Reality started to set in this week for Elizabeth and I about the adventure we are about to set out on. Are we prepared, is everything planned right, is every left at home ok, the list goes on and on. The past 11 days we have had a great chance to see our family and to say goodbye before we leave. I find these last several days both exciting, emotional, and worrisome at the same time. We live over 8-hour drive from our families and generally only see them once a year. Usually, when we leave we say bye, see you next time and it is over. Though we will be back in 10 months from our trip, seeing family sooner than usual, the goodbyes have been more emotional. These goodbyes call for multiple hugs and several reminders to be safe. I am not sure if they are the worried, were worried…, though I know the goodbyes are definitely different.
We had a great time in Michigan. We got to do one of my family’s traditions of spending 4th of July in Harrison, Mi. It is a little town in the gateway to the north, where my family owns several small 1950’s hunting cabins. Most of my 4th of July’s growing up were spent sleeping in a tent outside of the cabin we call the “little red cabin”. This year, Elizabeth and I still played the old days by sleeping in a tent, however, the cabin does have several modern amenities now than it did when I was growing up, such as running water and an inside bathroom. Even with the modern amenities it still feels rustic and gives the impression of escaping the modern rush.
My favorite part of the cabin is visiting the family. The cool thing is, the last couple times we have made it to the cabin both my family and Elizabeth’s family have shown. I love watching my kids running around, getting dirty, with their cousins same as I did over 30 years ago. Not only do I get to remember my childhood, I also see my kids enjoying what I loved about 4th of July in my childhood. Anyways, let get back to the goodbyes and the trip.
The cabin gave a great opportunity to see most of our family before we headed out on our big adventure. We spent five days hanging out around the camp fire, canoeing, and just catching up with family. It was nice until people started leaving, when the goodbyes started. The goodbyes lasted for a couple days before everyone one was gone. This was the awkward goodbyes, which often seemed more like saying goodbye forever instead of, see you in 10 months. Once the goodbyes were done, we were the only one left at the cabin. I got to slept in the cabin! As a kid, I never thought I would get to sleep in the cabin.
During our last night in the cabin, we had 7 days before we left and it started to set in. We started our daily (every chance we get) routine of going over what we still had to do before we left. We listed people we wanted to see, subscriptions to cancel, reservation to make, and all the little things you do before a trip times 20! One thing that keeps hanging in my mind is for next 10 months it will be just my family. There is no escaping to work, school, friends, or anything else, it is just us. The next 10 months everything is as a family, the challenges as a family, tired as a family, everything as a family for the next 10 months.
Now, six of the seven days are gone and tomorrow we head to my parents, who are going to drive us to the airport. It is just a trip, but I think we are all pretty emotional about it. We all have different little worries before we set off such as the cats at the house for Brooklyn, logistics and world events for me, Elizabeth has a range worries, Kaleigh…she is just excited. What ever I think, we are ready. So, here we come World!
