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Tonight I'm writing from a hotel in Elgin, Illinois. It's sandwiched between an interstate highway and farm fields. Our first day of the return trip was six and a half half hours and took us almost to the exact halfway point between Columbus, OH and St. Paul, MN. Despite the rain, the trip to Ohio was fabulous. As usual, I'm in awe at just how quickly a week can pass. Being home was like a button reset for my entire being, in the way that only reconnecting with your roots can accomplish.

On Tuesday we visited my aunt Barb and she made us a great spaghetti dinner and we enjoyed two hours of conversation. This woman was like a second mother to me. When my brother and I were younger she was the kind of person who wasn’t afraid to get dirty (or risk serious injury) playing with rambunctious boys. She reminded me of the time I talked her into riding my Tomos moped. Her ride came to an abrupt end when she lost control and crashed into a chain link fence.

Later in the week my brother’s family drove down from Canfield, Ohio and we took the family to New Albany for lunch at Hudson 29. Simple things like spending the day together and a family dinner are a rare treat for me since I live so far away. This day was one of my favorite memories of the week. My wife and I were very impressed by the quality of food, the service, and the prices! A meal like this would’ve easily costed twice as much as it would where we live in Minnesota.

I wanted to show my wife more of Columbus than I did, but this trip ended up being more about spending quality time with my family.

My wife and I with our nephew, Ryan (and Amstel, of course.)

Ryan is a very smart and caring boy who has a complete and utter fascination with landscaping. Yes, landscaping. My sister-in-law said if he comes home from school and the grass has already been cut he gets upset because he didn't get to watch them cut the grass.

My father, hard at work at one of his favorite pastimes...ironing.

Thanks to many years in the military, he likes his clothes starched and his pants with sharp creases. One of my main goals for this trip was to spend some quality time with him and I did. We had many conversations in his garage while he was making things, this was a major flashback from childhood. You might remember from a previous post that my father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The family's very grateful that the medication he was prescribed, Namzaric, seems to be keeping the symptoms under control. We all realize this is only a temporary solution but still we're grateful to have this extra time.

My brother and I enjoying a walk together while catching up and talking about cryptocurrency. I've just recently got him and his oldest son started trading crypto. We've lived far apart from one another, geographically, for nearly half of our lives but still remain close. Of all the people I've told about cryptocurrency he's been the one whose had the most patience and made the best decisions.

The Walton men.

When I wasn't driving I was Amstel's human hammock. He learned to become very comfortable on the highway. He also became very adept at farting in the car and forcing us to roll down the windows for fresh air.

This trip to see my family was so sorely needed. After a week with them I find myself refreshed, grounded, ready for what's next, and very likely a few pounds heavier.

Just what's next? Some very exciting and life-changing things. Among them, my meditation book, The Perfect Pause, will be released in a few weeks (I'll be sharing more about this soon). I'll be finishing the second novel later in the summer and releasing it on Steemit in installments. Also, thanks to the miracle of cryptocurrency, my wife and I will be crafting a life with the freedom to travel and enjoy visits with my family much more often.

Tomorrow, we'll be on the road early in the morning to finish the last leg of our journey back to Minnesota. Thank you for joining us on our trip and enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend!

Did you miss my previous about our road trip? If so click here to read it.

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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your personal information will never be sold or shared.

Eric Vance Walton - Media

www.ericvancewalton.net