For Christmas, we met my parents at a campground in central Florida. They booked a cabin, and our spot was just down the road from them. It was a quiet, relaxing, and very enjoyable week, and when it came time to say our goodbyes, I really struggled.
It had been 5 months since we had seen them, so our visit was long overdue. We of course were overjoyed to spend the holiday with them and delight in the magic of Christmas with a toddler, but Will and I were able to accomplish so much with childcare help. We even snuck in a date!
Compounding our goodbyes was an overarching feeling that our adventure as we have known it thus far is changing. From that campground, we were making our way north to Will’s next camp hosting gig in Georgia where we will be for 3 months. Our month at Snow Canyon was our longest stay anywhere to date, and knowing we were going to be stationary for 3 whole months was both daunting and a huge relief.
A huge part of my struggle as we said goodbye was that it was the ending of an era and the beginning of so much more. Change, even when it is exciting and positively anticipated, is hard.
Our year ahead is already looking so much different than 2021, and I am curious where the road will take us. We have more knowns of where we will be and what we will be doing, but even that comes with unknowns as we head into areas we are unfamiliar with and new jobs, roles, and responsibilities.
Goodbyes are tough and get harder and harder the more Bird understands. I just hope that we have more hellos with those we love in the coming year to lessen the heartbreaks of the see you laters.
Nurturing Adventure 