The Journey Home

This was originally posted on November 8, 2017.

This past week I had a staycation. I had many things planned for this awesome time, however, as many of us know things planned don’t seem to always work out, especially when you’ve tried to fill it with 50 things and you really just need rest! It was an awesome time though spent at home cleaning, simplifying, taking care of my daughter, and baking and cooking new things. So I wanted to write a top ten list of what I learned staying at home for a week and why a staycation is an awesome thing to plan.

10– My staycation scratched my itch to be a stay at home wife and mother. (I still would like to be at home more, but solely staying at home, homesteading, homeschooling… granted I only gave it a week, I may could do it a month, but PROPS to you mothers who do it! It was truly a humbling and rewarding experience.)

9– My husband’s words: “They have worked years to perfect the box cake mix!” (I can bake a heck of a good cake, cupcakes and brownies with box cake mix- adding some extra “homemade” goodies to it. My attempt at baking sugar cookies from literally scratch was literally an all day event. I have to take into account I took my 3 year old with me to the grocery store early that morning, which took WAY longer than I hoped and let her help me mix, roll out and cookie cut the dough, so yeah it was a process AND it was SO MUCH FUN! However, it did take a long time when I can do a box mix in no time and boom, there’s a cake! I’m sure my daughter and I will perfect this process as well over time :).)

8– Decluttering my child’s room was SO SO rewarding. (I decluttered my daughter’s room and donated her slightly used baby toys and clothes that were too small and organized her current wardrobe and my goodness, it’s so nice that she doesn’t have an overflowing of clothes she never wears or has the chance to wear. I’ve actually been able to minimize her wardrobe and toy collection and crazy thing… she plays with most all of her toys now! Her imagination kicked into hyperdrive! She was so excited and I got a lot of thank-you hugs!)

7– Cleaning and decluttering my kitchen made me not scared of it anymore! (No more intimidation with too many devices, utensils, plates, cups, and pots and pans! Wow, what simplifying your kitchen can do and all of the donations to our local Corner of Hope Furniture and Home Bank twill help many less fortunate in our community to have resources to cook with now. Needless to say, my husband did all the cooking… now, I’m happy and eager to do it too!)

6– Oh how I missed Dateline and Investigation Discovery! (I love some good who done its and I accomplished cleaning, folding laundry, and replenishing my investigative soul all together. We don’t watch these shows obviously with our 3 year old, so being able to engage in something other than Disney Jr, Nick Jr, Barbie *everything*, and fairy shows was a nice escape for a bit.)

5– Exercising in the morning or during the day is so much more rewarding than trying to plan it at night. (It was so nice to be able to exercise when I wanted and not plan around dinner, night time schedule, before bed, etc because usually I just give up trying to plan it and my body really reacts well to exercise.)

4– Lunch with friends is so wonderful. (I usually eat lunch in my office or on the run, especially working in the hospital. I get asked to lunch often and have the freedom to do that, but I usually shy away from such time because I feel I need to be ready for whatever may come. Next time I will go and then let what happens, happen. I can be there if I’m needed or it can usually wait until after lunch. It’s good for the soul to make time for lunch with friends, or just a lunch BREAK in general.)

3– Reevaluating priorities is so important. (Being that I tend to be a workaholic and spend two hours or more of my day in a car driving to and from work, every bit of time I get with my family I have realized is so precious. Reevaluating where I can cut time and understanding what’s most important was good for me having a week off. Also, being at the hospital 11 years now… is it really what I want to continue to do? Looking at other options isn’t a bad thing and it doesn’t mean I am leaving where I am, it’s just good to explore other avenues and possibilities. Maybe more school or other certifications may be helpful… I just need to finally finish my BCC which has been in the works 7 years now… …)

2– Books are so awesome and dangit, Hallmark, you’ve sucked me in so soon for Christmas!! I thought I had more will power! (I forgot how wonderful reading books can be. To escape into another world through reading a book is a powerful experience and very satisfying- if it’s a good book! I can’t get enough now of reading and making time to! When my child was very little it was hard to carve out time because the time I wasn’t up with her I wanted to sleep or I had to work. Thankful to get back to reading, a past time I loved.)

1– Spending time with my daughter continues to be the brightest spot in my day, everyday! I am so thankful to have most of a full week with her and naps on mommy in the chair are still my favorite forever and always. I love my family and never want to take my time with any of them for granted as I know I have.

Yay for staycations!! I will not wait another almost four years for another one! I don’t need my insides screaming at me again to take a week or any time off, especially when it involves spending time with my family.