|
Hey everyone, Laura here! I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of the people in Virginia who have made my transition and stay on the east coast one of the best experiences of my life. I especially want to thank two wonderful people, who have been so good to me. Joe and Sheryl Pelella, thank you for all that you have done.
When I made the cross country move in February, my mom and little brother, Jack, stayed with me for the first few weeks until I got settled into my new environment. I met Joe at the race shop while I was being fitted in the car. From our first encounter, he was very helpful and friendly to my family and me. When the time came for mom and Jack to go back home to California, Joe refused that I stay by myself and opened up his beautiful home to me, pretty much a complete stranger at the time.
I've been living with Joe and Sheryl since April and they have become my second set of parents, treating me like their own daughter. I quickly knew that I was going to like it here when I had dinner the first night. Dang, Sheryl can cook! My mom may have to borrow some of her recipes! Sheryl has become a great friend and I can talk to her about anything& And every day with Joe is an adventure; we've had some good times together and some good laughs. He is a retired chief of police and has taught me all about gun safety. The even cooler part is that I've got to shoot a number of his guns including his 12-gauge, which was awesome!
Joe and Sheryl have also introduced me to the world of fine dining and vacations. I've never been on a vacation before because my family and I were always busy racing. They have taken me to Charleston, SC and the Outer Banks in NC, now two of my favorite places. They also took me to my first play, Jersey Boys, which I absolutely loved. I've enjoyed helping Joe in the yard; he's taught me how to operate a tractor and his zero-turn mower is fun to ride, a far cry from our Craftsman riding mower at home. I've also enjoyed helping Sheryl at the food pantry where we gave food and clothes out to the less fortunate, and at the Relay for Life event. They are also very much involved with the local SPCA; taking in animals and caring for them in kennels they've built at their home. My helping them in their support of the SPCA foundation during the Clarksville parade, truly made for a memorable day.
These are two amazing people, who care so much about others and would do anything for anyone. I'm so lucky to have met them and I will miss them dearly once my stay here comes to an end. I can't imagine what this year would have been like without them. I will never be able to thank them enough.
Joe and Sheryl, while at the top of my list, aren't the only people who have been good to me since I've been in Virginia. I also wish to thank Steve James and his family; they are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. A special thanks goes out to my new crew chief/team chef, Robert Bondurant, for taking me kart racing and always fixing the best food at the race track! Thank you to Cathy and Allen Rice, Larry West, Herbert Ramsey, Wendell Scott Jr, Scroochy, the Bush girls, Tracie Dunn, Sandy Stigall and Terri Marks, for all being good friends and very supportive. There are way too many people to list here but I can definitely say that I have an extended family in Virginia. These are the best people and I'm dreading the day I will have to say goodbye. Hopefully it will only be temporary!
|
