There is excitement to go away, to explore a new place, to sink into the daily nothingness that comes with time away, but it is always nice to come home. And we did just that on Saturday.
Reece and I packed up the car, and said good bye to the ocean early Saturday morning, 2am to be exact, and drove all the way home, pulling into our driveway at 10pm. The drive was uneventful compared to our drive down, but it was long. We listened to Heidi on audio, Reece kept himself busy with stickers and drawing, and a little finger knitting, and I just kept my eye on the road, feeding us snacks and checking the map every once in a while. Reece has never been one to sleep in the car, and this trip was no different. He was awake in the car, chattering away, until about 2pm, when he dozed off for two hours, and while he slept, I soaked up a little bit of quiet as I drove. The final stretch of the drive, once we cross the border, always seems so long. It has that "you are close, but still so far away" feeling, and for me, is the hardest part of the drive. But there was a sweet reward waiting...home.
Pulling into our driveway, watching as Shelby, our dog, ran, with tail wagging to greet us was wonderful. Walking into our home, and seeing Justin, well, there are no words. We had the most wonderful time away, but coming home is so darn sweet!
We spent Sunday getting unpacked and organized, and catching up. Reece shared every detail of our trip with Justin while they played, and I caught up on laundry, did a little meal planning for the week ahead, and just settled back into being home.
And now, a new week begins. I hope, for all of you, it is a week filled with good things.
So glad you had such a lovely time away. I too, love the feeling of getting home after a holiday, no matter how wonderful the holiday was. I hope you have a lovely week too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Leisa, it really was lovely, but like you said, the coming home is so wonderful.
Deletewhow :) what a trip... your pictures of Myrtle beach are all very beautiful, as I looked back to see you whole adventure. Beautiful, as I could imagine and see Reece growing in real time ... Hope you have 'welcome home'....
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra, it was a great trip, and as always, sharing it with Reece is amazing!
DeleteWow, how did you keep driving for that long? I would have fallen asleep at the wheel. There is something special about returning home after being away isn't there. Enjoy your week, settling back into your comfy familiar rhythms.
ReplyDeleteWe stopped at the rest stops for bathroom breaks, fresh air and a quick run around. And I did stop for about 20 minutes at 6am to grab a little shut eye. Reece listened to Heidi while I slept :)
DeleteThank you, we are pretty much settled back in at home, and it feels like spring here today. All is good.
Good to hear that you are back safe and sound! I am impressed by your driving, I can not make myself drive more than three hours in a row, then I feel sleepy and have to take a break or which is mostly the case, let my husband drive. We often take the car from Vienna in Austria to our family in Stockholm, Sweden, which takes approx. 24 hours from door to door bit luckily we have the ferryboats in between where we can rest an hour or so. There is also a car-night-train from here to nothern Germany where you put the car on the train and sleep yourself thru Europe and when you wake up it is "only" twelve hours to go:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Karin-Ida. It wasn't too bad, the early morning was the toughest, but once the sun came out all was good.
DeleteSounds like you have some great ways to travel over there :)
I love exploring new places and travelling, but there is nothing sweeter than coming back home! I can't believe you drove all that way without stopping! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWell, we stopped for bathroom breaks, and fresh air at the rest stops, and of course to get gas. Around 6am my eyes were quite heavy, so I pulled over and shut my eyes for 20 minutes while Reece listened to Heidi. After that I was good for the rest of the day. Cups of tea help too :)
Deletemy goodness, you drove all that way in one day???? Wow! I find when we cross the border (usually buffalo) it takes forever and a day to arrive in London....I don't know why that is.
ReplyDeleteWe did! And I have to say my little man was pretty darn awesome :)
DeleteGlad to hear you are home safe and sound. You are amazing to drive that long stretch by yourself Kim. Enjoy being home , I bet you were both sorely missed by hubby and Shelby! Xo
ReplyDeleteThank you Camilla. We are enjoying being home. Shelby keeps following me around, she is like my shadow since we arrived home :)
DeleteOh, I'm very happy that you made it home safe an that the trip back was so much smoother. I always feel like you about that last little stretch after the border. It always seems so much longer. I hope you have a wonderful week. xo
ReplyDeleteThank you Yanic.
DeleteWelcome home, and I am so glad you made it back safely. That was a long drive and I am impressed you stayed awake during those two hours of quiet. When I am travelling with just me and the kids, I find it difficult to stay awake when they are sleeping. I always wish I had someone to talk to me! Glad you are back safely.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Those two hours of quiet were wonderful...a little time to listen to some music and a little time to think.
DeleteLike everyone else, I'm amazed you made that drive by yourself in one day!
ReplyDeleteOur trip from Virginia to Ohio last year took me two days there and back.
I know what you mean about the home stretch....it's the longest part of the drive home.
Glad you enjoyed yourself on vacation. I've enjoyed seeing your beach pictures. Relax and enjoy home!
Thanks Darcel, it really wasn't that bad, as long as I have tea, and snacks I am good. We are enjoying home, and it seems spring has found us too, which is wonderful!
DeleteThere is nothing like the feel of coming home. Glad you made it safely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Taryn!
DeleteThat's quite a view to come home to - I don't think I've seen a picture of your place from the road before.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that the return trip was 'uneventful'!
Loved your gardening post over on Camilia's blog.
Awe, thanks. I don't think I have ever shared one before. It was so nice to see home on Saturday night :)
DeleteThank you, glad you enjoyed the post over there. It should be a fun series.
I love to go away for a bit but I always love coming home! I can't believe you left in the middle of the night and didn't get back until 10AM. That must have been exhausting. I hope you take some time for yourself to catch up on your rest.
