We have been spending the last few months traveling around the Rockies (Colorado), Wasatch (Utah) and Sierra (California) mountains to get our skiing in. We had a horrible ski season last year and this year has certainly made up for it. As I post this, we are camping in the Mt. Bachelor Ski Area parking lot, in order to get on the mountain first thing tomorrow morning and to take advantage of some cheap lodging. This morning we left LaPine State Park outside of Bend, OR. Being in Oregon, the weather has definitely given us a good taste of home, we drove into Oregon through the pouring rain most of the day and woke up to a dusting of snow on the campground this morning, which was a fun treat as we are nestled among the tall evergreen trees.
Little dusting of snow at LaPine State Park |
Over the next few days, we will make our way North to ski with good friends that will camp and ski with us at Mt. Hood Meadows and Timberline, then we will head back to Bend to ski with more friends at Mt. Bachelor again and eventually leave our ski and winter gear with them so we can head South again for some fun in the sun until we finally head home at the end of May.
We are due back at the end of May and have confirmed our tenants will be there until then, so there is no coming back early at this point. A friend recently asked me if I had mixed feelings about coming home, and as I think about it more I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. Strangely, I feel like I have stayed connected pretty well, when we have internet service I can see what friends are doing on Facebook and Instagram, I am keeping up (for the most part) with the (crazy) political campaigns, half of our family is spread out all over the country right now, so calling, texting and FaceTime is the normal way of communicating, and we are teaching our kids about sending actual letters and reaching out that way. But of course, social media and letters can’t replace face to face dinners, talks and hugs. So we do look forward to seeing our loved ones in person.
Selfie at Squaw Valley |
Part of me does long for the normal routine, I can’t wait to have a bedroom of my own with a bed that I can walk around and a door (two upgrades we must have if when we ever get a new camper/trailer) and as I have mentioned in past blogs, I look forward to my normal running routes and running friends, going to yoga in my neighborhood and having more than 2 pairs of pants to choose from.
As mixed feelings go, I am also fearful of getting back into the normal routine. I love our carefree days, not always knowing where we are heading the next day. I love sleeping in on a Monday morning. I love exploring new places and living simply. I love watching my kids become each other’s best friends. Playing pretend and really getting into it, they have such vibrant imaginations, it is so fun to watch and listen to. I hope this doesn’t go away when we get home and back into the mix with friends and school and regular life.
Girls exploring the beach of Lake Tahoe |
I do look forward to having more variety when grocery shopping and eating at home and having friends over for dinner again. I look forward to visiting our favorite spots in Ballard, but after so long on the road eating out is no longer a treat for us, it becomes a necessity when you are driving long distances and your camper is packed with gear you can’t get to the fridge.
I also look forward to having a dishwasher again. Although, doing dishes is relaxing and meditative for me, I love a clean kitchen, and in the camper the space is so small it is easier to achieve. I will also be happy to be doing laundry at home again. The only upside to doing laundry on the road is that when you are doing laundry in a laundromat you have to get it all done at one time. You can’t leave piles of clean clothes in a basket, you must fold and put everything away after its done. School work is also something I am looking forward to handing pack to the professionals. I am so grateful that we have had this time to learn how our kids learn and take in concepts and understand their challenges and strengths. This will help me help them down the road for sure, but they are certainly ready to get back to a classroom with peers and remember that the teacher is in charge – not them (that’s the challenge for us these days).
Our whole family can also agree, we are all looking forward to our clean, private bathroom and shower at home. One thing I will NOT miss from this trip is walking to the bathroom to shower (and other business not allowed in the camper), I long for the day I can take a hot bath in my own bathroom. I look forward to showering in my shower without wearing flip flops and hauling all my clothes and shower essentials into the tiny shower stall. I also look forward to showering alone, and not alongside my two daughters who either bicker from their stalls for the shampoo and soap they share or just talk nonsense while showering (although the latter is sometimes amusing). Although, we have had some nice showers and the occasional bath in hotels here and there, we look forward to the comfort, familiarity and cleanliness of our bathroom at home.
We have a little over 2 more months until we get back and we have more friends and family to visit in some sunny spots down South, so we don’t have to jump back into the normal routine just yet. Once we get home, the goal will be to try and bring some of our simple living habits into our big house and do our best to live in the moment and not get swept up into the busy, whirlwind that often comes with city living. One thing I know for sure, we will appreciate all our comforts of home. The girls will certainly love the fact they don’t have to make/transform their beds every morning and evening, Andrew and I will appreciate our privacy and we will all enjoy a little more indoor space to spread out in. And we will all appreciate our bathroom.