Arrival Thursday, July 16
146 Miles | 3 Hours
We get off to a late start after having a fun day on the farm, and Sibri is sad to say goodbye to her new buddies, and Mari is getting lots of work done. At around 3:30, literally on our way out the driveway, Datta finally reaches out to former India schoolmate Siri Sedt on Facebook Messenger Audio (!) to let her know we’re 3 hours away and wondering see if she’d be OK with us boondocking in her driveway.
Datta hadn't talked to her 20 years since a GNFC kids reunion in Carlsbad but the call isn’t completely random as she was one of two from the India crowd who had responded to a Facebook post Datta had put up on their alumni group as we headed out from Santa Cruz announcing our trip.
As luck would have it, she picks up. She and her partner Mark happen to be free that evening so we head down to Louisville, arriving just before nightfall.
As we approach the address we notice that the address she's given us is on a lush tree lined country road we notice the houses are getting progressively nicer. We pull up the gated driveway to a stately brick home on five acres with deer in the front yard. Siri is out in front waiting our arrival, greeting us with hugs, her partner Mark and her son come out to greet us as well.
We deliberate on where to put the Airstream and decide to pull it onto their upper yard around the back of the home. It’s a little tight and on a bit of a slope but after a few tries Datta manages to back it onto a relatively level patch without hitting any trees and the grass appears to be none the worse for the wear so we set the leveling wedge, staying on the bumper. The trailer's still a little off level so we also set the mounting block for added stability.
Siri and Mark are gracious hosts and we talk into the night about India memories and our lives since, while Sibri watches How to Train Your Dragon. Datta and Siri also compare notes on the recent scandal around Yogi Bhajan with a #metoo movement and multiple charges coming out around abuses that were committed in India and afterward, many of which directly impacted kids Datta grew up with, including Siri and her brother.
It’s therapeutic to be able to talk about it and Siri appears to be in a good space in life, although understandably shaken up by the recent surfacing of things that had long been buried in the past. As we go out to bed in the airstream in the yard, Mari comments about the growing musty smell which Datta dismisses as likely coming from the cat-box or the toilet and we get another late night bedtime. When we wake up, Mari turns the bed over and discovers the seating foam for the front bed hasn’t fully dried out since Michigan and there’s a mold smell starting to emanate.
We are shocked at the black stains and putrid smell of the underside of the mattress we’ve been sleeping on. After making several calls, Mari locates a shop in Lexington along our route that can cut us a new quality foam base for $200. We hit the road after Datta whips up a quick breakfast in the house. Mark has left early, heading to Ohio for work and Siri is plugged in to her Nursing school training on Zoom, but manages to give us a warm goodbye hug on our way out.
It’s good to see Siri again, particularly in a dignified environment with a loving and successful partner.
Departure Friday, July 17
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