Who Says You Can’t Go Home?

It was a few weeks ago when I made the drive from Waterloo to Cedar Rapids to work for a day.  On the drive I heard one of those songs that stays in your head and really starts to bug you.  You know it.  It’s by Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles.  But, this time, I turned the song up, and started singing along.  All the sudden it seemed it was written for me.

Because, after this particular work-day, I would pick Andy up from the airport and drive us down to Davenport for a good friend’s wedding (the first of two wedding-weekends in a row!).  And, I had already started receiving text messages from friends who were sharing in my excitement for the weekends ahead.  The words never rang more true.

“…There’s only one place they call me one of their own.”

 

So, we checked in at the hotel in downtown Davenport, and headed right over to have a beer at the first of many “old stomping grounds.”  Front Street Brewery had an ice-cold Cherry Ale on tap for me!  It’s funny how it tasted even sweeter than remembered as I kicked-off my vacation home.

We celebrated the new Bowers into the morning hours two nights in a row, and woke up early to suck in as much of our home state as we could.  We hit the Davenport farmers market, a little café for breakfast, our favorite coffee shop, grocery store, and hotelVetro!  All of this in just the first weekend! 

And, then we spent the week with family.  Kissing baby heads, helping siblings, and drinking wine with good friends.  All the while we were making phone calls, and getting ready to officially start building our road back home. 

“...I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face, There isn't one of these lines that I would erase…”

At the end of the week, we went ahead, and signed our first mortgage papers.  And, it felt right.  We are ready to put down some roots.  To move to Marion, Iowa in September.  To come home.

“…It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go, if it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road, take it in, take it with you when you go…”

Yeah, I took a pic of Andy signing the papers.  Be jealous of Andy's embarrassing wife!

And, we were lucky enough to celebrate our next step as a married couple with great friends as they begin their personal journey. 

"...Who says you can't go home!?"

Congrats, Betsy & Caleb!