USA — Part 2
After a short detour to Belarus, I returned to visit friends and family in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and California. This post is a BIG thank you to everyone who hosted me on this journey!
New England (CT and MA)
The East Coast blossoms in summer. Here I am with siblings, nephews and friends in and around Mystic, CT — an historic tourist town where hundreds of ships were built in the 19th century. Mystic is still popular for boating. There’s a parade of ferries and yachts every hour when the drawbridge opens. It reminds me of The Great Gatsby.
Michigan
My mother’s family are Michiganders. Counting 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins, I’ve got about 400 cousins living in the Upper Midwest. We gather at a cottage by a lake, surrounded by Amish farms where produce and baked goods are sold from horse-drawn carriages. Amish carpenters also keep our cottage standing. This is an America that few tourists know about, and which my family treasures.
Every few years, my cousins hold a big reunion. It was wonderful to see family and friends I hadn’t seen for years. They were glad to see me alive!
This year’s reunion included a baptism for a new member of our family. At Christ Church Cranbrook, cousin Carol treated us to a concert. If you’re ever invited to climb a bell tower during a carillon concert, do it! The climb is well worth the thundering sounds of giant bells.
California
Before flying back to Kosrae, I spent a week in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Although kayaking on the Bay is always invigorating, San Francisco is quieter than it used to be. BART stations are almost empty because so many techies now work from home. My last meal in the US was tacos and margaritas — goodies that I won’t find in Kosrae.
From LA to Kosrae takes 15 hours by plane — not including the overnight layover in Honolulu. Stella has waited patiently while I’ve been gone for almost three months. She met my plane and welcomed me home to the Island of the Sleeping Lady.
The fall semester at the College of Micronesia has started. I’m teaching Environmental Studies. Field trips involve masks and snorkels. Yay!
For now, I want to thank everyone who hosted my journey across America from coast to coast. It was truly wonderful to see you all! Hopefully, I’ll introduce you to Stella on my next trip to the US.
The bells and carillon were mind blowing! And what a workout to play it! Nice that someone got to read the names of the bell benefactors. I imagine that doesn’t happen too often.
WELCOME HOME!
Amazing automated bell tower. I hope cousin Carol is teaching someone in the next generation to play the bells so the skill won’t be lost. Yeah, I can see the sleeping lady.