I'm back! Sort of. A more accurate statement would be that I'm choosing to cut my day short (at the 14 hour mark) to do something other than school...like update my blog. Exciting times, I know.
We drove back to Oregon for Thanksgiving and it wasn't as terrifying as I expected it to be. Growing up in the Willamette Valley means that I have an excessive healthy fear of driving when it snows. This fear is completely rational when you consider the fact that no one knows how to drive in the snow back home - and those that claim they do are still grievously out of practice.
Needless to say, I do not agree with Dean and Frank's cheery assessment of the wonders that accompany the "marshmallow world" of winter and proceeded to have a minor heart attack when snow began falling shortly before we planned to leave. (Don't get the reference? Click here)
The weather calmed down and I resumed breathing normally...
Until the weather outside of La Grande took a turn for the worse.
Luckily, it stopped snowing east of Pendleton. Of course, that is also where the real excitement began since the road was covered in ice...but ice makes me less panicky than snow. Eastbound traffic had a much rougher time than the few of us heading west - cars were off the road, a few trucks had jack-knifed, and traffic was at a standstill.
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| It stopped snowing, hooray! Oh, wait... |
The roads were clear from Pendleton all the way back to Salem, but we found out later that I-84 closed shortly after we went through. Yikes.
Oregon welcomed us back with the usual grey and rain, but a couple of sunbreaks peeked through early in the week.
All in all, it was a successful holiday: we caught up with family and friends, laughed a lot, ate too much, and came back from the break refreshed and well rested.
"I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world."
- George Washington
