I no longer live in Vermont.
This past Friday I had my last day as a nanny, and the next day I packed my life into boxes and bins and shoved it all into my car. I split the trip into two parts, and only drove as far as Albany, NY where I spent the night with 2 very good friends and their children. It was a smart thing to do- I was exhausted after being awake most of the previous night. I spent too much time in the sun playing with the twins on Friday, and paid the price all night and well into the next day.
On Sunday, after spending a relaxing day with my friends, I climbed back into my car and drove 6 hours along Route 86. Most people think I'm crazy for taking this route instead of the interstate, but avoiding Route 90 has its definite advantages. The speed limit is still 65 for most of the trip, and there's less traffic. While there aren't the convenient rest areas that the 90 boasts, I like the option of choosing a town with a neat name and taking a little walk after filling the car with gas. The state troopers were really nice, too, and didn't pull me over at all. I may or may not have been going slightly a lot over the speed limit, and there's a possibility that my visibility was hampered by, well, by my hamper (and about 50 other little things. Maybe.)
The thing I like most about taking the road less traveled, though, is the view. In this case, Prospect Mountain was covered with a plush blanket of grass and the tree buds were well on their way to becoming full blown leaves. The sky was blue and the few clouds that I could see were like wisps of cotton. The beautiful scenery was enough to make me forget about how sad I was to leave the girls. I was so caught up in watching it that I wasn't bored with the drive.
Now I'm back in my hometown, I'm getting settled in and slowly unpacking. My car is empty except for my down blankets, winter jacket, and way too many shoes. As I sit writing this, I'm looking at photos of the girls and missing them. The sorrow that I avoided on the drive is catching up to me, but I'm also excited to begin the next stage of my life.
