sweet virginia.

i've seen a lot of the road in the past week or so. the absence of concrete obligation as a result of unemployment has found me traveling as i rarely have the opportunity to do. last week i headed home to buffalo to be with my mom for a bit as our family dog, charley, has had pneumonia for about a month, and the call from my mom telling me it was time to say goodbye sent me packing. charley was our family's first pet, and though we knew this time would inevitably come at some point, we find ourselves in uncharted territory having to let go of our old friend. he seemed to hit an upswing during my stay, after we had all decided it would be best to put him to sleep. unfortunately however, after i left he took a turn for the worse again, and i'm not sure i'll be there for the end. i suppose charley is another story for another day though.

tonight i'm resting my head in charlottesville, virginia, where i should really be sleeping as i'll be woken up much earlier than i'll feel naturally desirable to go help friends on an urban community garden. friends from college, josh and mary caler is what brings my yankee blood south of the mason dixon line. dear friends that i don't get to see nearly as often as i'd like due to distance and lack of finances. it's a strange state of being for me, having never had close friends from high school, to be far enough out of college that my close friends have now known me for seven years. quite an accomplishment it seems to credit to healthy, life giving friendships as these. there's a quality to relationships after that significant of a time span that is unique in the history you share, and the insight the other person has into your character. slightly disconcerting and comforting in the same breath.

mary and josh have always rallied to my defense in the event of crazy life circumstances, even if after a good laugh. mary and i didn't share many mutual friends in college but our friendship was always consistent, stable and supportive with her soft spoken-ness and honesty in the wake of other varying dramatic relational upheavals. josh, as i remember it, didn't take long to step in as surrogate big brother in my life. the role fit like a glove, and i have always felt thankful for his presence in my life, and unworthy of his unwaivering support.

on the way down here, the first thing i popped in my stereo was a This American Life episode on road trips. ira glass explained the american phenomenon of great expectations when one embarks out on a road trip. expectations of grand revelations and "finding" oneself, often although disappointing it's audience with the reality of mundane toll payments and uncomfortable hotel beds and a surprising lack of self realization. i admit i too expected something to come of this trip down south i set off on. it's the first time i've driven so far by myself, especially without the companionship of a large oaf of a dog in my back seat. would God speak to me in the stillness of the highway? would a break from life in pittsburgh reveal truths i was otherwise blind to?

so far, the answer is generally no. that however does not at all detract from what i have already gained though. the refreshment that comes from the company of good friends.

thursday i will head down to asheville, north carolina to see the peracchio family and all the wonderful insanity that entails. more to come.

and that's a promise.