And so it ends, this epic three and a half month journey. Having arrived safely back in Seattle late on a Tuesday night (after a pit-stop for a quick lunch and margaritas with my friend in NYC), I've now had a few days to reflect on everything that I've seen and done, and to get over some of the jet lag! I'm not going to bore you with all that reflection here, but suffice it to say it's been a weird "homecoming".
Typically, returning home from a trip like this is pretty much a giant bummer. Sure it's nice to see family and friends again, and I always looked forward to some serious dog snuggle time when my two were still around. It's also undoubtedly one of the great joys of life to slip into your own familiar bed for the first time after months and months of questionable sleeping situations on the road. Beyond that, though, all it meant was a return to drudgery. Back to the grind. When I was in LA, the post-adventure blues were particularly profound, inducing an "I hate everything here" funk that could hang around for weeks. Further proof that that city was all wrong for me.
This time around it's been... well... different. For starters, I didn't have a "home" to come back to! Thankfully most of my old bed is still intact in my friend's spare room (minus the frame) so I did have the luxury of that first night back among my own pillows and blankets... and it was amazing. I have also already gotten in some serious "auntie time" with my soon-to-be 1-year-old nephew, who is so big, bright eyed, and happy! Additionally, I'm in Washington state...a corner of the world that I fell in love with upon arrival two years ago and which I still have a good deal of affection for. All of this (even the not having a home part) has gone a long way toward staving off the post-adventure blues. It's almost enough to make a girl want to stick around for a while...ALMOST...
As much as I sometimes wish I was the type of person who was content to carve out a place for myself in the world and stay put (wouldn't everything just be easier that way?)... that's just not my nature. I'm always plotting, always planning, always thinking of the places I've never been and wishing I was there. I'm a restless spirit and I can't see ever being content to stay in one place until I've spent some time really indulging my wanderlust. This trip wasn't ever intended to be a one-off like all of the others. It was a beginning; an introduction into a new way of life, and knowing that has made all the difference. I'm not returning home to the drudgery of a nine-to-five existence. I'm passing through on the way to another adventure. I have no home of my own here anymore. I have no job, no routine. I'm in familiar surroundings, but I'm looking at them through different eyes... the eyes of a traveler...
And so, to that end, I've begun plotting the next phase of my journey off-script. A cross-country drive is something that's been on my bucket list for quite a while now. I've got a wedding to be at in Boston in a few weeks, lots of friends and family scattered all over the states and a couple months before I head off to the Far East. I don't know how long it'll be before I come back stateside again, so what better time than now to really explore this big crazy country of mine and get in a few hellos and goodbyes along the way? And so my Farewell (for now) Tour of America kicks off in just a couple short weeks: Seattle to Boston and back again. Game on!
Typically, returning home from a trip like this is pretty much a giant bummer. Sure it's nice to see family and friends again, and I always looked forward to some serious dog snuggle time when my two were still around. It's also undoubtedly one of the great joys of life to slip into your own familiar bed for the first time after months and months of questionable sleeping situations on the road. Beyond that, though, all it meant was a return to drudgery. Back to the grind. When I was in LA, the post-adventure blues were particularly profound, inducing an "I hate everything here" funk that could hang around for weeks. Further proof that that city was all wrong for me.
This time around it's been... well... different. For starters, I didn't have a "home" to come back to! Thankfully most of my old bed is still intact in my friend's spare room (minus the frame) so I did have the luxury of that first night back among my own pillows and blankets... and it was amazing. I have also already gotten in some serious "auntie time" with my soon-to-be 1-year-old nephew, who is so big, bright eyed, and happy! Additionally, I'm in Washington state...a corner of the world that I fell in love with upon arrival two years ago and which I still have a good deal of affection for. All of this (even the not having a home part) has gone a long way toward staving off the post-adventure blues. It's almost enough to make a girl want to stick around for a while...ALMOST...
As much as I sometimes wish I was the type of person who was content to carve out a place for myself in the world and stay put (wouldn't everything just be easier that way?)... that's just not my nature. I'm always plotting, always planning, always thinking of the places I've never been and wishing I was there. I'm a restless spirit and I can't see ever being content to stay in one place until I've spent some time really indulging my wanderlust. This trip wasn't ever intended to be a one-off like all of the others. It was a beginning; an introduction into a new way of life, and knowing that has made all the difference. I'm not returning home to the drudgery of a nine-to-five existence. I'm passing through on the way to another adventure. I have no home of my own here anymore. I have no job, no routine. I'm in familiar surroundings, but I'm looking at them through different eyes... the eyes of a traveler...
And so, to that end, I've begun plotting the next phase of my journey off-script. A cross-country drive is something that's been on my bucket list for quite a while now. I've got a wedding to be at in Boston in a few weeks, lots of friends and family scattered all over the states and a couple months before I head off to the Far East. I don't know how long it'll be before I come back stateside again, so what better time than now to really explore this big crazy country of mine and get in a few hellos and goodbyes along the way? And so my Farewell (for now) Tour of America kicks off in just a couple short weeks: Seattle to Boston and back again. Game on!
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