It feels like home to me…

Tomorrow I go back to work, sunburned and smiling with a heart refreshed.  A week on the West Coast will do that to ya.

I knew that when Dad died, it would become my own responsibility to make sure I ventured to Lompoc every once in a while to see the family.  So, I looked at the calendar and my work schedule, and when I discovered that my aunt’s birthday, the Flower Festival and a few days off coincided, the trip pretty much planned itself.

I have a hard time visiting the west coast without stopping in Portland though, so I scheduled an overnight layover to see my favorite city and my favorite boy.  I brought the sun with me, and we enjoyed what turned out to be a picturesque day in Portland, which have been rare occurrences lately. We stopped by to see Dad first, since I wanted to wish him a Happy Father’s Day, and show him some of the more recent videos of Little Missy.   I make the time to stop by the cemetery every time I’m in town, and mostly I get to fill him in on life while standing under an umbrella, squinting to catch a glimpse of Mt Hood.  Wednesday, it was completely clear, and you could see mountains for miles- no doubt the main reason he requested to be buried there.  Good choice, Daddy.

We ventured from there to one of the best places to spend a sunny day in Ptown- the rose gardens.  We weren’t the only ones with that idea, but for good reason.  The view of the mountain through the city skyline is stunning.  Don’t believe me?

This might be the thing I look forward to seeing the most- turning the corner to see her in all her beauty comforts my soul.

From there, we stopped by the promenade downtown, before hitting up one of the legendary PDX food trucks- this one dedicated completely to the art of the perfect grilled cheese.  Does my boy know me well or what?  It was delicious.

my favorite boy in my favorite city 

A few blocks away, we joined Nate and Ashley for a celebratory beverage since they recently shared that there’s going to be a new Chambers in town!  When Nate called to tell me the news, I was only half awake following my third night shift, so my reaction probably didn’t accurately demonstrate how excited I am for them, and Baby C.  For years, I’ve known that I have the best big brother a girl could ask for, and that he’d make an amazing dad, and now, the rest of the world gets to see it too!  I am excited about this baby for multiple reasons.  

1) I love being Aunt Vickie.  It’s pretty much the best thing ever, especially for a girl who isn’t quite ready to settle down and have kids herself.  All of the spoiling, and none of the mess.  (I change enough diapers at work, thank you very much)  Target already sends me the baby ads, so I’m definitely prepared for even more cute outfit shopping, especially if it’s a boy. 

2) It means Ashley is stuck with us.  I have loved getting to know Ashley better over the last year, and there aren’t words to show the appreciation I have for her loving my brother so much, and so well.  Chambers are hard to tame, but she’s done a fantastic job, and I’m glad she’s sticking around.  

3) It’s going to be a December baby, and December babies are the best.  S/he can always count on me for extravagant birthday gifts wrapped in birthday paper, and probably a half birthday gift too, since getting all of your presents in one month kind of sucks when you want something new in June.  

Early the next morning I headed to Lompoc, so I could pick up some pointers on being an even better aunt.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I got there.  The last time I’d been in town, we were there for Dad’s memorial service, so there were plenty of things planned, and my mind was always occupied.  This time, I knew that wasn’t going to be the case.  My Aunt Carrie had mentioned the last time she was in Portland that things felt “off” because her tour guide wasn’t there anymore, and I definitely experienced that when I got to Lompoc.  Dad was always the one that had things planned for us to do- all we had to do was show up.  So that’s what I did this time around… only there weren’t any plans.  But, because I have a great family, things still worked out.  I got to read and relax at Aunt Carrie’s, hang out with Timber- whom my dad correctly described as “a delightful young lady”- and check out the Flower Festival.  I spent time with my grandparents and Aunt Dana and watched Papa drive in yet another parade, even if it was the only morning without sun.  One of the many bitter sweet moments included running into two of my dad’s very best friends and their families who were in town for the fair.  If I’m being honest, it might have been my favorite part, even if I was fighting back the tears the whole time we talked to them.  It was comforting to know that HAD Dad been there with us, this is exactly what we would have been doing.  I’d grown up hearing about the Fubarians and their families, and it was fun to see that the “little Wade girls” weren’t so little after all, and in fact, were doing quite well for themselves.  It made me appreciate even more that my Aunt Carrie has spent so much time and effort in maintaining friendships with my dad’s friends, so that these conversations would come easily, and not just be awkward moments.  I think a part of me planned this trip so that I could feel closer to my daddy, and being in his hometown surrounded by his friends and family did just that.

On Sunday, we drove down to San Diego so that I could spend some time with my college BFF Jamesy, and see my cousin Christine.  We met up with him at the Padres game, where Aunt Carrie treated us to phenomenal seats, and the Padres treated us to a win.  And in an effort to ensure that I would understand that Aunthood = spoiling, she took us to Sea World the next day, where we were wowed by animals and trainers alike.

BFFs at a baseball game

The main reason I recommend Valpo to people who ask isn’t because my education there landed me a job I love- although that’s a nice bonus.  I loved “my Valpo experience” because I made the world’s best friends, and I discovered the true meaning of community.  Jamesy is a prime example of that.  We met as freshman who both called Alumni home, and were pretty much inseparable from that moment on- something I’m sure my boyfriend at the time (and one of his best friends) both loved and hated.  I’m not exactly sure why we clicked the way we did- our similarities are few and far between- but we did, and we haven’t looked back.  I am notoriously bad at letting people support me, even when I need it most, but Jamesy has always known how to do just that.  I am forever grateful that he made the plans to be at my dad’s memorial service just so he could give me the hug we both knew I needed, but wouldn't ask for.  We both took some time to “find ourselves” before joining the adult world once we graduated and I enjoyed getting to see Jamesy in his new life, comforted with hearing that he has started to call San Diego home, just as I have settled into Baltimore.

All in all, it was a week that reminded me how amazingly blessed I am to have the family that I do, and a nice break from work, which is expecially crazy during the summer months.   Only three more weeks til the East Coast Chambers head west once again, and Little Missy gets to see my favorite mountain for the very first time!

The sun setting on the Pacific- best way to end a great vacation.