On the Road, Heading Home

Traveling can be a time of great contemplation and endless metaphors. Throw in some old and beloved songs coming from the radio with the required amount of mood-static and hey, you can be a grand philosopher.

Yes, we're wrapping up a week-long family vacation and on the road heading home. Packing up to head home is different from packing to go on vacation. The excitement and anticipation are replaced by a restful outlook and desire to be home. You know the saying...'there's no place like home.' In our case I'm anxious to see our other kids/grandkids, play with my dog, get back to our schooling, etc. I know climbing in my bed will be comforting, as well.

Our vacation was pretty low-key; just the way I like it. I enjoyed things on vacation that are, frankly, dreaded at home; simple things like going to the grocery store, doing a load or two of laundry (no dirty clothes after vacation, yay!!!!), deciding where to eat, where to shop, go to the pool or ocean, nap or read. I don't remember a cup of hot tea tasting quite as good or being quite as soothing at home.

But...

Lest ye think I am anti-home... I am not. Home. The word itself conjures up so many thoughts, feeings, images. Ideally these will be of the warm and fuzzy type. Home is, after all...home.

So, once we make the transition in our minds from 'time for vacation' to 'time to go home,' then the heart goes on ahead and we just want to be there. Little bits of excitement at regular intervals...seeing a city in your state listed on a mileage sign...crossing into your home state (and obligatory stop at the Welcome Center), seeing your city on the milesage sign, your exit from the highway, etc... Before you know it you're turning into your drive and...ahhh...home at last.

(My post was interrupted by the untimely death of my laptop battery... Fast forward a few hours.)

...ahhh...home at last. That's where I am now. We arrived home a few hours ago and just finished a pizza dinner. Unpacking will have to wait until tomorrow. It's time to relax and enjoy being home. "Here, Trudy-Dog..."

It's good to be home.