The Windy City, the Golden Dome and an international moving company.

So next stop on our whirlwind tour of the USA was South Bend, Indiana ~ home to Notre Dame and of course…us. We welcomed my parents into our humble apartment…and then gently informed them that we were moving to a much bigger place…in three days. My parents were great sports about it ~ and did not object too strongly to becoming hired help for a few days and we shifted our things into our new home closer to campus. We of course convinced ourselves that my parents would actually ‘like’ to help…you know…part of that always present maternal instinct…one look from my father quickly dispelled this idea. So…after our bedroom became a storage area for our bikes ~ we decided we needed more room and that if we pooled our resources with a close friend ~ we would be able to upgrade from our apartment to a townhouse ~ complete with an attached garage for those cold winter mornings!

During the move we took time to show my parents the campus and the surrounding suburbs…the river and the downtown area…a quick trip South to Amish Acres…and of course…multiple stops at Starbucks to satisfy my mother’s heroin-like addiction to frappuccinos.

Then to complete our Midwest adventure we headed to Chicago ~ the setting for the Blues Brothers ~ and a great city to finish the trip in. We were able to sample Chicago style pizza at the famous Tastes of Chicago festival ~ and make our way along Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile to see the sites. It was a wonderful end to the trip ~ but so sad to have to say goodbye. The final part of the role-reversal was watching my parents walk through security this time ~ comforted by the fact that it will only be six months until I return to Melbourne.

West to Midwest…

Jen looked nervously out of the car window at the many possible hiding places for bugs as we arrived at our cabin in the Redwoods. It was a beautiful location, complete with a river, wildlife, and a fishing inspired cabin to stay in. It had been a fast and furious trip up the coast, and we were all looking forward to a day or two relaxing. My mother had recently developed the wonderful ability to find enjoyment in some of the most unlikely places…including most notoriously her fascination with ice-dispensing fridges. Now based on the population density in American compared to Australia ~ creature comforts and technology are a little cheaper and thus more accessible in the US. Having said this however, watching my mother’s fascination and happiness as ice-cubes fell out of the refrigerator door into her glass, even the worldliest American citizen would wonder in which recent year Australia first generated electricity.

After a slower drive along the beautiful Oregon coastline ~ we arrived in Portland to stay with Jen’s welcoming uncles and their families. We were very well taken care of ~ with Luis ~ who is soon-to-be Portland’s most famous tour guide ~ providing us with a local’s view of this beautiful city and its surrounding suburbs. Then it was off to Jerry’s property whereby my father set about taking notes for their own property in Australia, Merryn returned to her teenage years and spent time with Wendy’s horses, and I decreased my chance of fathering children by riding a four-wheeler through Jerry’s property. We had a wonderful time in Portland and were sad to leave after such a short stay.

It was a wonderful end to our West coast adventure ~ and great to see Jen’s family again. We finally boarded an overnight flight, looking forward to awaking the next morning in South Bend Indiana.

West Coast Trippin...

It was wonderful seeing my parents again after so long ~ and great showing them some of the sites Los Angeles has to offer. After a sad goodbye to Jen's family we loaded up the "tank" which we rented for our West Coast trip and set off along the coast to Monterey, Big Sur and finally San Francisco. The coastal road provided spectacular views for us as we drove along ~ incredible cliffs and beaches that rivaled the Great Ocean Rd (no sign of decent fish'n'chips though). It was once again very strange to have my parents in the back seat and taking them on a holiday ~ all planned by us (I never want to be a travel agent) ~ to their credit there was very little noise from the back and I did not have to threaten to turn the car around...

After a good number of hours in the car we arrived in San Francisco for the night. My parents enjoyed their first American 'diner' experience (followed by brutal American indigestion...) and then the following day we set off on foot to explore the city. My parents loved the city...slightly less by the time we finished walking the famous hills/streets...and then ended the day with an enjoyable dinner with some old friends.

Admirably, my parents have been willing to try almost any gastronomical experience we can offer...as long as we preface it with 'this is American'. So far they have enjoyed Ben & Jerry's famous icecream, clam chowder in San Francisco...and the piece de resistance - peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables...

The next stop would be the Redwood Forests of Northern California and a quick two day rest on our journey to Portland, Oregon.

The Meeting of the Families...

It was just as we had imagined...a darkly lit room...tension filling the night air...Walter "The Costa Rican Don" Herrera sat in the shadows...his face shielded...only the glow from his cigar visible in the dark as the 'muscle' (Sara) stood steadily by. The foreign visitors were ushered in...assured that the Don was eager to meet them...and so after five years together, our families were to finally meet. 

To everyone's relief, The Don gave his approval of the foreigners, and my parents were warmly welcomed to Los Angeles. Over the next five days we sought to show them a little bit of what LA has to offer, as well as enabling them to relax and recover from their jet-lag. 

My father completed his mission and arrived at an Air Museum with Walter within 24-hours of arriving in the USA, while my mother strangely enough chose to avoid this excursion in favor of getting to know Sara better. The Herrera hospitality was wonderful and my parents were able to meet everyone, although my request for name-tags was ignored by all. We also made important pilgrimages to the Getty Center, Hollywood, UCLA, Laguna and a bonfire on the beach. 

Rejuvenated and happy to have been able to meet so many of Jen's family, we packed the olds into our rental car and set off for the next leg of this crazy journey. It is a truly bizarre experience to be taking your parents on a holiday...complete with them sitting in the back of the car marveling at my ability to drive a motor car on the 'wrong' side of the road. Our next stop was San Francisco...with a trip up the famous coastal road of Highway 1 ahead of us.