Friday, May 19, 2006

Like a herd of turtles...


We're going away for 9 days. I have to say, I despise going away. I LOVE my home and don't ever want to leave. I WANT to love going away, but I just don't. My gardens are planted and the lilacs are in bloom... There is NO place more wonderful to sleep than my bed and the hammock whistles at me whenever I go out the back door... I've let the dandelions all blissfully bloom on my lawn (they bring up iron from deep in the soil and provide tunnels for earthworms) and the yellow has all turned to lovely round fluff balls that my friend's children call "wishers" (and now we do too). It is TOO lovely here to leave!
The worst part, is I get quite cranky whenever I have to pack up to leave. I feel overwhelmed and stressed and panicked and agitated. And I'm wondering why? I've been like this my entire adult life. And I want it to stop. I want to be that person who puts on loud music and sings and dances and feels SO much excitement about a new impending adventure! I want to LOVE going away and the necessary packing that goes along with it. I'm trying to remember when I first started to feel this way... Were my parents stressed when preparing for a trip? I truly don't remember. We travelled A LOT by car and I remember them planning the route, writing RIGHT ON THE MAP with a bright red pen... I remember drawing the line down the middle of the seats at the veeeeeeeeery back of the stationwagon, marking my territory separate from my sisters. I remember making potholders out of weird nylon stretchy things and learning to crochet and playing license plate games. I remember staying with weird relatives I didn't know and didn't want to know every single night... But I don't remember the stress.
Maybe it's just as easy as deciding that I'm going to be different and then slowly working towards that goal. Today I've been pretending to myself that I'm not overwhelmed, going on picnics to the creek and having teaparties with my children on this supposed to be nothing but packing and getting ready day. And it's sort of been working. Except that I still haven't STARTED getting ready to go!
Okay, so that's my plan then. I'm going to put on some groovy music and just pretend that this is the adventure of a lifetime... I'm going to forget that we're going to visit relatives who don't "get us" at all, who feel it's their duty to try to teach us how to live properly... and pretend we're off to the SEA. The wonderful magic of the ocean... Who knows, with global warming maybe the sea has drifted as far East as Alberta...
wish me luck! xoxo

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

i wish that was what my banks look like, but they're just clay dirt with some weeds. no, that's a stolen photo. beautiful, hey? maybe someday. he he
thanks for the wishes!
xo
m-s

Anonymous said...

I too was imagining that was a pic of your bank!! Wonderful hey!
ENJOY the adventure!! What excitement to deliver the quilt! Fun to be on the alberta farm again. Fun to hug your brothers! Remember you are a powerful woman!
xoM

Unknown said...

I can relate to the dread. My partner often observes that holidays away are not always a joy for me and I am caught looking forward to going home rather than going on holidays as much as I try to pretent.
Sometimes adventures happen when you least expect it even, in fact, especially with people who don't 'get you'. Stay open to fun and I'll be able to follow your example!

brent said...

i always think of the adventure. being on the journey is where we learn the most about ourselves and our world. besides when you return home after 9 days, you'll love home even more.