandpa Woody passed away. 

He was a fighter pilot in WWII, successfully completing numerous missions while nearly losing his life.

Nearly all of my extended family lives in CA, so I haven't had many opportunities to visit them. Being in MI makes that a little tricky. 

The last time I saw my Grandpa was over Thanksgiving 2011, when we celebrated his 90th birthday.

Me with Grandma Bebe and Grandpa Woody. Aren't they dashing?

So with hearing the news of his passing, I decided I would travel alone to southern California to spend time with my family while celebrating Grandpa's life. 

I'm so glad I was able to go.

Cruising in my bro's 1966 vintage red Volvo.
Left to right (Me. Cousin Seann. Sister Gretchen. Brother Ryan.)

There's something about your own family that just makes you feel "home" no matter where you go. I met some cousins for the first time, and while it was strange at first, you could just tell that we are all family. I had some wonderful conversations with relatives I hadn't seen in a number of years. 

And I always love staying with Aunt Gwen and Uncle Rick.

I joked every night while my Aunt made dinner, that it was time for the "Cooking with Gwen" show! She would tell me everything she was adding to the pan, and we chatted about our favorite recipes. 

Some seriously amazing food though...

I can still taste this one in my mouth!

And as I boarded my plane to fly back home, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. 

Even though losing my Grandpa was sad, the family that came together as a result was a true testimony to the  bond of a family. People move away. Life changes. You don't see people as often as you'd like. But having a family reunion like this was just what my soul needed. To feel part of something bigger. To remind me that every life matters, and every family has a story. And it's up to us, what we want our story to be when we die.

And while I would have loved to have my husband and kids there with me, it was such a treat to travel by myself. To feel completely free of responsibility. To nap when I wanted to nap. To eat whenever I wanted to eat. To dive into deep conversations with people without being interrupted by my own little people. Not to mention traveling alone. It was bittersweet coming home. I couldn't wait to wrap my arms around my husband and kids. But I was also cherishing the last few moments of me-time. 

Because let's be honest, once our sweet twins are born, I may not get this chance for a Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. 

So I soaked up every minute.

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