Our family of three traveled the US for the last three months. I photo-journaled on Instagram if you’re curious. The trip embodied the spirit of Simply Enough and #experiencesnotstuff. In the coming months, I’ll write more about the places we visited.
That said, re-entry is hard. Returning on a Friday seemed perfect with the whole weekend ahead of us. It was still daylight at 7:00PM on a summer evening. But the excitement and anticipation I felt about coming home diminished quickly. The closer we drove to our house near Washington DC, the less excited I was to get there.
On the other hand, my son could hardly contain himself. He was over-the-moon to see his best friend and took off as soon as the car was parked. I looked around briefly, hugged my husband who brought us home safe and sound, and began unloading the car into the empty garage bay. I had no interest in going inside. It’s just a house and now more than ever, it’s filled with just stuff. After all, we lived, worked and homeschooled with approximately 20 square feet worth of stuff for three months.
Reluctantly stepping inside, I surveyed the house. That feeling of relief and “it’s good to be home” wasn’t quite the same. I still love our home, mostly though I love our neighborhood and neighbors. The house suits us but now it really feels too big.
During our trip, 25 different spaces gave us the feeling of home and I owned none of them. Slowly, we unpacked and sat outside reconnecting with the neighbors. It felt stifling inside. The loss of freedom sunk in. Reluctantly, we left a second neighbors’ house at 10pm and walked home. My best guys fell asleep fast and I listened to the silence. It was too quiet. It felt strange to be home.
As I had done so many nights before, I set my toiletry case on the bathroom counter and got ready for bed. Ignoring the drawer of supplies awaiting my return. I even put my flashlight on the nightstand because that’s how I navigate new places in the dark. I thought I might need it.
The next day my son and I got up early just like our usual morning routine. He dove into his toys and video games, while I struggled to recall the muscle memory to make coffee and find the trashcan. Who knew you could lose that so quickly? In the first 48 hours, my husband and I had at least 10 conversations about re-entry. We’ve said over and over again, “it feels weird.”
I thought we would combat the re-entry issue by following the sage advice of other long term travelers. We debriefed during our last week in the car. I recorded answers for all three of us about our favorite places, favorite restaurants, potential return trips, future trips etc. Somehow, this wasn’t enough.
Then, I talked to a friend who understood. She said that a trip like this really changes you. Even 20 years later, she still thinks about her experience. I loved talking to her and comparing stories about the National Parks and the journey. I felt normal again, or at least a little less weird. Perhaps that’s what happened to us? We’ve changed. So now what? Well, I think that the answer might be in one of our debrief questions. If we can adjust our focus a bit.
“What are you inspired to do more of upon our return?” Surprisingly, there was a lot of overlap in our answers so here’s the family list.
- #Findmypark – The National Parks have a campaign called #findmypark. I think I’ve found mine, it’s Zion or possibly Grand Tetons but all of us learned that we love hiking and want to do more of it! We might just find our park right here in Virginia.
- Learn more/Teach more – Homeschooling is a joy, most of the time. I enjoy it because on the road, we learned together everyday as a family. Now, we’re committed to reading more non-fiction, visiting more museums and infusing learning into future trips.
- Eliminate distractions – This is easy to do when you’re in a park with beautiful scenery and no cell service. At home, it requires discipline and diligence. I may need to re-read this post often but for now I’m really enjoying the disconnected WIFI.
- Tourist in our Town – Take advantage of living near DC and the Shenandoah Valley and all that it has to offer. Be a tourist one day per month in our own town. Watch Instagram for these pictures. #touristinourtown
- Cook more – My husband loves to recreate restaurant menu items but our son also said, cook more. He’s 11 and a foodie in the making who enjoys Food Network and going out to dinner. He asks for the Yelp rating and reviews too.
This list takes the best of travel and makes it a part of daily life. We don’t have to jump back in the car right away (even though I want to). Transition will probably take a few weeks but I believe it will lead to a new and improved day to day routine. This trip has changed us. I believe it changed us for the better because home now has roots and wings.
Welcome back – your trip looks amazing!!