West to East and everything in between

No need to state the obvious here since I've seen most of my blog reading friends, but I'll do it anyway.....I made it back in one piece... no wild eyed truck drivers wielding axes, criminally insane carjackings or the likewise. My four day adventure was actually wonderful! I had prepared myself for what I thought was going to be torture akin someone playing the song "I'm too sexy" for 40 hours but much to my surprise, I was completely wrong. Without someone in the car I actually saw the trip instead of talking my way through it. Let me explain- This is my fourth cross country drive in less then 2 years (crazy huh?) but my other trips I had been happily content in conversation to not pay much attention to the world outside the car. This time, with plenty on my mind and no cell reception, I actually "saw" the trip. It was beautiful! I was completely, utterly blessed by time, space and solitude to process things that need processing when your life is lived without time, space or solitude. (of course I say this with all due respect for my road trip partners Laura and Jamie and it goes without saying that I wouldn't have changed those trips for the world). By the time I hit Ohio though I was ready to be done. The dogs were of course the best road tripping dogs ever. Well- except the day Sid fell into a creek used as a run off for farm waste and was black up to his belly with..... we'll call it "sludge" and I had to hose him off out side of a gas station. I'm amazed at their ability to sleep 24hours a day! I pulled in Wednesday evening to a house filled with balloons and streamers provided by Laura C and Kim R, unloaded, grabbed some sushi (yum-yum) and went to laura's to watch American Idol with her and Kim.

I took this week off to get settled and do somethings to the house. I have busily unpacking, cleaning, gardening, painting, and getting some plumbing done in the bathroom, not to mention running errands with Lori Randolph, or going to the Teeter home for coffee. It feels good to sit- not on my butt, but on the idea of being here. I would be lying if I said that transitioning east or west was easy. Of course, I am me on both coasts, but life looks so different. When I am here I am not with my family. There is no one coming or going, no random bumping into to people, no other presence in the house with whom I can choose to talk to or not talk to, no one to peak their head around the corner when I walk in and say "Hi beth." That is hard. In turn when I am there I am with my family, always with my family, there isn't much chance of not seeing anyone when you have three sisters, one in the next room and two who live in close proximity. There is always someone there, there is always someone asking me questions when I first wake up (I am NOT a morning person), there is little peace and a whole lot less privacy. The first time I came back I had an extremely hard time adjusting to what I call "empty house" syndrome. Whether it was my unreal expectations or having become accustomed to the constant family contact, I felt lost and had forgotten what living alone felt or looked like. Please don't get me wrong- I love my life! I know that I am blessed with amazing opportunities to pursue the dreams that God as placed in me. I also understand that my way of life right now, moving to and fro, does have its consequences, and that adjusting and readjusting is one of them.

All that said, this week has been such a sweet, sweet time of reconnecting, making new friends, getting settled and yes, feeling at home.