Brett
We've been home for a week and have experienced a torrent of emotions. Going back into the "real world" of work and responsibility has been a lot harder than we expected. In some ways two months doesn't seem that long and it other ways it does. When I think back to the last time we were able to get away for 2 months it would have been summer break in highschool. Thats a long time ago. When you start working a 9-5 and going through the daily grind, time seems to start to speed up. Its easy to get stuck in ruts, get comfortable, get complacent. To get trapped in it. Two months of seeing the country has been like stepping outside of a the glass globe that is our lives and seeing it from the outside, knowing we'd have to go back in. Something we completely avoided thinking about pretty much the entire trip and which hit us like a brick wall.
The first few days back I was pretty inconsolably depressed. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake the sadness. However, as the week has worn on I've remembered how extremely fortunate we are. Not just to have been able to travel like this, but also in our lives at home. We came back with a list of places we definitely know we want to revisit and spend more time in as well as some places we might even want to move to some day. Maybe more than anything this trip has shown us what's really important to us. What we really need(soap, nature) and what we can live without(TV). I hope to spend much less time in front of the TV going numb and much more time out there creating new things and experiencing the amazing world around us.
Steph
I went and got the pups and returned home on Saturday. To say I was excited to see them is and understatement. I was beyond thrilled with emotions when I picked them up. The first week home was tough, even for the pups. The thought of just selling everything and traveling sounded really enticing. There were times where it felt like we were gone forever and then times when it felt like we had just left.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to go on such an awesome journey, with such an awesome person. This trip has made Brett and I stronger in our relationship. We really work well together as a team. I learned a lot about myself on this trip and as cliche as it sounds, I am my own worst enemy. I sometimes let fear keep me from doing certain things. That is something that I will continue to work on and be aware of going forward. Also, nature is powerful and can really soothe your soul if get out there and let it. This country is beautiful and there is so much to see and do. I am challenging myself to spend more time exploring, learning and enjoying the simple things in life. I realize that I don't need a lot of "stuff" to be happy. Heck, I basically wore the same thing the whole trip. What I do need is to make the most with the time I have and be open to new opportunities, big or small.
