One Week Later

Re-entry is tough. No more breakfasts of amazing breads, hard boiled eggs, fresh veggies, tuna salad and incredible yogurt laid out for us each morning. No more daily adventures with unimaginably beautiful scenery. No more guilt-free runs to the local bakery. No more late nights just hanging out together.

Don’t get me wrong. Returning home hasn’t been all bad – I am thrilled to be back in the land of 2-ply toilet paper. I am excited about the water pressure in our shower. I am pleased to be able to talk with our family on the phone. I am not even bothered by the seven loads of laundry we brought home with us

But I need to find some way to preserve the feelings we had on vacation. To continue the sense of adventure and possibilities. During the trip our daughter kept asking, “Is this really happening or is it a dream?” I know exactly what she meant. There is no slot in our regular lives into which we can fit this experience. It makes it seem totally unreal!

But it was very real! We have baggies of ash we collected while on top of a glacier. We have rocks we snaggled while inside a volcano. We have the horseshoe our daughter was given after our afternoon exploring from the backs of Icelandic ponies. And we have pictures; approximately 1500 pictures. Looking through them now makes my world go on hold as I am transported back; transfixed by the amazing beauty we encountered. Now we just have to edit them down so we can share them with friends in a tolerable and enjoyable way!