The Vacation is Over

    The alarm clock went off at 3 AM. It's far too early to get up, but we had to. We were taking an early morning flight to Atlanta. We needed to shower, pack up the last remaining things, drive to the airport and drop off the rental car. I like to leave a lot of time to get through security in case something goes wrong.
   We were both tired as we went about getting ready to leave. The electronics went into the backpack. The Nook reader, knitting, camera and packs of gum went into the shoulder bag. C got the cart and loaded our bags onto it. We did a last sweep of the room before checkout. We checked out, put the suitcases in the car and drove away.
   Normally I am ready to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed, eat food that I had cooked and hang out with the cats. This time was different. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay. I wanted to go back to Minnesota long enough to pack up the house, load up the cats and come back to South Carolina to live.
   This is a new thing for me. I've never wanted to move out of the midwest before. Every other trip I've always been ready to go home to Minnesota. It wasn't because the weather was nicer. I've never had a problem with the cold. It isn't because South Carolina is prettier. It is lovely there right now, but Minnesota is equally pretty in all seasons.
   It's because South Carolina felt like home.
    There are people of all colours, shapes and sizes on the beach at Myrtle Beach. They are dressed in everything from thong bikinis to jeans and a long sleeve shirt. No one stares. No one mocks.  Little kids make sand castles and forts, Older kids try to body surf on the waves. Teens and young adults  toss balls back and forth. Men and women lay on blankets, towels and beach chairs soaking in the sun. Some are reading books. Some are taking naps.
Everyone is enjoying the beach together.
   We went to a street festival in Spartanburg. Everyone was enjoying the music,looking at the craft booths, eating ice cream and just having a good time. There were lots of families out together. Parents were pushing children in strollers. Couples were holding hands. We walked into a lovely garden. There was a water trough surrounding a large area of neatly mowed green grass. There were bushes and crepe myrtles and benches to sit on. Behind us was the corporate office of a national restaurant chain. How nice it must be for the employees to have that lovey park to look at and walk in.
   People just seem nicer in South Carolina. Clerks in grocery stores were polite and helpful. Servers in restaurants weren't surly and impatient. We went to North Carolina to visit our friend Sarah. There's a good fish place we like to go to. The server was smiling and happy and chatted with us a bit. When I discovered my glass had a crack in it and was leaking, she got me a fresh drink right away even though they were busy. She didn't mind when C asked for more hush puppies. It was a fun meal and not because we got to see our dear friend.
   We got some ice cream downtown. There were a lot of people there taking pictures with a statue of a bear holding a large ice cream cone, eating cones and walking downtown. I couldn't decide what I wanted and the gal helping me patiently waited while I made up my mind.
  Minnesota seemed cold and unfriendly. In Myrtle beach no one minded that I wore a tie dye skirt that was comfortable on the hot day, but was seriously out of style. No one stared at my hat. In Minnesota there would have been stares and possibly a few snickers. In Minnesota people don't acknowledge your presence when you walk by. In South Carolina most people do.
   I struck up a conversation with a tech at an independent pharmacy that we went into. That wouldn't happen in Minnesota. There are hardly any independent pharmacies.
   As much as I'd like to make my home in one of the smaller towns in South Carolina, it isn't going to happen. We have jobs and friends and a life here. We have a house. Scamp and Colby would not like to move.
  We touched down in Minneapolis. It was gray, 50 degrees colder and raining. We climbed into the cab that came to pick us up. The trees barely had any leaves unlike the lush greenery in the Carolinas. The cab pulled into our driveway. C paid the driver and we got ourselves and our bags out. C unlocked the door and we went in. Scamp came up to us purring loudly. He was glad to see us. The mock orange and lilac bushes have leaves. The grass is green. It'll warm up soon. We'll have tulips in the garden. It's not Carolina, but it is home.