I was ready to come home. I missed my family, my friends, warm showers and home cooked meals.
Coming home the first time was hard, I'll admit it. I had traveled for four months with my partner (Evan) and our dog (Carter), just the three of us. Life was easy we would wake up and think 'where to now?' We saw the northern Lights, the ocean, and California sunsets. We sat out with the stars, cooked over a fire, and explored mountains, rivers, creeks, and trails beyond our greatest imagination. We spent days, weeks, months just the three of us. Our worries were food, water and when will we shower again? To many this sounds awful but to us it was heaven. We were happy. This was our goal, our dream; so coming home meant waking up.
I felt groggy, I felt disoriented and at times lost. I had spent time in a new place almost everyday and now I am waking up every morning, not moving and some days that was really hard.
I needed to help myself, fix this mental glitch and so, I filled my days the best way that I could and that was with my nieces. I began to see adventure in the every day. That going to the beach, the library or just walking around the block and watching for dogs could be just as epic and wonderful as the Northern Lights. That having tea with a friend could be just as engaging and meaningful as writing poetry, or taking photographs while on the road. My world began to expand and I no longer had blinders on. I woke up and saw life again. I fell in love with the simple things.
I left again for another adventure and it was hard to leave. I knew I would miss first birthdays, first steps and first words but, right now this is who I am. I am seeking balance in this life between the everyday adventure and the mega-dream Adventure. I am learning that staying still does not mean defeat, it does not mean ' settling' it means, that life can give you so much and you can experience so much from this life if only you know where to look for it, and how to reach out and grab it.
Delight in the Beauty that surrounds you. Be okay with the quiet and simple pauses in life because those are memories and stories too.
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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