You know it's time to go home when...

...pollen season kicks in. Sigh. Although the cloud of yellow was not enough to keep me from fishing with my grandparents down at the pond (three keepers, I'm proud to say, although Grandmama beat everyone with her 8. 8!), it has been enough to keep me sneezing. And so, I can gladly say Szia to NC pollen.

It will be much more difficult to say goodbye to people -- and sadly, there is a whole slew of people I never got to see at all. I'm so sorry to have missed you, particularly the SE crowd. I think of you guys often!

To those of you I could see, I really enjoyed my time with you. Thank you for encouraging me and being excited with me. You have no idea what it meant to be able to hang out with you.

It's about time for the Last Supper -- Mom's fried chicken with biscuits! -- so I'm going to soak up my final piece of Americana. I'll fly out of DC tomorrow and arrive in Budapest sometime Thursday afternoon. Until then, stay out of the freakin' pollen, and know that I love you all.