I went to New York City this week for a couple days to attend a writing conference. The content was useful and the conversations meaningful. I got to spend a night in a suite at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park and I was asked for directions several times, as if I looked like I belonged in my favorite city.
But you know what?
None of it compared to coming home to a 24 foot travel trailer in Nashville, Tennessee.
Before this trip, this complete change in how we live, I lived for the next adventure. I couldn’t wait to hop on a plane and head off to a new place. Now I’m eager to explore and still love the thrill of traveling, but every trip I take without Jared and the kids is always missing something.
People ask me often what’s in store for us at the end of this year of traveling around the United States, and I always reply that I don’t know. I don’t know if we’ll settle in one of the cities we’ve fallen in love with or if we’ll follow the open road across borders and oceans. What I do know for certain, however, is that I will not go back to a life where the four of us are background characters in each other’s lives.
There is no adventure without them.
They were my homecoming and my happiness this week.
What was yours?
Have you considered visiting Tulsa, OK? It’s a very nice place to raise a family and surprisingly sophisticated. Bonus points for being located close to the Pioneer Women and Garth & Trisha.
It’s not on the map, but I could totally be persuaded to change my mind.
Wow. That sentence about being background characters in each others lives hit me like a ton of bricks. Thank you, Britt. You are wise beyond your years.
Only because I’ve been playing grown up for an unusually long time.
So glad y’all got to enjoy the great town of Nashville for a bit!
Me, too. Wish it had been longer.
This one is the best blog yet!
I wish you had a blog or something so I could keep up with YOUR adventures!
My daughter and I are headed to Nashville in two weeks. We’ve never been. I think we need some of those glasses with the guitars.
Happiness last week – family dinners. Happiness this week… tonight we are all shopping for Halloween costumes. Hubby suggested we all be different color M&M’s and I suggested Teletubbies – it didn’t go over well with our teens. Tonight should be interesting in a fun way.
I would love to come back sometime with just my husband to hit the Honky Tonks! We didn’t really get much time for exploring while we were here, but I can tell it’s a great place to visit.
Love this. So much.
Thank you.
Are you trying to make me cry??
Just beautiful. So happy to read and watch as your family grows closer together and shares dreams. Inspiring stuff. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
It’s amazing how much spending time together brings us closer together. I swear we used to have a limit for how long we could go before we needed “space”.
Right on. And Jared looks like a natural. He could be writing country music lyrics while you write your book.
It’s the shirt!!
How lovely.
Thanks, Megan.
Lovely post! I agree with you completely. My husband, 3 young children and I are a tight-knit clan. Coincidentally, when I was younger I traveled often with my grandparents (my de facto parents) on their road trips with their Airstream trailer (aka the Silver Tortoise). Some of my favorites: sunsets at Mallory Square in Key West, the pony swim at Chincoteague, VA, and exploring DC for the first time. Blessings to you and your family as you continue your adventures – on and off the road!
We lived in Florida for four years and have STILL never been to Key West. It’s definitely on my husband’s Life List.
Great post! Love the happiness in the pictures and the part about not being background characters in each other’s lives.
Thanks – I’m glad I’m still getting blog worthy photos with my broken camera!!
I love this. Your statement about not being background characters in each others’ lives is so poignant. How often is that true within our families? We are only involved because we live under the same roof, but little more than that. Life is best lived when our family consists of an ensemble cast.
Picking pumpkins, playing in the yard, and enjoying the waning midwestern autumn days with my family were my brightest points of happiness this week.
It was, I’m convinced, the thing that led to my almost-divorce.
Glad you got to enjoy the outdoors this week!
It is difficult to type at the moment because I have tears rolling down my face.
“… I will not go back to a life where the four of us are background characters in each other’s lives.
There is no adventure without them.
They were my homecoming and my happiness…”
Wow. I have been feeling that way about our little family of three for sometime now — I just didn’t know what I was feeling until I read your words. Thank you for inspiring me to do something about it before we lose sight of the most important thing in the world —- each other.
Oh it is so good to hear that someone else is inspired to stay connected to their loved ones. I’m admittedly nervous about how we’ll maintain this when our trip is done.
so different from your posts of a couple of years ago. it will be interesting to see what you write in another couple of years.
I know. It’s really kind of embarrassing.
I love “background characters in each other’s lives.” I mean, I love the way you phrased it… not the idea of living that way.
I knew what you meant.
Two things:
1. It was, and remains the very very bright silver lining to fibromyalgia and losing my job and going on disability
2. Charleston, SC. Magic city. Beaches. History. Excellent medical care. Seafood. Cheaper than Florida.
you brought tears to my eyes. absolutely love this:
What I do know for certain, however, is that I will not go back to a life where the four of us are background characters in each other’s lives. There is no adventure without them.