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3906 Miles {Full Heart}

Noah at Marbles Kid's Museum, Raleigh
When I turned 16, I picked up a book entitled Down the Road in the Carolinas.  I basically went to every place within 50 miles of my hometown of Winston-Salem, by the time I was in college at UNCG.  There I met Jessica, and we (along with our cadre of friends) continued to keep the travel pedal down - using our weekends to explore state parks, beaches, rock n roll shows, and mountain trails (My college band, Callie's Paw was playing shows throughout the Carolinas during this time.  Many suspected that my passion for the band sometimes centered on the travel opportunities - which is partially true.  I mean, if you asked me to pile in a van right now, and drive to another state with 3 great friends - I doubt I would hesitate).  From there our wanderlust grew rapidly - taking us to Washington DC, Aruba, San Francisco, etc.

The Kids at Memory Lane, UNCG
Noah was born in 2005, and our family travel essentially came to a halt.  We continued to visit our families in NC cities, and vacation at the beach - but anything more than that seemed like too much.  But this summer has been different.  Our kids can travel like champions (mostly due to their respective ages) - and so we have hit the road again.  Camping, visiting family in Ohio, and day trips (Cherokee, Raleigh, South Carolina) have become the norm for us.  We are nimble.  And it is just as great as I have always imagined.

The great Starr, at Videri
Our family tour took us on a visit to UNCG (our alma mater), and then to Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh last week, a place that our old friends Sam and Starr founded.  It was so great to visit with them, and be inspired by their passions and know-how.  Our kids literally saw how Sam makes chocolate from the beans.  They were captivated and had full bellies by the end.  We walked over to Marbles Kids Museum, just beside our state capital building, and completed the "wearing the kids out."  I was just happy to spend some time with friends, and enjoy the ride.

After Raleigh, we returned to Winston-Salem, where we gathered around the back porch table with my family.  We ate a dinner of Lexington Barbecue, and a bag full of Videri Chocolate for desert.  We laughed so hard, played a game of H.O.R.S.E., and my brother and I caught up on music news, and exchanged some tunes.  It was one of my top moments of the summer

When this summer ends, I will have traveled 3906 miles since May 15 (without ever setting foot on an airplane).   At times, our agenda has been a bit reactionary, certainly due to our pent up travel demand of the past several years.  So, we need to work to find a good pace, and to work out travel kinks with our family of four.  But overall, I am feeling so fulfilled with the Graham Family Tour.  My heart is full.


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