10th Day - 20th February 2022

Today is my last day with Rose and Mike. And overall my tenth day here in the USA. One third is already over, it's rushing by like crazy. I asked them not to drive too far today and Mike suggests Lake Jennings. It's only a 10-minute drive from Tom's apartment.

After a quick shopping in the shop there, we start walking and it's a really beautiful place. Not crowded, although some people have come here for a barbecue on Sunday afternoon. After 20 minutes of walking by the lake, an American with a huge camera lens on the edge of the shore points to a tree. And up there I can see a bald eagle sitting, the symbol of the USA. It's really impressive to see this large bird in the wild. He is clearly waiting to catch prey in the water. And the photographer is also waiting for this moment. I thank him for alerting me to this great moment, and we continue walking.

After a good hour, we turn around and walk back, because apparently you can't go all the way around. In the meantime, there are even more visitors here, but the crowds are still manageable. That surprises me a little, because this place is really beautiful and very close to a city with 100,000 inhabitants.

Rose wants to go shopping for tonight, because she will be cooking for the first time since I've been here. Mike is really excited. He doesn't particularly like American food. I have the hotel drop me off to change and walk to Tom's house in 15 minutes. The smell is already great and Mike's anticipation is running high. And the food is really amazing. For me, it's always a joy to have big meals. Besides my mother, she is the best cook on the planet for me. But that's probably also because she has been cooking for me for over 40 years, among other things. I have never eaten anything at her place that I didn't like.

Jens Gin and Tonic is hitting me a little, and after playing games after dinner and having 4 of them, I feel like going to bed. The last evening with Ethan and the others was really nice - and I won't see them all together again until June in Ireland. That's one of the big disadvantages of having friends abroad. Encounters are far too rare. And if the half comes from America, it becomes even rarer.