Stranger In A Familiar Land

This post is contuining in my now-current tradition of posting about events several months later.

The annual family vacation to Wilmington, NC this year was a lot of fun. Not only did I get engaged, but we played tennis, got to the beach, watched some movies, ate some great food and played some cards. I also got to visit Brady down in South Carolina. We really enjoyed our trip down to South Carolina for her wedding a couple of weeks ago as well.

The only troubling thought was the realization that even after living in Wilmington for about two years, when I come back in another two, the only thing I may know about the town is where most of the roads go. Established restaurants, cornerstones of the town, are opening up sister restaurants, moving, or closing down. Movie theaters are closing down. They’re building new roads that circle the town, making everything more convenient, but I felt like a tool when I took us on a 45 minute drive that could have taken 15.

I have never really cared if any town has changed, as long as I like the changes. (Most of the changes in Wilmington are for the better.) But in this case, I still wish those changes had never happened. At some point, I’ll look back and any trace of the life Erin and I led will be gone. Memory only helps so much. It’s a process– I’m still getting used to it.