We Are Home!

12 weeks and 13,000 miles since we had buzzed through Louisiana in July……..19 weeks total on the road since we left in May……..And we are now HOME!

Things look a little scraggly – and,  the grass REALLY needs cutting ! But, overall, the cabin and land did not fare too badly for the weeks of neglect. We promised ourselves not to get too overwhelmed by any ‘chores’ that need to be done, but to remember that we can work at it a bit at a time.

The orchard looks good….there, too, the grass needs cutting……and the trees pruned this winter. The orchard (and the garden) look to the future. They will be there,despite a bit of neglect, when we are ready to stay home and harvest their fruits.

The only things lost to the draught were expected….. the deer had eaten the hydrangeas down to nothing the last time we had left, and we expected them to be gone……and the azaleas that I had planted in front of the cabin were dead. It will take a summer of watering to get anything to grow there…..

Homecoming has mixed feelings…….It is so hard to give your heart so fully to two different things. The cabin is my heart and soul……it has been since we bought the land in 1978. It speaks of home, comfort, loved ones, and memories and my special ‘things’. I wrap it around me like a blanket.

The camper speaks of adventure……of the worlds out there that we have yet to explore…..those ‘end of the road’ places. New places and new experiences that draw us…..that excite us….that keep us from becoming complacent.

Our camper represents simplicity. Everything we need within reach…pared down to the basics. And with simplicity comes freedom. Life on the road is about doing just whatever you want to do…going where ever you want to go. Yes, there are a few regular ‘chores’ and the occasional repair, but mostly, life is simplified and free of the usual concerns and routines.

Our cabin life is rich with complexity and layers. We have beautiful things which bring beauty and comfort to our lives.   We have the room and appliances which make cooking a joy, and allows us to share that with others. And, we have family and community which enrich and bring meaning to our lives. But, all of this comes with responsibility……Things require upkeep and a house and land require maintenance, and a community requires participation…..

There is a tension….a push-pull……We are not only giving ourselves permission to feel that tension……without feeling like we have to choose…or betray….either love….but to embrace the feelings. Perhaps it is in this ‘tension’ that life is really lived…….