The Visit

Instead of going home for vacation this summer, as I have done in the past, my mom is coming up tomorrow to visit me in New York for five days.

I am freaking out a tad bit.

My mom hasn't been here since she dropped me off five years ago. I can't believe it's been five years. Since I graduated college. Since I moved to New York. Since everything and it's weird looking around at my life and seeing what I've created of it.

I guess that's what makes me so nervous about her visit. While I am over the moon excited that she will be in town for a few days I am anxious about having her in the place I've created here. I mean when I go home, i get the comfort of the life my mom and brother and nephew maintain there. I get comfy beds and warm hugs and cooked meals every night. I get southern warmth and day time television. I get afternoon trips to walmart or the record store. I get the life they have there which I am learning is not the life I have now.

My life here in New York involves Sean, the bookstore and my university job, Kat and boy drama, weekends in the city, $7 Tuesdays at the movie theater, frequent trips to Target and occasional drinks at my favorite bar. It is humid nights and video games, netflix marathons and gossip. It's not perfect but it's mine and it's going to be weird having her in the mix for a few days.

I asked Sean a few months ago if he could pick (and drop off) my mom up from the airport and after promising I would pay for gas and food...he agreed. Now that the big day is literally less then 24 hours away I am freaking about this as well. While I am going with him to pick my mom up it is nonetheless going to be weird having my mom meet the boy i have a crush on. Plus she knows almost everything between the boy and I which makes me fearful of conversation slip ups during the trip.

He seems excited to meet her though.  He keeps rehearsing what he is going to say when he meets her. I keep telling him my mom is very chill and non-threatening, but he wants to put his best self out there. It's sort of nice in a 'yea, cause we are totally not just friends" kind of way. To be honest Sean isn't the only one who seems interested in meeting my mom. Actually everyone seems excited to meet my mom for some reason. It's sort of bizarre.

I on the other hand am more nervous and anxious. Very anxious.

Gifts from Delaware

The Boy just got back from two weeks in Delaware where his family owns a vacation house.

Before he left I asked him to bring me something back because I've never been to Delaware. Hell I kind of forget it's a state to be honest. At first he seemed a little put off by my request. He is not a gift-giver and assumed I wanted something worth a lot of money.

 I quickly reminded him that i prefer gifts that are considerate. It didn't even have to cost money. I just wanted him to bring something back from a state he loves. I wanted him to also think of me while he was away and having to look out for a gift to bring out would mean I was in his thoughts.

Yesterday was his first day back to work and despite the ups and downs I continue to have with this boy, i must admit I was happy to see him. He was tanner and he got a new haircut but mainly I was happy at the sound of the way he said my name when he saw me.

I was even happier when he opened his locker and pulled out a gift for me.

In a medium sized plastic dole peaches jar the boy brought me sand. His family's vacation home is located on  the biggest (or only, I wasn't paying attention to specific) beaches in Delaware. He spent the majority of his vacation walking along the boardwalk and laying in the sun. He remembered I got sea shells a few months ago for my birthday....

...he thought that they could finally have a spot to rest in the best sand on earth.

In the words of my someone listening nearby to this exchange: "that's kind of romantic for someone who's just your co-worker"

You're telling me. Le sigh.