Leaving Omaha, Part 2

Omaha is the Center of the Known Universe.  This is such  a well-established fact that it requires no discussion here, and I will brook no dissent on the topic.

It has therefore puzzled me that people seem more interested in Austin, where I am headed next, than they did in Omaha.  Ah well, I am not worried about such inconsistencies, as I begin what may be called Chapter 3 of the Driveabout.  (Chapter 1 was Getting Ready, Chapter 2 was Family & Friends - largely in Omaha, but also in Denver and Seattle.)  Although I will definitely be seeing family on my way to Austin (lunch with Cousin Amy in Topeka on Monday) and will be staying with relatives after I leave Austin and go to New Mexico, I know no one in Austin and am only going there because it is south of Omaha and has a reputation for great live music and being somewhat eccentric.  All of that - music, odd people, and knowing no one - sounds appealing, as do temperatures in the 60's.

So in a few hours I am headed south.  This is Day 56 of the trip, and I've spent all but about two weeks of that in Omaha.  I got teary tonight thinking about leaving my parents and my brother and his family, who are such wonderful people and whose hospitality has been priceless.  But I'll be back in a month for a brief visit for Cousin Ashley's wedding, and that makes it much easier to leave now.  You'd think as many goodbyes as I've said in the past few months that I'd get better at it, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

Although leaving is bittersweet, I am really excited about what comes next.  My plan for the trip to Austin is to take a couple of days (it's a 12 or 13-hour drive if you take the quickest route, which I won't be).  Day One of the drive will be lunch with Amy in Topeka, driving through Junction City (where my mother was born but no family live anymore), and then probably going to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene (Kansas, not Texas, just to be clear) which is only a half-hour from Junction City.  I will give you a full report, of course.  Day Two...who knows?

For the record, my mileage so far is 3,891.  That will nearly double by the time Cousin Ashley walks down the aisle.

And welcome to new readers.  There was a very nice "where are they now" article in the Journal Gazette on Sunday.  (My sister Lynn was kind enough to point out the similarity between the article and a line in the movie Spinal Tap - an extremely funny parody about a washed-up rock band.  I might have been offended by Lynn's reference except that A) it's true and B) I'd already thought of it, as Spinal Tap is something of an icon in our family.)  Anyway, this blog was referenced and I think a few folks have checked it out.  I hope that they (you) continue to join the fun.