Freak of nature

I am not a gold card member of the "I dig living in Jersey.com" or anything of that nature, but there are definitely some great aspects of the state that supersede the insanely high taxes, paying for beach tags (which I have yet to do since moving back 8 years ago), the turnpike or always being referenced in movies in a negative context. There's the fact that, if I really wanted to, I have the ability to paddle out and surf in the a.m and follow it up with a few runs down the slopes. We're close to Philly, NYC and some other pretty hopping spots. It has a pretty bad wrap for all the positive aspects the state possesses. But what has been interesting is how crazy and unpredictable this area has been in the past two weeks.
In a short span of time there's the earthquake that sent me hopping out of Wawa, the tornado watch that had the lights flickering and the imminent arrival of, Irene, and the insanity that she brought with her. Jersey has, in many ways, gone a bit on the crazy side of things. I got a kick out of watching people bob and weave down the aisles of the grocery store in pursuit of the last case of water and playing tug of war over the multigrain loaf that, if they didn't have, the world just might come to a halt. There's a song that I think captures the last week+ fairly well..."God is good, beer is great and people are crazy." I couldn't have said it any better.

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Summer never seems quite long enough. With August beginning to creep closer into September I had a few days to head down to the farm before the school year kicked off. The farm in summer is always brimming with color, life and abundance. From the piglets scurrying around the pastures to the turkeys hanging under the apple tree waiting for an apple to make its way to the ground Faith Farm is in full swing. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds. Tristan is starting the first grade & turning six next month and Gabe is a ball of energy and ready to take on the world.

On my trek back to Jersey I made a quick stop into Wawa about two hours outside of Richmond. I have to say, it was the most interesting Wawa experience of my life. Within less than a minute the floor began to shake, pretzels & bags of chips fell to the ground and east coast earthquake fever filled the air.

I've seen and experienced a good bit in life, but this was my first earthquake. It was a good five minutes or so before we realized that it wasn't a Wawa experience, but a full fledge east coast earthquake. For the next hour and a half it was close to impossible to send/receive texts or make/receive phone calls. It's amazing how dependent we have become on technology and how powerless and uncomfortable it is when it isn't at our fingertips. It was strange not being able to just let people know I was ok or they were ok and so forth. I am dependent on the cell, big time. But, a handful of hours later I am back to the tech world sitting on my couch, clearing the mind and thankful for the goodness (and even the splash of crazy) that surrounds me.

Return of the Wrangler

It's strange how certain materials, objects, etc. in life can mean more to us in sentiment than in their true monetary value. In high school my dream was to have a red jeep wrangler. My sophomore year of college the red jeep became a reality. I don't really consider myself a materialistic person, but the jeep's value to me goes way beyond the green back.
For about a year that jeep brought me back and forth from college to the Outer Banks. I can close my eyes and feel the breeze and smell of the ocean as I drove with my sisters up and down beach road and treked sand and surfboards along the island. I remember driving with Shana up to Corolla parking on the beach and watching stars loom above with waves crashing a short distance from the shore line. I can close my eyes and remember it like yesterday.
After a few break downs the jeep ended up on the farm sitting and being pretty beaten up by weather, frustrated chickens and other forms of farm life. We had it towed up a few months back and after a whole lot of time and fixing up it's on the road and running. It would have been a whole lot easier to just find another used jeep, in much better condition, and have that as 'wrangler II, the legend continues.' There was something within me that really wanted the old, character laden jeep back. It's not going to win any awards and I crossed my fingers and held my breathe taking it through inspection, but for me it works. Yay!
As I drove home from work yesterday in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, all I could do was laugh and flash back to all those years ago. My feeling is, you can't take life and little things too seriously. Besides, wet jeans and soggy tee shirts dry, but memories last forever.

We rolled back into Medford Lakes late Saturday afternoon. It's amazing how it feels eternal awaiting for vacation to begin, but how fleeting time is once it arrives. No cell phone and rare encounters with the world wide web can feel strange, but it is nice to get away from it all once in awhile.

It was a pretty good first 'official' Patterson family vacation. From roaming the streets of Venice, to cliff jumping in Croatia and perusing the countryside of Bosnia it was definitely not your standard holiday.

Now, I am sending vibes in hopes of a little swell in the Atlantic's future. I frolicked in the Adriatic, now it is time for a rendezvous with the New Jersey Shore. A little swell = goodness...

Enjoying the afternoon in Venice on foot. **********************************************************

Day 2.75 of our Eastern Europe trip lead us to some pretty stunning views of Slovenia. We hiked through a state park along with making a stop in a small village. The homes in the country side bear resemblance to Swiss chalets busting with flowers of vibrant purple and red. So far, it has been pretty wonderful.

Tomorrow...Croatia!**********************************************************

Diving in Dubrovanik and border jumping in Bosnia

Again I locate a computer without the ability to upload pics. Aaaagghh!!!! Sitting in port with exactly 12 minutes until departure time. No pressure. We hopped a ferry from Dubravonik, Croatia onto a small island with great hiking trails and amazing rocks to leap from. Yay! The four of us had a blast taking strides into the Adriatic's crystal blue waters. No surf, but heaps of cliffs to take the plunge.
We hired a taxi to take us up to the highest point of the city for a panoramic view of the old city. Stunning. Pics are to come. I promise. I know I've had an influence on my Patterson clan when our driver said, "oh yes, Bosnia is 10 km over those hills" and all three of my familia turned and gave me a look. Oh yes, we are hitting Bosnia. And that we did hitting the border, bonding with the officials, waiting in a long que, passports stamped and we rejoiced. Woop! Country 37, it is! The countryside is breathtaking and with it a rich sense of history, turmoil, but resiliency. I hope to return and spend a bit more time soaking it in. But 8 minutes until departure...therefore I am signing off. E-Law..out!

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typing behind the cash register...total commitment

I think this is the longest that I have gone without internet access in quite some time. We docked in Bari, Italy earlier this morning. Keith and the girls headed for a tour in the countryside and I opted to just sort of chill for the day. I have spent the past two hours sitting, sipping cappuccino and thinking that opting to zen was wise considering that I have been light headed and feeling not so epic the past 24 hours.
When I asked one of the girls at the cafe about internet she nodded her head and responded, "no internet in Bari. In Italia, yes. But no, no Bari." So the couch surfer in me kicked in where I opted to ask a guy at a few cafes over to use the shops laptop. Score.
So I check in without pics, but checking in nonetheless. Typing behind the cash register and cappuccino machine. It has been a nice few days hitting some great areas of Italy, Slovenia and tomorrow we head to Croatia. Ever since my stint in Belarus, Eastern Europe has always held a place in my heart.
Well, I am checking out before the dude making a cafe six inches from me escorts me out. :) Hope to check in again before heading back to the STates with pics to boot. Ciao for now!

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