American Road-Trip, Part 1: No Home is Safe!

Last week we returned from our month long trip to the US. Rather than write a play-by-play, I thought it would be more interesting to write individual stories or perspectives. This is about being a house-guest.

If I've ever visited your house, just know that I've redecorated it in my mind. The habit started during my baby-sitting days in college and pops up from time to time. Our recent trip was prime for it!

Take the residence of certain friends, for instance. Old friends we've stayed with twice during our extended trips abroad. The guest room is clean and simple, while the house is chock full of collectibles - Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, movie memorabilia, games... It's a big enough house that all I've really re-done in my head is the room where we've slept. Each time, it turns into a yoga room. I'd strip away the carpet, remove the closet door (to store yoga clothes and gear) and probably set up a meditation corner by the tall window.

Given the space I'd always want a yoga room. Another house we stayed in had a screened-in back porch... which would be (and was, for those few days) a good yoga space. It was big enough that in my mental refurbishment I could even keep some of the communal seating and just add storage and re-organize part of it for yoga. 

At that house, I also had ideas to "fix" the front porch.

They have a porch that runs the full length of the house, but do nothing with it! There's one lonely bench near the door, presumably for deliveries, and that's it. To be fair, I noticed the majority of houses in that region kept sparse front porches, with more activities focused out back. Now me, I like a front porch. I like to watch the world. A couple chairs, a table, maybe a potted plant or some flowering shrubs to accent the front edge. A wreath? Something to show personality. 

When I lived in that area, I didn't have a front porch, but hung wind chimes on my small side porch, and lined it with conchs and driftwood. It wasn't much but gave it a little personality.

Not that my house is perfect. I've been in this house four years and still can't settle on my favorite garden furnishings! 

Am I crazy? Do you ever do anything like that - think about how you would design a place differently?

What Day is it?

*looks at corner of laptop screen* June 1st. Okay, so that's...

*digs planner out of suitcase* ...Thursday. Fine.

We are traveling in the US for a few weeks. We arrived [*checks notes*] one week ago. It's 6:40 a.m. Central time, and I've been up for 3 hours because although we are traveling, we are keeping up with our online teaching as much as we can, so I had a class at 5:00. I'm always tired, and there's no telling if it's because of jet lag, or emotional fatigue from being Social. All. The. Time. - or if it's just the constantly rotating sleep schedule due to class times.

Tomorrow we leave Brett's hometown and head off to see my family. Or whatever portion of my family decides to show up. My family overthinks everything, and people are trying to set things in stone instead of just accepting my "I'll be there from this date until that one so come whenever you can." No. Someone must organize something. Which sounds great in theory, and worked quite well here in Brett's hometown, but my family likes to have every detail ironed out before committing to anything.

Apparently.

I'd never noticed this pattern before. Maybe it's because my oldest sister is no longer around to set things up in a simple way.

It'll be fine. 

It'll be whatever it is. 

We'll drive to my mom's town tomorrow. Maybe a brother will show up that night. The next day my sister will come down for the afternoon. Probably we'll go picnic at a winery. Probably my niece will come down that evening - maybe she'll even stay overnight! 

We have things to do in the city on Monday or Tuesday, and I've let it be known that we plan to leave on Tuesday or Wednesday. We've got people to see on the East Coast who actually want to make plans to get together. People who actually want to see me and are excited I'm back in the country!

I can't blame my family. I just saw them 3 years ago, and that was for my sister's funeral, so we really don't have a ton of positive recent memories. If I was my sibling, I'd probably prefer to stay home, too. That might be best: if everyone just decides to stay home. I really hope that everyone does what's on their heart, and doesn't push themselves to visit out of a sense of obligation.

So far, this first leg of the trip has been cool. I'm really looking forward to the final leg, out on the coast. The middle part will be fine. I'll be happy to see whoever I see.

Family can be weird.