Side Trip - Wake Forest
This could have been titled "On the Road Again," because we did drive from Vermont to our next home-away-from-home, New York City. But we didn't have much time and took the Interstate, without any interesting stops. It's much more fun to write about the reason we were in such a rush: we were headed for Wake Forest Family Weekend!
For the first time during this Epic Road Trip, we left our beloved car behind (safely parked) and traveled via air, excited to reach North Carolina and see Amy.
Saturday morning in Winston-Salem was cool as we walked with Amy across the football field's parking lot to the Bullock family's famous tailgate. We found them in one of the long rows of tents. Since kick-off was at 12:30 PM, our hosts had prepared classic Southern breakfast fare - fried chicken biscuits, grits, and much more. It was all very tasty, and we washed everything down with apple cider mimosas. YUM!
It was fun seeing Amy's friends and catching up with their parents. The common refrain was, "How can they be seniors already?" Of course there was a group photo, and a rousing cheer for the Demon Deacons.
Before we knew it, it was game time. Amy sat with us on the "parents'" side of the stadium, which is thankfully the shady side. It was a great game! Steve and I grew a little hoarse from all the shouting. With a last-minute field goal, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the Louisville Cardinals 34-37.
After the game we walked back to Amy's house, where she and her three housemates were hosting a darty (a daytime party). There's a nice sloping lawn behind their house, and it was a perfect evening for sitting outside. I was enjoying myself so much, chatting with other parents, that I forgot to take photos. I did snap a few shots of beer pong and stack cup. Amy had to explain the rules, since when Steve and I were in college, we played beer pong with paddles.
We left the party as the sun set, waving good-bye to the other parents and promising to see them again at graduation. It had been a whirlwind of a day, and we had an early flight to catch. It was a little bittersweet that this was our last Family Weekend at Wake. We were thankful for the chance to spend time with Amy and her friends in their element and to see her thriving in that special place.
