A Year About

Blogging a bit about our transition back into the “real” world seemed like a good idea — maybe not so much for you, the reader, but for us, the transitioneers. We’ve been home for three weeks now. Boy. What an adjustment. I did some temporary appraising work for my old firm, but now I have to start looking for an actual job. Appraising is a bit slow right now to go it alone full-time. I’m hoping to do appraisals for a couple of clients and go back to an IT job with a salary and an office and a commute and spreadsheets and memos and maybe even PowerPoint. I’ve been talking with a friend about his company, which seems to respect family and doesn’t have the culture pervading many tech firms. That is, it doesn’t equate long hours with productivity, but may actually (could it be?) equate actual results with productivity. That’d be keen.

We are also looking for a house, although, admittedly, that’s hard to do when you don’t have any income. We are working hard to stay in Falls Church and within the boundaries of Beech Tree Elementary. The house we sold practically backed up to the school and Danine went there when she was a kid. We went to the welcome picnic and met the principal (we’re impressed). Elise is gearing up for school — literally: the amount of gear required has greatly increased since I was in third grade. The supply list specifically indicates that students may not have wheeled packs. This implies that such packs may be necessary due to the mass of learning accoutrements the students will be lugging. Don’t worry, though, I believe that students may attend free pilates classes to build up the necessary core body strength to handle the load without permanent injury or hampered growth.

The trailer is still for sale. We moved it out to Stephens City, VA (near Winchester) to the home of our friends John and Kelley. They have a lovely home on three acres with an apple orchard across the street and mountains in the distance. I got to drive the Airstream between trees and through the front yard to its parking spot beside the house. We’ll miss it, but at least the trailer has a really great view.

All of these things keep us busy, but not the hiking, exploring, learning kind of busy we have gotten used to. It has been good reconnecting with our community of friends and family since we’ve been back. We even took a vacation already! To the beach with Danine’s family. It was pleasant, as always. I think we are both looking forward to going over the blog and living vicariously through our past selves. We want to convert it into some albums for us and, heck, maybe distill some of it into an article.

After 11 months, over 27,000 miles, more than $7,000 in gas, $300 in quarters for laundry, and 35-odd National Park sites (and junior ranger badges) we are at rest in Falls Church, Virginia once again. We lingered an hour and a half past check-out at Big Meadows on Wednesday, but we finally had to leave. Gosh, we sure saw a lotta stuff this year.

Naturally, people want to know what we liked the best, or the least. We can give answers for that, but I really enjoyed the whole thing as a Whole Thing. It was a journey, come what may. I’d love to do it again and make changes based on what I now know, but I don’t regret any of it. We are incredibly lucky to have even left on this year about, had safe travels for so long, and returned home welcomed and supported by our friends and families near and far.

Having spent a few days back in the asphalt jungle of Washington, we are surprised at how little has changed and how it seems as if we haven’t been gone long at all. Already the trip is moving out of the present moment and into memory. That’s kind of a shame.

We are planning our working lives again, registering Elise for school, and looking at houses to buy. Just one, actually — and it’ll have to be cheap since we’ve got less money and mortgages are harder to get now. These transitional times can be tricky, but we have managed them before and aren’t too worried.

One thing I’ve found since being back: I am reluctant to take up the stressed out, impatient, impersonal approach to life that is prevalent in the Washington area. Here, if you aren’t doing something you are wasting time. Look busy! Maximize efficiency! Leverage synergies (or something)! Frankly, I’ll just be here in the right lane, taking my time. I prefer it. The trick is to consciously oppose these attitudes, to say hello to the grumps anyway and let them cut in line instead of arguing about it. I feel that if I return to the typical behaviors in this area, I’ll have wasted some of the valuable experience I gained on this trip.

We didn’t receive any big revelations, nor did we undergo any stunning transformations. I know that we have changed, the three of us, in our relationships with each other and with the world around us. I believe the changes are complex, but overall good. I’m glad for what we’ve seen, for the context it provides for our lives, for perspective.