Reunion (Road Trip Day 38)

On July 12, 1974, I married and immediately moved to California. That was the last day I saw many of my high school friends. Jean Westrick (her maiden name) was one of those friends. She left for the Marines around the same time, our class did not have reunions on a regular basis, and our paths never crossed – until today!

Oh, I caught her on Facebook and would hear from mutual friends how Jean was doing. I knew she had married someone (Sam) in the Marines, and I knew she had two daughters from the marriage and Sam brought two children to the marriage. I knew Jean was not enamored with technology and that she was very involved in her church. A year or so ago she sent me her phone number and asked me to call. I tried a few times but never connected and then life got in the way, and I got busy and well we never connected.

Then I got a message on March 18^th on this blog, “In your tour around the US are you going to be in the North Carolina if so let me know, and I'll treat you to a wonderful visit to my new hometown New Bern NC.”  I had no idea who had written this message as Goggle does not require people to sign on to the blog to read it and therefore all comments are anonymous (unless the writer signs on or writes their name at the end of their message). I went on Facebook and put out a plea to identify the writer of the comment.

A mutual friend (and high school classmate) identified the writer as Jean and gave me Jean’s contact information. Other people started telling me that I had to go to New Bern, that it was a great place. I emailed Jean, I called Jean’s phone and left a message, and even though we had not connected, I booked a campground site for the nights of May 4^th and May 5th.

As we got closer to leaving for our trip, I decided it was good to make the trip to New Bern and that if the stars aligned, we would meet Jean. I kept the reservation. Then on Wednesday, May 4^th, I sent Jean a text and she answered!!!

Jean had a commitment for this morning and agreed to meet us at her family’s home at 10:30 am and from there we would go to tour Tryon Palace. We arrived at Jean’s home to be greeted with hugs and enthusiasm. We spent about 45 minutes talking and catching up on 49 years of life events (marriages, children, grandchildren, and careers). We were scheduled for a noon tour which took about an hour and then we toured part of the gardens, the separate kitchen, and the stables at the Palace.

The Drawing Room at Tryon Palace

The Dining Room. Only Dinner was served in the Dining Room (our lunch) Breakfast and supper were served in the bedrooms.

A guest room (Note the table - all bedrooms have tables as breakfast and supper were served in the bedrooms.

The Alcove Bedroom

The children's bedroom (another bed was in the corner to the left of where the photo was taken.

An arch in the garden. Honeysuckle aroma fileld the air.

Jean and Joe identifying plants in the garden.

We then visited an American Militia Camp on the Palace grounds. The camp was like camps in the 1780’s (after the American Revolution). Just as we arrived, two of the docents, in period costumes, were handling a broken auger which was either a replica or an original piece. Joe sat down with them and gave them some advice on the best way to fix the piece. They were most grateful, and Joe was happy to get in his daily dose of ‘helping.’

Joe and a militiaman (blocking a woman in the camp) discuss the broken auger handle.

Due to a time crunch and hunger we went to the North Carolina History Center, ate lunch in the Museum at a restaurant called Lawson’s on the Creek. Joe toured the museum while Jean and I chatted some more.

Our first night in the tent went beautifully. I had an excellent sleep and was very comfortable. It was incredibly quiet all night long. The campground is about 2 miles back from the freeway and so we get no outside traffic noise. Our tent is large enough for Joe to stand up in and having room to turn over in the middle of the night feels like a luxury after sleeping in the Subaru Outback. The good news is that we can sleep in the Subaru if the weather warrants it.

We did discover one problem with the tent and that is that there is nothing to hold onto when walking out the tent door. There is a 4” to 6” threshold that one must lift their foot over to exit (or enter) the tent. Joe put out his hand to help me and I promptly tripped out of the tent landing on my stomach. No worries, I managed to get up and move. However, as the morning wore on, even with ibuprofen, my right leg would begin to ache. Fortunately, we were able to get a wheelchair at the ticket booth, so Joe wheeled me around much of the time. I can report tonight that my leg still hurts a bit. I am hoping a good night’s sleep will help it to heal quicker.

We left the museum and headed to Jean’s home to meet her daughter, son-in-law, and their four children (therefore, Jean’s grandchildren). OMG! (Oh, My Goodness)! We had an awesome evening, Joe helped Jean with dinner by making guacamole and some Pico de Gallo to go with the Taco Salad that Sarah and Jean had put together earlier in the day. Sarah, a physical therapist by trade, and Nick, a Design Engineer and Team Lead at a nearby base, welcomed us into their home as if we were long time friends.

The four children, Isaac (Age 11), Emily (8), Catherine (6) and Nathan (3) brought joy to the evening. During dinner on the sun porch, the children entertained and amused themselves. After dinner, Nick cleaned up the kitchen and dishes while we visited. Emily asked to read us a story she had written for her Godfather who is very ill (hospice). Isaac played chess with Joe while we all continued to chat. Joe was excited to beat Isaac as he had not won a chess game in a while. Never mind that Isaac is only eleven.

We managed to take a group photo before we headed outdoors so Isaac could give us a drone demonstration; however, the drone had not been charged. Instead, Jean, Joe, Isaac, Emily, and Catherine played basketball. I think Isaac won the game. During the basketball game, Sarah and I visited, it was a gift to get to know a bit about her.

Left to right front: Isaac, Nathan, Catherine, Emily

Back left to right: Jean, Joe, Beth, Srah, and Nick

Isaac, Nathan, Catherine, and Emily

Our visit with Jean and her family was precious and a day I am not likely to forget for a long time. I think it foreshadows how Joe will be as a grandpa for Caleb and Charlotte. As we left this evening, after a round of hugs, Jean said she appreciated that I was tenacious in reaching out to her so we could enjoy a reunion. Jean ends all of her goodbyes with “God Bless.” Today he did.