Back to the Real World

We got home from our spring break trip at 7 pm last night, so re-entry into the real world was tough this morning!  We drove over 2700 miles, through 8 states, to Louisiana and back, camping in our pop-up camper along the way.  We had a great time, both in rural Cajun country and in our beloved New Orleans.  We ate way too much - the food in Louisiana is so amazing! - and enjoyed camping along the way.  I'll post pictures soon (hopefully) - this week is already shaping up to be a hectic one.

As usual, I felt much better while on vacation than I normally do at home.  I've had various theories over the years - the time in the car keeps me off my feet, not having to do "maintenance" activities like laundry and grocery shopping leaves me more energy for fun, etc. - but I think the most significant factor is simply stress and having too much on my mind.  At home, I'm in constant mental motion, even if I can't manage much physically.  There's just so much to do all the time!  Keeping up with all our schedules, planning meals, running errands, paying bills, picking up kids, picking up clutter...not to mention actual work.  On the road, everything is planned already.  I can just relax and not think for awhile. 

We all really love our road trips together.  We listen to music and audio books, try to find good lunch stops, take naps...well, except for Ken who has to drive!  We love exploring new places and returning to old favorites.  I even managed a LOT of walking in the French Quarter - hours of strolling the Quarter, after struggling to just manage a walk around the block at home recently!  There was a little payback the next day but not much considering the amount of activity.

I did notice, though, that after a few nights of staying in hotels in the city, we all got a bit cranky.  The kids were bickering; Ken and I were bickering.  When we started camping again, everyone seemed to relax.  Maybe we were just overtired from all that walking, but I think camping outdoors brings a degree of serenity.  There's no noise (well, except for the guy snoring at full volume in the next tent on our last night!), no tv, no outside distractions.  It's just the four of us in our little home on wheels.  We have simple meals, sit around a campfire in the evening, and read together before bed.  I certainly sleep a lot better in the camper than in any hotel room.

So, it was a wonderful trip, but now it's back to reality - a week filled with appointments, soccer practice, and schedules.  We have mountains of dirty laundry (the downside of camping), very little food in the house, and I have 400 unread e-mails to get through!  In addition, my mom is coming in to visit tomorrow and staying until Thursday.  I've been looking forward to her visit for a long time - she's coming to my neighborhood book group with me - but the week is packed full of commitments.  Also, within 15 minutes of arriving home, my allergy symptoms went through the roof.  Good old Delaware - home sweet home ( I never had allergies until we moved here when I was 25).

On the bright side, only 2 more months until our summer road trip!

(P.S. If you'd like to read about Louisiana and experience vicariously some of what we did, I highly recommend two wonderful books I recently read and reviewed:  a memoir called Gumbo Tales: Finding My Way at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen that I carried with us on the trip, referred to often, and read passages out loud to my family and a warm and wonderful novel set in both rural Louisiana and New Orleans, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (who has Lyme disease) that is especially good on audio.  I recently lent this one to my mom, and she kept calling me to talk about it and cry (though it is very uplifting, despite the tears!).