We left you somewhere in Wyoming...? After the white out when we had to duck for cover from 4pm until the next day, the rest of the journey was cold (COLD) but without major incident. Our time was slowed considerably, but we still ducked off I90 for a short windy drive up to capture a view of the four president heads at Mount Rushmore and for an even shorter detour for a taste of the 5 cent coffee and free water at Wall Drug that made them famous. We made it into it to Rochester, Minnesota in time to ring in the new year, albeit barely so, with two childhood friends of mine who warmed us right up with their welcome, and we left content from sweet conversation with the soon-to-be (at the time....congratulations Mark & Noha!!) and full from apple-banana-chocolate chip pancakes for the ride...to Madison, WI, to spend our New Year's day afternoon with more childhood friends, where the conversation was a bit more feisty, maybe it was the, I don't know, west coast meets midwest politics around the kitchen counter (Peter & Sheri & Christine know we love cliché !). We made it to the Chicago suburbs in time to celebrate New Year's Day dinner by gorging ourselves on my parent's cooking (thanks mom and dad!). We spent a few days in more farewell's to old friends, oogling over a brand new baby Sienna and getting a sweet welcome from her parents Jen & Brian and many more Chicagoans (thank you to everyone in Chicago for your hosptality or for driving out to see us, it was a short visit, but one that we will cherish)!
One note of great importance: Ivan will deny it always, but he LOVED the Chicago-style pizza (If you are not in the Chicagoland area, please note that your local restaurant that claims to be serving you Chicago-style pizza is likely scamming you). Actually, it's not so much that he will deny liking the pizza, he just out and out denies even having pizza. He does acknowledge that he had some kind of killer quiche with a block of melted cheese n' spinach in the middle and the sauce on top. But that's a New Yorker for you.
One last visit to REI in the suburbs, and we scooted off across northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania for a quick stop to see more family, through New Jersey, and hit our final destination in the states: New York City, where we received a welcome as great as in Chicago, only Nu Yawk style. And New York is absolutely fascinating. I immediately feel like a visitor, with my midwest accent and my midwest ways, no matter where in New York I am. Luckily, Ivan's parents are two of the most generous people I know, constantly working in all ways to make their home a place where I will feel at home as well. Which provided a nice respite from the rest of the city, where I encountered such wonderful people, strangely all hidden under a Nu Yawk layer of: this is our town, lady.
Here is where I tell you that I have so many stories to share, hopefully to be written another time...we have arrived in Bogota, Colombia...and our first day is waiting..... !
peace,
Miral
