My alarm went off at 06:00 but I didn't get up until around 06:30. I walked into the rest area and straightened my hair and brushed my teeth trying to make myself presentable. I was too nervous or excited to eat so I closed up my camper, put on some makeup and hit the road to Park Falls, Wisconsin...home. The sun was just rising in the sky and what a sunrise it was! The sky was such a deep orange and red hue it almost looked like an artist painted it.
The drive was about three to four hours long and went by smoothly except for the fact that everyone seemed to be driving so slowly! In New Richmond, I pulled over and stop at a Walmart to acquire a chocolate cake for my little brother. I had the lady in the bakery write, "I missed you" on it. Walking briskly back to my vehicle I hopped in to remove the sticker from the cake so one could read the writing. When my navigation came back on I noticed that I was running behind schedule and may be late for catching him on lunch at school. I really wanted this to work out and to catch him at lunch so when a gentlemen in the vehicle next to me signaled for me to roll down my window I screamed in my head "not now!" but my polite side had me rolling down my window to talk to him. He opened up with asking if the cake in my hands was my breakfast and I just laughed and said that it was for my little brother. He was a contractor and curious about my camper so I got out and showed him my camper. He was extremely nice and kept saying that he hopes he isn't taking me away from something and of course I am too nice to say otherwise so I told him that he wasn't and answered all his questions. He gave me some pointers on keeping the rain out and expressed how impressed he is of me and said that I did a great job! Before parting ways I gave him my blog and then I jumped in my vehicle and drove off in a fury.
The roads were winding all over the place and the towns now read unincorporated. Also, there were many signs "against" vegetarians and saying how we are for the plants :), along with a skinny dipper bar haha have to love being back in Northern Wisconsin. I became more and more anxious and nervous about surprising my family the closer I got. As I entered Park Falls it was an odd feeling and felt like I had been gone for ages.
Pulling into the Park Falls High School both lots were practically empty and had an air of abandonment about the place. As I walked thru the doors, planning to have the office call my little brother, he appeared standing right there;confused. So I yelled "surprise" and he came over and we hugged a million times and he was completely speechless. He did his "rubbing his hand thru his hair thing" and just stared at me he was just shocked. My eyes got a little watery for it has been a full year since we last saw each other and he has grown up so much! It occurred to me at that moment just how much I missed my family. Not ten minutes later the bell rang announcing the end of lunch so I said good bye and left.
Driving thru town was an odd experience and I prayed I wouldn't see anyone I knew on my way to Hines Park. The roads were pretty vacant as was the town itself. Parking in the camping section, which I have only ever seen two campers in all my years here, the wind was wicked strong. To give everyone an idea of where I am located in the town I am right down the road from my parents house about a one to two minute drive. Once I backed in I made oatmeal inside my camper and then just sat there playing games on my phone wasting time until 19:00 when both my parents would be home. I tried to nap but I wasn't tired. I was just bored and had no internet which was odd so I just laid there passing the time.
Around 18:00, my little brother called me for he just got off work and was wondering what I was doing. When I said I was at Hines Park he said he will be right over. I got to see his truck for the first time and then we decided to go one town over to Butternut to meet his girlfriend. On the way back to Park Falls we noticed as we neared the house that both vehicles were in the driveway so we drove around and he parked behind the three big cedar trees on the side of the house. He went in to say he was going to a basketball game and make sure both mom and dad were home and the blinds were shut so they wouldn't see me. I waited out in the truck with my phone on silent; yet, somehow my phone still went off and it was mom calling me! I quickly silenced it just in case she could hear it from inside the house. When Cahill came back out he had brought a Nutty Bar out for me to eat and drove me back to my camper. The time has come!
I drove around the neighborhood to pull up behind the three huge cedar trees so they wouldn't see my vehicle. Then I walked on the road, ran up the driveway between their two vehicles and hesitated on the front porch. Do I knock on the front door or the garage door that everyone goes to? As I sat crouched down in front of the door I decided it was too risky for they could look out the window and see me so I ran inside to the garage. I stepped up and knocked loudly then quickly stepped back down and out of view. I could hear my dad shout he needed to get clothes on, mom yelled hold on and I held my breath. When the door opened I jumped out and shouted "Merry Christmas!" She seemed confused and shocked all at the same time and it took a few seconds for it to sink in and then she hugged me so deeply and cried into my shoulder. At around this time, dad came around the corner equally shocked and I went to go hug him also. It was perfect! I cannot even begin to express or try to explain what I was feeling except to say it was pure happiness. I then went into explaining how I had lied to them, that Sal knew where I was and what I had been doing. I couldn't believe it myself that I was finally home after a year.
As we all caught up mom showed me what she has been working on and then I ate some lasagna and meatballs that they had made. We all sat around talking until late. Dad had to get to bed for work and when Cahill came home we stayed up until 22:00 talking about his trip to Europe and going thru pictures my mom had. Finally, I washed my face without having to worry about how much water I used and climbed into my bed that I absolutely love. It was so comfortable and warm and being home, surrounded by loved ones was indescribable.
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| The best little brother anyone could ask for...well I don't know about "little" |
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