With a good night’s sleep in my own bed and several loads of laundry behind me, I feel like I can take some time to ponder on our many experiences of the past two weeks. We saw some more of the wonders that this world has to offer. And for this little group of desert dwellers, some of it was truly awe inspiring. We had some good family time with all six of us, something that has become less frequent as my kids have started to grow up and move out and which I subsequently treasure all the more. We laughed, cried (yes, there were some tearful moments involving my 11-year-old because dealing with the ramifications of food allergies is hard), joked, ate far more than we should have, and had a truly remarkable time. This is a vacation that will long be remembered.
Inventory of assets acquired over the past two weeks:
-About a gallon of bug guts splattered across the front of the car
-Two rock chips in the windshield of my nearly new car
-An assortment of t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies featuring the stops we’ve made (One person we talked to commented that Malia was “wearing the trip”)
-A variety of huckleberry flavored delights
-A boatload, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say a carload, of wonderful memories
-Many hours of quality family time filled with the joy that comes from being together and actually liking each other (My kids have mostly gotten to the point where they are friends and despite being jam packed together for two weeks, they are still all friends now that we are home!)
Abbreviated compendium of lessons learned:
-Sometimes a spectacular view outweighs the inconvenience of sharing one small bedroom with all your siblings. Everyone agrees that their favorite abode was the condo in Seaview.
-We have gained a healthy respect for the impact that seasonal allergies have in our family in an environment that produces more than just sagebrush.
-Humidity wreaks havoc on wavy hair. Malia pretty much stopped trying to make her hair smooth because it was determined to frizz. However, the extra moisture also made it look super lustrous and healthy. That tells me she needs to seriously rock the conditioner now that we are home. Nathan’s normally tame locks have taken on a super fantastic natural wave that makes him look like a member of a boy band or Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine depending on the day. He’s just rolling with it. Even my hair was rather unruly, refusing to become smooth like it normally is despite determined brushing. Like Malia, I gave up trying and went with an “I combed it this morning and that’s good enough” attitude.
-While humidity’s effects on hair received mixed reviews, dry skin looooooves humidity. I didn’t need to lotion my hands the entire time we were near the water despite using cheap public restroom soap the entire time. Within a couple of hours of leaving the coast, I was already reaching for the hand cream.
-We complain about gas prices around here, but honestly, it’s not that bad. The $3.69 price tags around here are far better than the $5.69 we saw in the northwest.
-Toblerone comes in white chocolate. And both white and regular chocolate versions are safe for Malia. We both enjoyed that discovery.
-Seeing animals in zoos and aquariums is great but seeing them in the wild is amazing. We saw a variety of animals in their natural habitats-sea lions, assorted seabirds, vultures, pelicans, elk, bald eagles, baby salmon, and even some desert lizards as we made our way home. (The caveat to this lesson, of course, is if you find yourself in danger of being mauled by a bear, chomped on by a shark, etc. There was a sign posted in the Hoh Rain Forest visitors’ center warning folks to stay away from the elk because two visitors had gotten too close and were charged by said offended elk.)
-Baggage with wheels is definitely the way to go. We stayed in six different locations over the course of our travels and those who had wheeled ¬¬bags had a much easier time of it. Those of us without had a heavier load to haul. Seriously, I think I’m asking for luggage for Christmas.
-Sometimes all you need is a $1 glider and a stiff breeze to fill a day with delight. Even as an adult the simple things can bring joy. I need to remember that. And seriously, if you ever find yourself in Astoria, take time to visit the Column! It was a favorite for all of us.
-Family time can’t be replaced by anything else. And hopefully there will be board games in the eternities because we laugh an awful lot over Pig Pile and It Came to Pass. 😜
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