Kotleba Family Reunion

About two weeks ago I got email from my cousin Anne whom I have not seen in a year and a half, since we were all in Chicago at her brother's wedding.

Hi Sarah!

How's life going for you??? Just wanted to drop a line and see if you were going to be around San Francisco around the July 30th-August 1st. I am currently road tripping through the west with a friend and San Francisco is on the list of places to hit up. I'm in Scottsdale, AZ right now, but probably won't have internet until the 28th when I get to San Diego. But, if you are going to be around then I would love to hang out for a little bit, catch up and talk about life as a Kotleba and such. Here's my phone # xxx-xxx-xxxx you could maybe leave a message there, I'll probably get cell phone service before I get wireless internet…the desert's good like that. But, yeah, let me know!!

I wrote her back and this is what I said:

Hey Anne,

I would like to point out with great delight that in the Kotleba family, not-so-large as it is, there are two kinds of cousins: the kind that get married, stay home, BUY homes, have pets and kids...and the kind that care less about whether or not they have those things and instead make it their business to travel the world and create adventure for themselves along the way.

category one=Steve and Nathan
category two=Anne and Sarah

I am writing to you from my office at a summer camp in Yosemite where I moved about a month ago after getting rid of my car, being granted a year-long teaching sabbatical, moving out of my apartment, putting almost everything I own into storage, and preparing to travel for the next twelve months. So yes, I would love to see you and during the dates you describe I'll be here at camp...my guess is if you're going to be in the city 7/30-8/1 you might be moving north after that and if you're on your way to Tahoe/Mammoth/Bishop at all you should come my way, I'll take a day off and we'll go camp in the park for a night. Yes? I hope you can!

And she wrote back…

I am beyond excited that you left the amazing city of San Francisco and moved somewhere even more amazing in Yosemite! How fabulous. I have to agree that the Kotleba women are way more fun and adventurous than their siblings, and I am ok with that. I'd rather be on this side of it. I'm happy you are fighting on the good side (not that I'm judging our brothers...just saying)
Anne

I got very excited about the sisterhood of the adventurous Kotlebas and the possibility of us having our very own mini-family reunion here at camp. So, yesterday on the phone I gave her all the directions to get here from the city and this afternoon she called to say they'd gotten a late start so right now it is after dinner and I am trying to be patient for them to get here but it is hard. After they arrive tonight we're going to pitch their tent and chill out on my porch and watch the stars of the High Sierra come out while trading stories of what it meant to grow up Kotleba. Maybe if they have a lot of energy we'll go into town to the bar with fish mounted on the walls where there's karaoke and $3 drinks every Thursday night, but maybe not. Tomorrow morning they're leaving early to drive into the park and tomorrow night they are climbing Half Dome, so they might just want to rest.

Even though she and I have not seen one another in awhile, I am totally excited to hang out with my cousin Anne and am thrilled at the prospect of seeing anyone who knows me from my real life.