...So That You Can Come Back

Terry Pratchett says this is why you go away, so that you can come back, and I am back. Since I last wrote on the last day of August, another month has nearly come and gone, and I have been home for 10 of those September days. It will actually be good to be home for the next month.


People always make a big deal of my travels, in the kindest sort of way, but it makes me feel self-conscious. I always insist that it's not really exciting travel. I go to work at the STITCHES shows and never see anything beyond the windows of the same hotels I stay in every year. I go to Utah and see my kids. Occasionally I go to Arizona and see my family of origin. Last year's trip to New Zealand was the first real adventure I've been on in years. Even going to Denver this summer was work, with only one brief afternoon of exploring. So, sometimes, when friends gush about my so called glamorous and exciting travel life, it does feel a little strange.

I'm definitely home more of the days in a year than I am gone (I've counted), but when I'm home, catching up on laundry and working in front of my computer, there's not much to Instagram or blog about. Thus, some express a perception that I'm living some sort of enviable life, because those are the pictures they see (which knocks the lid off whole other kettle of fish about what social media is and is not good for, but I'll let you think about that on your own.)

But really and truly, from the bottom of my heart, I proclaim most earnestly that today was an eventful and exciting day for me, filled with things to remind me of what's good: I woke up early and worked on photos at my computer, then cleaned my house and worked on laundry. At 11, I picked up Corinne's twins from preschool and brought them over here to play with my toys for a few minutes before they went home to have lunch and a nap. Felicity came over for a very brief visit and it was SO good to see her. I went to my fun little book group for the last hour and we talked about a book I read months ago but still haven't blogged about because I'm about 10 books behind on that score. After that, I came home and worked hard on my current UFO (knitterspeak for UnFinished Object) to get it done inside the week. I set a goal to finish 50 dormant projects before I turn 50, so that's about one per week and so far, I'm on goal (Yes, I'm certain I'll be able to find 50 projects lying around my house).

I got a new phone, so I spent a couple of hours getting that set up, then Ashley came to visit so I could tell her happy birthday and buy her cheese pupusas from the food truck. After that, I knitted some more, then Eric and I went to Target to get supplies to send to Evan in the MTC.

The point is that today was a good day filled with productivity, friends, and a feeling that I got one or two important things accomplished. You'd never guess I am an introvert, right? That's because the people I saw already live inside my heart, so it wasn't any kind of a stretch to hang out with them. As for the day, it was ordinary, but not boring. I'm tired and ready to go to bed.

This is my life.

I'm grateful to be back, and I will write about the big things, but I'll probably back-date them so they don't mess up the feed with anachronisms and you can find them on  your own if you like. I've been doing that with the rest of the New Zealand trip.

Mr. Pratchett continues about coming back:

 "...So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” 

That rings true for me. Even though I always come back, I hope it will be with new eyes each time.