My mom and I are commencing our 4-week-long trip Tuesday. We start in Pittsburgh because my brother is having a huge surgery on his meniscus. My mom and I are going to take care of him and his puppies for a week to make sure he is okay. My mom and I will be cooking, and I will be taking pictures and recording the recipes the entire time. From Pittsburgh, we go to State College to see my grandparents, Mama Trudy and Papa Sam. Mama Trudy is one of nine, but a lot of her siblings are no longer with us, so it is important to get a lot of recipes and stories for her to make up for her entire side of the family.

Then, I will head to Florida. My first stop in Tampa will be to visit Papa Sam’s older sister (although, he tells everybody he has two younger sisters), Aunt Trudy, but she felt the visit would be too overwhelming and had to cancel. So when my mom and I get to Florida, we are going to spend a weekend with my sister in Orlando [just a fun break] before driving down to Miami. In Miami, I will finally meet Aunt Billie, Papa Sam’s younger sister. My mom used to live with Aunt Billie while she was in college. I’ve heard many great stories about her, but I have never met her in person. From there, we will fly to New Orleans to spend a few days with my mom’s cousin [and Aunt Trudy’s daughter], Robyn. She and my mom lived together at some point, and I think she will be able to give me all the recipes and stories that I couldn’t get from her mother. I will fly back to Pennsylvania directly after that on March 31st to go back to Westtown.

It is going to be a busy month, but it is going to be a lot of fun. I will be sure to keep you updated on where I am, what I am making, and what I am learning.