Distance And The Heart (Or Something)

Real talk time: I hate cleaning. I know I'm not alone in that, but I really, really hate it. And it's not even the cleaning part that I hate. Honestly, it's the organizing, picking up, straightening out part that I hate. Mostly because I seem to live in a world of not-entirely-organized chaos. Clean but a bit of a disaster, if that makes sense?

But cleaning has to be done because in far more awesome news: my parents are coming to visit! I live out in Raleigh, NC, which is very decisively "east coast," and I've honestly lived up and down the east coast most of my life. But right before my last semester in college, my parents moved out to New Mexico for my dad's job, and they've been out there ever since. And to give you some perspective, that's that was over 5 years ago. Now, my parents have lived in a few cities out in NM: Roswell, Albuquerque, Farmington, etc. And no offense meant to anyone who lives out that way but...I hate it. I've always grown up close-ish to the water and surrounded by trees and a lot of greenery, but NM is an entirely different planet. Beautiful, in it's own way, with the constant looming of rock faces and far off mountains, but definitely not for me. And unfortunately, NM to NC is a pretty lengthy trip.

Luckily, holidays come around a few times a year, and I get to see mom and dad! My brother, thankfully, lives nearby, so I do have some family around, but I grew up as a military brat, which means it was just the four of us moving from place to place for a long time, and we've always been super close. So nowadays nothing makes me happier than family visits. Except, of course, for that whirlwind spree of cleaning that has to happen right before mom (OR GRANDMA) shows up.

But this is likely going to be the last time I see my parents before Christmas, so we have to make the most of their time here! First for sure thing happening? Tattoos! My mom, dad, and brother all already have several, but I haven't committed yet. Next week while they're in town, though, we're going on a family trip to get inked up (is that a thing tattooed people say?). Definitely a little nervous but also very excited to finally be doing something I've considered for years now. Now let's see if I can stop at one or not. Probably not.

Other than that, I expect this weekend to lead to a lot of good food, a few good drinks, and honestly just as much quality family time as I can squeeze in. For those of you who celebrate it, what do you have planned for the Fourth?