Last blog post...

We had a change of plans this morning, and decided to come home tonight. That makes this the last blog post of the trip! I know you're all crying on the inside right now. Certainly my biting commentary and dry wit will be sorely missed…
We had a leisurely wake up this morning, at around ten. We quickly packed up, and were on our way to New Orleans. Since we no longer had time to spend touring the city, we just decided to eat breakfast there. The obvious choice was to go to Cafe Du Monde, which had been recommended to us by basically everyone we know that lives in New Orleans. But first we had to make our way through the French Quarter, which was just a little bit stressful with two fifteen passenger vans; one of which was towing a trailer. In Nawleans, pedestrians dart into the street randomly, with no regards to whether or not a car is actually coming. Despite that, I really enjoyed the city. It was gorgeous; balconies lined all the streets, and every building was painted a different color. And I'm fairly sure that I saw Anderson Cooper walking the streets. I'm not even kidding though. Anderson freaking Cooper. The worst part was, I think I was the only person that I actually cared that I thought I saw him. After meandering through the Quarter, we finally found a place to park our convoy so we could go eat. Because it was so packed, it was a little difficult to find a place to sit, but Cafe Du Monde was totally worth it. Because it was so delicious. All they serve is basically coffee and beignets. And that's it. So guess what I ordered? Coffee and beignets. And I was psyched. The best part of the beignets was looking around the restaurant and watching other people eat them. The beignets were covered in powdered sugar, which most everyone just dumped all over themselves. Or else they had powder dusting the tip of their nose, not unlike Tony Montana in Scarface. But not me though. I brought my A-game to the beignet.
After breakfast we made our way out of the city, to begin the eight hour drive to Dallas. The new van almost ran out of gas, but we managed to find a functioning gas station before we got stranded. That was an excellent way to start the trip, but at least things couldn't get any worse. Or could they? (Kidding. No foreshadowing here)
The drive has been really good so far. We almost left poor Stan at a gas station, a travesty for which he has yet to forgive us. We're in Texas now, somewhere near Tyler. It'll be just an hour before we're home. I'm not sure if anybody is ready to be home yet, though. We're all dirty and exhausted, and the thought of a bed and a hot shower is tempting, but I know all of us will miss this. Entering the parking lot at Exposure will mean a lot of different things to each one of us. Some of us go back to work, some have to get ready for school, or some will just chill at home. Life will continue as it's always been. We are truly lucky to have such an opportunity, to break out once a year, and live our lives outside the norm. During our trip, we live each day in the moment, never worrying about tomorrow. There are no doctor's appointments, no errands to run, only routes to send, and dishes to wash (when it's your turn!) Life is simpler on here in the van, and I hope none of these kids take this time for granted. These are memories that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. I know I will. The sounds of Yannii are pretty unforgettable, after all. (;