Monday we headed back to Portland and the rain followed us down. I wanted to apologize to all my lovely blog friends that we missed in Vancouver and Seattle and Portland but when the fever came I did not want to risk exposing any of you and your littles to whatever was lurking in our immune systems. It would not be the greatest of meet ups if we left you sick and miserable, right?
Portland was as lovely as it can be soaked in rain and holding a 30# child constantly. We did get in and out of the house, I did make it to my stunningly good dance class but really, the time was about family. When family is so far away, it is hard to keep cousins connected. The mellow days with my nephews allowed time for play and bonding and just being. I had a special request from the almost grown boys for new knit beanies and those projects came along the road with me. I bound off the second hat Wednesday with plenty of perfect weather still around in which to wear them. Look at these handsome boys...so big and ready to become men. One graduates from middle school this year (Congrats, Kyle!!!) the other enters it (Congrats, Austin!!!!).
The week felt really vulnerable to me, maybe it was my sick child or the weariness from the wet or ovulation or road fatigue or the loss of a young vibrant boy....it all made me ache. So much of this trip is in processing mode, deep in and folding and unfolding as I think about what it means to have done this. Last night after a phenomenal West African class, my body in total release, it occurred to me that the Mondo list I wrote in January is spooling out, not checking itself off, but just revealing itself in my life.
But please understand that there is not a lot of glamour to life on the road. It is surprisingly mundane....each day we get up and make brekky and try to find fun and engaging activities to occupy the boys and then try to carve out a little Me time while juggling their needs and ours. The backdrop has been changing frequently but the routine is not very different, except for bedtime which has assumed new hours of lateness in our lives. Each day has held something special and lovely but then each day at home holds moments of this. I am realizing a lot of it is in the lens one looks through. Mine is not rose colored, but I like to think it does haze out some of the rough for a moment or two.
We are in Arcata, geographically back to the first point of our journey actually. We came back to see my sister Em and brother in law Isaac in their joint effort to bring beauty to the world. Last year I was here alone, my first solo trip since their birth. I remember missing them and wishing that I could bring them next year, to play in the river and see all the fun things in the children's tent area. And here we are.....exactly a year later, all four of us present and ready. Ready for sun, ready to go south, ready to take the journey home.
We still have a few more stops along the way, a few more days to revel in the rhythm that is the road. But we are almost back, re-immersion imminent. My plans include posting about the places we have been and the things we can suggest, but also trying to delve deeper into what this actually meant to me, to us. Oh yeah, and working my ass off as we really need to get back to the world of wage earning and paychecks....
One thing I know though, it is a powerful thing to dream. If you are in the market for some delicious dream time, go here now and sign up. It sounds like a wonderful way to keep up this energy and I am signing on with sisters in tow. Any other takers out there? Let me know if you do sign up so we can dream together this summer.
Slainte. (Yeah yeah, I have a beer in hand at 4:30...its been a long week, people).
