It’s been DAYS and days, but I’m only now disentangling myself from the whirlwind weekend that was. I had the apparent genius of leaving my camera’s card in the upload port and the battery in the charger on the wall—though I DID manage to take the actual camera, so I have no pictures to document what was a perfect little traveling Bean. But he was perfect. Easy in the car. Easy in the hotel. A perfect peach at the baby shower. And we had a wonderful, extroverted, full-tilt, blue-cake icing on our fingers, cherry soda drinking time, all in all.
It was weird to go back into the geography of our old life. We were struck by the immense amount of signage along the roads. The push to purchase. Also the population density. We’ve somehow grown accustomed to the acres and acres of space between houses where we’re living now, and the twisty-turning little roads going up to our old house felt narrow and claustrophobic, packed with so many houses.
Yes, like high school kids pulling off a slapstick prank, we did drive past our old house—and yes, we did press the automatic garage door opener programmed into our car and drove away. Did I just say we did that? Oh yeah, we’re actually ten year olds. All the rest of the day we kept imagining what the new owners must have been thinking as their garage door suddenly retracted mid-day.
Hours in the car, in the haphazard tumble of visiting and travel, and now that we’re back the week is already barging ahead. Picking slate tile for the upstairs bathroom. An interview on Monday with an outcome still at large. And yesterday, hanging out with a high school friend of mine today who I haven’t seen in ten years, who has been living in Thailand. Priceless to be able to slip back into friendship as though it had been mere days. Understanding tacit and clear. Laughter abundant. Reluctance at leaving.
May is turning out to be the month of conclusion: the house, my job, so much to be decided. I like this clear endpoint. Seeing it, the whole picture comes into focus. Perspective shifts. I’ve grown content and a wee bit giddy. The apple blossoms are rioting at our house for attention, competing with the dandelions suns thick as grass on our lawn. And in the woods, Bean and I found a fox hole with fresh dirt. I can’t wait to start a nature notebook. To press leaves, sketch tracks, paste small photographs of the changing geography of our home.
And look: they drywall mud is done!
