An update as I travel! So midterm grading is done, Christmas has been celebrated, and New Year’s Eve has come. Right after opening presents and watching It’s a Wonderful Life (the holiday priorities) I flew out to visit my parents in Oregon. It was a fun trip, complete with ice fishing, cross country skiing, lots of board game playing, and Oregon present unwrapping. Also, I got stuck on the road because of some cows. Now, it is back to North Carolina to reunite with my lovely wife, via airports in Washington state, Minnesota, Georgia, and then finally Greensboro. As my sister pointed out, it isn’t often when you are in five states in a day, and lucky me, but I have done it twice in a week!

If you can’t tell, this year we weren’t able to coordinate time off with Leah’s work and an Oregon visit. She was able to visit with her dad a bit though, and I think it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’m really excited for another year with Leah, and all that 2019 will bring. I’m excited to return to teaching soon, and for some trips planned around Spring Break, and for maybe a few more chances of snow. Featured are some pictures of cows. It would be funny to say that this is what life in rural Oregon is like, but actually that was the first time in my life a car that I was in was stopped due to a cattle drive. And I’m excited to experience more of them in the future, too!

So happy 2019, and I hope everyone has a great start to their new year! And now to prepare for a connecting flight marathon….

–Jeff and Leah