Wave Goodbye to the Mitten

The last 10 days have been maybe the most successful trip home since I moved to Boston in 2004. I saw (almost) everyone I wanted to see, spent quality family time with both mom and dad, made it to both East Lansing (Mich. State) and Ann Arbor (U of Mich.), saw the Lions, the Tigers, went to Cedar Point, got some rest, ate way too much, and didn't exercise enough.

Every time I leave home after a visit, I experience overwhelming guilt. Mom gets very sad when I leave, and it makes me feel awful. Dad gets sad, too, and Paula always cries (she's a crier). Most of the guilt is associated with the feeling that I'm abandoning my family - some of it is associated with the amount of unhealthy eating I've done without any exercise to counterbalance it (see: leading cause of obesity). After every visit, I feel terrible until life returns to normal (after about 2 days). I don't know if this guilty feeling is called for, but it happens - without fail - every time I come back to Michigan. In a way, I think it's my inability to forget where I'm from and who matters most. This is a good thing.

Even if I say, "Soda", I will always drink pop.
No matter where I end up, Michigan will always be home.
Until Christmas time, I bid you adieu, O' Wolverine State.
Farewell.