This is Really Happening

 In one week we leave our home and will not return for two and a half months.  This blows my mind!  We have been preparing for this trip in all seriousness for the last 2 years and "ready" is a loaded word.

I am definitely "ready" with all the equipment, plans for my job (well almost), and how our home/pets will be taken care of while we are away.  I am "ready" with all the plans that can be made. But mentally and physically "ready"?  Let's just say I'm still working on that, and I know I will continue to through out the trip.  

The question, "are you ready?" in my mind is really a misnomer.  Because part of this trip is dealing with the unexpected.  We don't know what exactly we will contend with out on the road and we can't plan every day how we will feel, the opportunities we will have, people we will meet along the way, and how we will react to these new situations.  As a planner this makes me anxious, but I keep reminding myself that is part of beauty of being present.  Exploring what can be instead of only doing what is planned.

I have this constant struggle between what I need to do and what is right in front of me.  I often get caught only thinking about what I need to prepare for (work, meals, upcoming events, deadlines) that I don't spend enough time in the here and now (being present with my kids/husband, enjoying my surroundings, seeing all the blessing I have currently).  My goal for this trip is to stay in the here and now.  To enjoy each day for what it brings.  Enjoy the ups and downs of the road and the moments spent with my boys, my husband, and our friends.  I don't really care about our mileage or my muscle mass or how many more miles we need to go to get home, I care about the character building experiences of struggling to get over a mountain, seeing beauty even when every muscle in my body hurts, and the relationships I have with god, my husband, my kids and my friends.

As Graham and Laker get older, I know time with them will be harder to come by.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to get away from phones and computers and television; work; and household obligations; and just focus on each other.

We are so thankful to be going on this adventure with friends that we can be ourselves with, who push us to do better, and have the same family values.  

So, I guess this is really happening.  "Ready" in as many ways as possible and open to what will come.  In one week we head out and start our trip to Maine.  

Ready or Not, Here we Come!

Megan



Comments

  1. UnknownMay 24, 2021 at 8:44 AM

    What a great adventure! Looking forward to hearing all about it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElizabethMay 25, 2021 at 6:31 AM

    Yep! This is what I want out of bike trips too.

    The summer I rode across the country with Mike I learned a life-long lesson that everything ALWAYS works out. Now that I'm an adult with kids, my paranoid mind can think of a couple of things that don't actually work out for everyone. But, really, in general, everything is going to work out. When you are truly in dire straights, 'things working out' usually involves strangers - and that's a great perspective to have, especially as our country appears more and more divided.

    ReplyDelete

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