ReplyDeleteIt was a little exhausting, but we made it, and are feeling pretty darn good today, even with the time change thrown in.
DeleteYes, taking time to rest, moving through our days slowly for this week and just soaking up the goodness of being home.
Welcome home, dear friend! So glad that you two had such a lovely time away and are happy to hear that your trip back was smooth sailing! Enjoy being home and the sweetness of the memories from a lovely time away! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks Shel! We will! xo
DeleteI'm glad you made it home safe and sound Kim. I hope your time here was everything you wanted it to be and now you are ready for spring to arrive and get your hands back in the dirt! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Tracey. I just came in from outside, where I had my hands in the dirt :) I shoveled out the cold frame and the tunnels...getting them ready to seed. It felt so good to feel the dirt in my hands and watch it slide through my fingers.
DeleteWelcome home :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great traveller on your hands - bring on the adventure eh?
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good trip, and an uneventful drive home. I agree about the border, it always seems to be backed up the day you want to come back.
Welcome back to the start of melting season.
Yes, I feel pretty lucky about that. This is the third year we have done the drive south together, and each year it gets better. I have a long list of adventures for us, once he gets a little older...can you say drive across Canada :)
DeleteActually the border was fine, we were the only ones there, it was the long drive from your neck of the woods (we crossed at Gananoque) to home. That stretch of the 401 is so dark at that time of the night, and it seems to go on forever.
Yes, on the melting. I shoveled out the cold frame today, and within an hour all the ice had melted away. Hoping to get some seeds in there next week :)
Glad the drive home went so well! I hear you about the end of a long drive...it's so hard--especially as it gets late (I'm ready to stop driving by 8pm--ha!) :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! The end is always the hardest :)
DeleteYour mother-son adventure has been inspiring to follow - I look forward to many adventures with my three kiddos once school lets out and we are free for the summer and then the journey into homeschooling next year! Thanks for the inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. It is one of the many advantages to homeschooling...being able to pick up and go when we want to. I think you will enjoy that part of it, and so much more.
Deleteyou are one amazing momma !!! I could never have done that drive on my own... Have a great week xoxo
ReplyDeleteAwe, thanks. It really wasn't that bad, long, but we knew we were heading home, and that makes it so worth the drive. Thanks, hope you have a great week away. xo
DeleteWelcome home! Such a lovely trip. And I know what you mean. My heart is here at home no matter where we go. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Alexa! Yes, totally agree :)
DeleteOh I am glad it was less eventful than the way down!! It is always nice to be home, even though I bet it was wonderful to feel a little warmth after weeks and weeks of freezing cold.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Yes, it was wonderful to be down south, without the snow, and to have the beach and ocean right out the door. I wouldn't trade that time away for anything, but always so good to come home.
DeleteWelcome home! It's unmatched, the feeling of coming home. And necessary I find, to let home life rest for a while so we can remember why it is so important, even when we have "home" fever.
ReplyDeleteThank you my friend. Yes, I couldn't agree more :)
DeleteOh, my goodness, 2 a.m. to 10 p.m., that's a long drive, especially with a kid! I can just hear mine--are we there yet? when will we be there? how many more minutes? So glad you made it home safe and sound and sane!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is, but it wasn't too bad. Reece is pretty good in the car, as long as I have enough for him to do and eat, and stop every once in a while so he can run around for a few minutes. I won't lie, he did ask a few times how much longer, but not enough to bug me, mostly because I was asking myself the same question :)
DeleteThanks Andrea!
Very glad everything went well on your way back home.
ReplyDeleteOh home. .. sweet home :)
Have a wonderful week!
Lluisa xoxo
Thank you. It feels so good to be home :)
Deletexo
So glad you guys had such a nice time and that you are home safe and sound! I was touched by the postcard I received the other day. One day I will return back to my birth place and visit. Until then it was lovely getting a photo of it and sweet words from you! Xoxo!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Summer. So happy to hear the postcard arrived, I have been holding onto your address since the gnomes made their way here, and thought this was the perfect time to send you a little note. I had no idea when I sent the postcard that Myrtle Beach was your home town, so that was kind of cool to find out :)
Deletexo
What a lovely picture. There is nothing like the comfort of home. We have done so many drives from home to family for visits and the last part of our drive home always seems like the longest but pulling into the drive is always a moment of peace. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathleen, I love seeing our home from the road whenever we arrive home, from either a long trip or just a day out :)
DeleteThanks, hope you are having a great week too!
Welcome back ! :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad the drive back was much better than the one out. And yes, home! I always get that feeling, for the green fields and openess, just for our own bricks and mortar, and by no means least for our own bed!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally. And yes, to my own bed, that felt so very good on the first night home :)
DeleteGlad you and Reece are home safe. What a long drive I envy you I'm always sleeping when all the driving is going on wish I could drive like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth. It as a long drive, but manageable if you are prepared. I am happy I can drive as I can, it opens up so much possibility in our life :)
Deletei'm so glad you got a chance to get away :) and then to return home with spring upon you! that is the way to do it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny! Yes, returning to spring is a bonus of going away this time of year :)
Deletehappy homecoming!!! Oh your home looks just so lovely, Kim.
ReplyDeleteWe head to the SC beach in a couple weeks to camp at Hunting Island State Park again~ of course, it's just about a 5 hour drive for us. maybe one of these years we can provide you with a little stopover here in Western NC ;)
Thanks Amanda! Enjoy your time there, I remember when you went last time, it looks like a lovely spot.
DeleteActually, it was on my mind this year. I looked up your little cottage and was thinking about renting it out for a few nights, to explore Ashville, maybe visit with you, and just take in the beauty of all you share on your blog. In the end it didn't work out, but, yes, one of these years I will make it happen :)