Tales of Millbrook

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us." — Anonymous

Americana

After days filled with meetings, budgeting, and even more meetings, R. took us out for an afternoon adventure. She picked us up in a massive pickup truck, dressing us in a hillbilly style. Kiki wore a pink dress and a mountain of makeup, while R. brought me a pair of jeans, some shorts, and a round straw hat adorned with the colors of the USA on the inside.

R. had a whole photoshoot planned in the Millbrook area. We visited a farm with adorable barn animals and explored the 'forgotten' places. R. shared her perspective on the 'dark history' of Millbrook, New York, and the United States.

We drove by Onion Town, a redneck village bordered by walls covered in Jesus flags, black-and-white USA flags, and plenty of propaganda. A bit further, we spotted a cult church and various dubious businesses. To process all this new information, we stopped for ice cream, enjoying it on a bench in the sun until it was time to head back and prepare for dinner with Aunt L.

A warm reunion

We left on time in the self-driving Tesla. We entered the address into the navigation system, and the Tesla took us there seamlessly—impressive! Once we crossed state borders and arrived at Aunt L.'s in Connecticut, Alfie, her dog, greeted us.

L. prepared the most fantastic dinner, allowing us to catch up with our former volunteers, Clemmie and Ella. We had a fabulous evening together; L. and H. were intrigued by everything we do in Cambodia. We talked the night away, reminiscing and discussing daily life, including all the wildlife—mostly black bears—around the area. I drove back since it was dark, and even though the Tesla got us there safely, I didn't trust the sensors enough to try it out in the nighttime darkness.

The most daunting games

The only noteworthy event from the following Saturday was an epic game of Catan, where I. was blindsided and lost spectacularly to Kiki, with D. watching approvingly. Her sole strategy seemed to be ensuring I.'s defeat. I. was furious but tried to conceal it, failing dramatically. It was all quite amusing to observe.

Later that evening, we played Wizard, a card game, with P. and B. They seemed to love it, or so P. claimed after every hand he played. Kiki won that game too, strutting around for the next few days and bragging about her victory at every opportunity!

Fancy food delivery

We received a call from I. who met up with another pilot friend on our last morning in Millbrook. He instructed us to stand on the polo field next to the house, so we each took our morning coffee with us since it was 9 AM on a sunny Sunday.

We waited on the field, and suddenly, two identical 'cubs'—the yellow planes—appeared, soaring through the sky side by side. They circled the field several times before landing, flying right above us with what felt like only inches to spare.

It was the fanciest food delivery ever, as they brought donuts for breakfast! We chatted briefly before they took off again, waving their wings and making one last circle above the field before vanishing on the horizon.

A sublime hike

After several meetings, we went for a hike in Millbrook on our last afternoon. D. and R. invited us to hike around a nearby lake, where a watchtower stood atop a hill, perfect for watching the sunset. It seemed like an excellent way to conclude our time together. They brought their two dogs, Indi and Balou, who had a blast running after all the ducks.

As we hiked up the hill, we suddenly realized Indi was missing. Naturally, D.'s maternal instincts kicked in, and she and R. went back to find her while Kiki and I continued up to see if she had wandered ahead. As we neared the summit, we heard D. and R. shouting that they had found Indi, and sure enough, minutes later, both dogs caught up with us, enjoying a mud bath until the others arrived shortly after.

We were already too late to catch the sunset, but the view was breathtaking nonetheless. Balou climbed every single step of the 20-meter-high wooden tower on the hill before realizing what he was up to and hesitating on his way down. But who am I to criticize? I couldn’t even reach the top; with my fear of heights, I felt more comfortable stopping two-thirds of the way up. The view was still stunning!

Once back at the car, after walking the final stretch in the dark, we drove straight home to dinner that I. and one of his friends had prepared. We played a card game together and said goodbye to these wonderful people.