When this Spring Break adventure was suggested there were 3 goals in mind:
#1 - see family
#2 - tour some universities
#3 - show John-Jefferson a little more of this country
Well we accomplished our goals!
Here are some of the highlights:
Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the trip was our visit with Grammy in Mississippi, who moved into an assisted living facility just over one year ago (right before COVID hit!). At 96 years old, she is amazingly alert and agile and seemed beyond happy to get to see her great-grandsons! We feel blessed to have been able to spend a morning visiting with her.
We were also thrilled to spend some time with Yaya & Papa - we enjoyed playing outside until dusk and getting caught up on life and getting in plenty of hugs! Because our school vacations did not line up, we didn't get a lot of time with our Mississippi cousins; however it was delightful to be a part of their every-day, non-vacation lives for just a couple of days. We caught a soccer game, shared Sunday dinner and met Uncle Taylor at work on Monday for a campus tour...
...which kicked off a really fun series of campus visits!
As a high school Junior, Hamp is starting to think about what he'll do after graduation. So far he is not only college bound, but interested in the southern states. Our road trip provided us with a few stops at some pretty prestigious places - including USM (Southern Miss), Miss State, Ga Tech, Ga State, UGA, Clemson, and of course Furman. Whether the appeal is family heritage, warmer weather, big college football or just beautiful campuses, I can't really blame him for feeling drawn to any of these schools!
While family visits and future plans were the driving force behind our trip, the added bonus was being able to be true tourists in familiar cities. We took the time to enjoy live jazz in Jackson Square and Bourbon Street in New Orleans and loved the National WWII museum. In Atlanta we rode electric scooters all through downtown and were amazed by the Georgia Aquarium. But perhaps the best way to experience the south is through the food - from the fast food staples like Waffle House & Chick-Fil-A, to great BBQ (with all the yummy sides!) and Nellie's Southern Kitchen in Belmont, NC.
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to John-Jefferson's family for taking care of our accommodations on the road! We stayed with Hyatt in NO, ATL and Greenville and were so comfortable - even a little spoiled! - and well located. Thank you Duval & Focheux families...
Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed just getting to spend time with these 3 guys (even though March Madness games stole their attention for part of the trip!) We laughed often and got along easily and travelled well together and their enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunities they had made the whole trip worthwhile.
So the best part for me? These smiles. That and the smell of the south in springtime.
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