home away from home ~

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thank you sweet little trailer~


It's so easy for me to forget how wonderful it is to hit the road. There is something that happens to my busy mind once we are all packed, and the last car door slams shut. This sh*t is happening! I think to myself. We're doing it! We have covered all our bases (kids taken care of, time off for my guy, house is in order...) yep, we are making this little vacation HAPPEN!

At first we might talk a bit. Or listen to the music we brought along. But then we fall into that really cool place where we become quiet and start absorbing our surroundings. Actually, this is where I'm at, I have no idea what my guy might be thinking about, and that's okay. I mean, it's okay when I'm feeling fine in my own head, but every now and then I'll start to feel lonely, I guess, so I'll ask him what he's thinking about. He never seems irritated though, and he takes a moment to sort of gather his thoughts, and then shares where he'd gone off to.  

I soon notice the beat-down homes along the old highway, and the prettier homes further up on the hill. I feel the late summer sun as it darts through the trees and lands on my arm. I rest my right hand over the cool ac air as it blasts out into the car. My hand feels activated today and my right shoulder and back are sore, but otherwise, I feel amazing.

We were only away for two nights. We stayed at a beautiful vintage travel trailer park I stumbled across back in 2011 or 12. The trailer park sits squarely between tall fir trees, surrounding a beautiful lodge built back in 1892. Inside the lodge an old turntable plays 1960's jazz. The fireplace is going, and there is an upright in the corner that I will awkwardly attempt to play before we leave. Everything looks exactly the same as when we were last here. We take our bags to the trailer, and realize we can hear the ocean from our bed. Heaven.

Not a lot happens around here, well, at least not when I'm in town. There are a few spots to eat, but if you want healthier food, the lodge sells an amazing selection of packaged natural foods to cook in your own trailer. It's as if I'm in my mom's old pantry whenever I visit, finding the food she would've kept on hand always feels so comforting. We spend our time napping, walking, writing, taking a sauna, and then walking a little more. I change back and forth between my pj's and my sweatpants. Sometimes I just wear my pj pants and an old shirt when I visit the lodge. Everyone else does, it's just that kind of place. 

shadow us

Even two days can feel important. Walking along the beach manages to restore me like nothing else. It's quiet here, well, except for the wild wind. No one is rushing around. There are no traffic jams or honking horns. When people walk down the main street, they're just walking ~ not listening to music with their earbuds in or talking to someone on their phone. It feels as though time skipped over this community. 

Packing up to come home is always a little sad. Out here I have zero responsibilities like I do back home. Out here I can do whatever I want with my day. But after a few days away from my real life, I find that I really miss my kids. I miss my home. I even miss my routine a bit. So we pack up the car, slam the doors shut, and start on our way back. And just like that, we hit the road again. I'm so looking forward to being back home.













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