trippin' part 8: heading back west

What we're gonna do is
Go West
Life is peaceful there
Go West
there in the open air
Go West
Where the skies are blue
Go West
This is what we're gonna do

- Pet Shop Boys

So I said goodbye to the water, and the green trees, and the east, and headed back home again, west into the sunset (more or less). I was happy at least to have a window seat where I happily occupied myself taking pictures of every new landscape. You ready for this?


(These are the Appalachian Mountains)

(this is somewhere over Nebraska)

I was nervous about going home. Partly because I knew I would have to dive right into the school routine that I was nowhere near ready for. Partly because I knew I would miss the East Coast again - oh soo much. And partly because there was an expectation of sorts that this trip would be refreshing and rejuvenating for me - and I was afraid that the time would never be enough to fill me completely. I wondered if I could ever feel like I'd had enough. If I could be renewed and return feeling relaxed and restored. Was it even possible?? Ever??

(first views of the Rocky Mountains)


(crossing over the Wasatch Front)

During the flight, we were seated next to a nice woman - aged, ohh, somewhere between 20-40 - and she asked if we were married. When we said yes, she told us we made a "very handsome couple."

That made me smile to myself pretty much the whole rest of the flight. Sometimes it's nice to be complimented by a complete stranger. It really is.


(clouds)

(Hey I can see my house from here! Well, not really. But if we'd been seated on the other side of the plane, we might have been able to see our neighborhood)

Anyway - I think I really do feel better having taken this trip. Somehow the combination of being somewhere I really wanted to be, spending time alone contemplating and meditating, some time alone with Zac, so much quiet (it was so quiet!!!), visiting special places - including some nostalgic therapeutic time, a dose of confidence in managing all alone, all of it combined together really did something for me. Something I really really needed.

I don't know how often I would need to do something like this to keep recharging my batteries. How can you ever really know? And I don't know if I will ever really have the chance again - not in the same place, in the same way, at least.

But I am just so glad I did this time. I can't even express it all adequately.

Thank you, a hundred million thank you's, to everyone who made this possible for me in so many ways.

(sunset while landing over the marshes of the Great Salt Lake)

I feel ready to be home.

oh and one very last quote:

“Three things tell a man: his eyes, his friends and his favorite quotes.” (hehe) ;)
- Quotes Daddy

(Thanks for reading:))