Time for a lighter and/or shorter post.

We did our best to balance the physical risk of venturing into the world over Memorial Day weekend with the mental gain of a change in scenery. I actually took two days off of work with no real agenda and after homeschool “let out” on Friday, we headed to Cowan’s Gap State Park.

The weekend began terribly…

The three hour trip itself was great as COVID-19 has done wonders for traffic. We dropped off the cat at my mother-in-law’s and ate Chick-Fil-A. However, the first thing we noticed upon arrival was that for a state park, it was rather cramped. State parks offer the best nature-ammenity balance for us, but though our site wasn’t the best it certainly wasn’t the worst. Moving on! As we popped up the camper I noticed the unmistakeable smell of mold. I know the camper was dry when I put it away last September, but somehow moisture had gotten inside. Maybe it was during the five months it was at the dealer completing eight labor hours of work. Deep breaths. We’ll get some bleach. Moving on! Electrical connection, check. No sewage and clean bathhouses, check. Where is that water connection? Doh!

The rest of the weekend was amazing.

We hiked. We fished. We sat by the fire. We sat by the lake. We ate outside. We visited a grist mill older than our country. I got to cook using cast iron and sticks. In the end we reconnected as a family through the peace that is found in nature.

What did I learn?

1. I’ve done well establishing a more intentional routine at home, but did not consider how to carry this with me when away. Intention can’t take a vacation or you’ll slide back into well worn ruts and throw yourself a pity party. Self-care is a choice you make ever day.
2. Each day is a opportunity to start fresh. I’m not great at getting over myself before bed, but you can decide how to start the day. Being more approachable Saturday morning allowed Deb to ask me, “Why didn’t you just say you were having a bad day and needed a moment to yourself?” Duh.
3. Teenangers can survive 72-hours without wifi or cellular service. Barely.