weary traveler
We love this time of year, right? It’s our season for vacations, road trips, and escaping the norm of everyday living and the toil of work. It allows us to set aside the “have to’s” for purposefully taking moments that refresh us and build us up. We share photos of smiling kids wading in the water at the beach and mountain hikes with our families. We get to purposefully choose how we experience each day.
For us, we’ve traveled over 2700 miles in 13 days. And the last time we slept in our house was five weeks ago. We’ve been in seven states spending time with five different families and some of our own! We’ve split our time between work and recreation, but we do love road trips. Have you ever heard Willie Nelson sing On the Road Again?
On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Everytime we are on the road I think of this song. My husband, Bryce, & I love to explore, see new things, and create new memories. But right now, I am sitting in an old familiar place - the mountains of Virginia - and I’m grateful to be here. It is the last stop before home.
Jody And The Mountain
As fun as it is, the road makes us weary and ready for home. Ready to be with the people we love in the places we know. Finding peace and comfort in the familiar. My little back porch escape on the mountains in Virginia with trees, rocks and wildlife as my only neighbors exhilarates me. It brings me closer to some of the things I love. And gives me time and space to reflect.
Through our travels this time around I’ve seen and decided a few things:
Kids will always love puddles. And sometimes pronounce them poddles.
Parents should always have your back. And you should want to be with them.
After 62 years, my parents still love spending time together. And that’s really cool.
And finally, home should always be welcoming no matter how long you’ve been gone.
During this season of balancing work and play, I hope your life has been less busy and more calm than ours. But, if not and you’re weary, grab that chance to sit alone, reflect, and glean some truths anyway.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody