Notes
First couple miles with Caroline, then the rest with my mom on the bike. Picked it up for the last 12 minutes.
I've come to the realization during this trip home that I really am an adult. When I visit my parents, it isn't *home* anymore. I get frustrated with the sameness of life in my hometown. Nothing seems to evolve there, but I have been growing and changing since the day I left. People at home don't see that, of course. They see me as the same Carina I have always been, but I am not the same person that I was when I left. I am not even the same person that I was sophomore year of college. It's funny how those closest to us are often the ones least able to see our growth and development. Parents will always see you as you were at seven years old.
I spent most of this trip wishing that I was back in Waverly, living independently, calling my own shots. My overarching mood was frustration. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing Cathlynn and chatting with Caroline, and joking around with Colin. It was fun to tour my dad's garden and to play with Teddy. But, in the wise words of Taylor Swift, "you know / in your soul / when it's time to go."