"Where are those people from? Where are they headed? Is this a layover or their destination? Do they travel much?"
I couldn't help but ask myself these questions while the airplanes soared above me and I conquered rush hour traffic. (Yep, time to put on my big girl pants and drive aggressively. It ain't no country drivin' out there!) Good thing I had my Starbucks carmel latté close at hand.
With my kids snoozing in the back and the music softly playing, I felt so happy. I love traveling. I love love love it. And even though I'm not getting on a plane anytime soon, I'm still on a journey. I may not be packing my bags, but I have places to go. I may not have a new stamp in my passport, but I have new friends and new experiences to stamp on my heart. Life is what you make it, after all.
As I drove home a smile crept across my face and I thought of all the fun things we did over the weekend. We packed so much in there that it actually felt like a whole week!
Staying in a hotel with my mom and the kids with IKEA in view from our window was pretty much the best vaca ever! *Minus the part where my husband was not there. I would much rather be with him every minute of my life, but I do enjoy me some girl time ;)* I ran like a headless chicken visiting friends all weekend driving this way and that. It was totally worth it and I needed it badly. Sometimes you need to just spend time with people who really know you. You hardly have to speak a word and they already understand you. One giggle, one sip of coffee, and you're already caught up. Those are the kinds of friends we all need. Even if you have to stop life for a while to get to them, it's worth it.
I can't thank my mom enough for making this weekend possible. She watched the kids while I met friends. But we also got some quality time together strolling through IKEA and taking the kids swimming. I appreciate my mom so much and feel so blessed when she loves on my kids. I wish we lived closer, but I think that makes us appreciate each other that much more ;)
I even got the chance to surprise some friends and just show up places I knew they would be. I love it! Seeing the confusion in their eyes for 1.7 seconds while their brain computes my presence - classic :)
I think one of the highlights of my weekend was seeing a friend whom I admire very much. I look up to her marriage, mothering, and ministry. It just confirmed what's been stirring my my heart lately to see her again. She reminds me why I do what I do. She is someone who really walks the talk. Always.
I'm not sure why Minneapolis is my favorite place in the world. Maybe because it's where I grew deeper spiritually in college. Maybe because it's where I met some of my best friends. Or possibly (and I'm pretty sure this is the biggest reason) because it's where I met the love of my life. Not sure. But nonetheless, I love that city. It has my heart. It's my city.
To me this city is similar to a keepsake you have tucked away in a closet or a drawer. It is a memory I like to pull out once in a while and treasure it. I'm not living in it anymore. But I enjoy reminiscing over the joy it once brought me. I may not be able to go there very often, but when I do it refreshes me and gives me inspiration. I love the city life, but yet I also love the country life. I love raising my children in a small town with nature all around us. I love watching the eagles soar over our backyard and the quiet river flowing in front. I love the ice cream shop on main street and the walking trail by the river. I don't have to live in the city to enjoy it. I just rack up my frequent driver miles whenever the travel bug hits. And then I come home and snuggle my little family by the fireplace and thank the Lord I have a beautiful place to call home. I have the best of both worlds. I really, really do.
I may not be on an airplane, but I'm on a different kind of journey.
IKEA from our window
Waiting for Nana to arrive. I needed help at this point, and the drawer did just fine.
Saying goodbye is never fun. Obviously from Sitora's face you can see she wasn't happy. Sitora just said when she saw this picture, "Ya, I was having a bad day that day." LOL!
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