Back in the Northeast

Hello!

We saw foliage yesterday! It was so beautiful and wonderful! Fall in New England has been something we have consistently been missing, both literally and emotionally.  It's such a beautiful and calm time.  As long as you don't get too sugared up on candy apples and apple cider donuts. 

We left DC and went up to Philadelphia to visit with my Aunt Kathy and Aunt Anne.  They've been living there for 13 years now and I'm not certain why I had never been out to visit them before. It's an official regret as it's incredibly close.   However, I'm super happy that we've been able to connect and that I made it out there.  I'm especially happy to have been able to have conversations with and get to know Aunt Anne.   I feel like we had never really talked before.   

They took us out for Philly cheesesteaks and then Rita's WaterIce where I ordered a combination of Water Ice (like a slush-NOT a slushie) and custard.  Genius combination!  We also talked about their plans to get married as Pennsylvania has joined the ranks to the enlightened and legalized gay marriage back in May.  YAY!  

Putting in the orders! 

Philly Cheesesteak \!

Water Ice! 

After Philly, we started on the last leg of our trip-New Hampshire-to visit with Jamie's family one last time before he leaves for Antarctica.  Driving up the east coast has been hilarious.  At one point, I turned to Jamie and asked "Why is everyone driving like a jerk?" And then I remembered that we are back at the Atlantic.  Not that the California drivers are much better.  They are quite similar.   Driving too fast, cutting people off with no signal, riding up your rear and then trying to see around you.  It's pretty hilarious if you can sit back and just think about it.   And while there are fast drivers in CA too, in MA people are consistently driving 10 miles over the speed limit.   That's in the SLOW LANE.

In general, Driving culture across the country has been neat to see.  I wrote about Montana a few months back.  They're so laidback. Drive right at the speed limit. Even when someone is going super slow in front of them they just wait at a safe distance until they can get around them.  It's a very nice place to drive.

Washington has been the most annoying. People are TOO POLITE.  So polite they will ignore trafffic laws in an effort to let you go.  The all stop, whereever they are-regardless of safety, to let you cross a street, turn onto the street whatever. it's annoying.  You never know what they are going to do. If you come up to a stops ign with someone, we all know that the person to the right has the RIGHT OF WAY.  Not only is it the law, but it makes it easy to drive.  Apparently the people in Washington don't know that rule because this one lady refused to go, when she had the right of way, because she wanted me to go first.   I have never been so annoyed and terrified of drivers as I was in Washington.  As least in MA I know how to handle them and for that simple reason, I'm happy to be home!

Some other random photos of our trip up the coast:

At a random diner 

Visiting with Eunjeong