A Few Final Thoughts....

After 23 hours of travel, we finally made it home. I spent the first several hours reuniting with Gordie and Will….which even included a three hour trip to Dave and Busters. True story. Even though Will didn’t get to stay in a Palace, I figured he should probably get some wishes granted too. I managed to stay awake long enough to settle my two week long craving for a pizza from Victory Tap and a Vodka Soda. Think I may have been asleep by 6:00pm.

I’m now writing this at 3:30am because I am WIDE awake - as expected - and I have spent some time reflecting on this 17-day journey with my Dad and PJ. I’ve already talked a lot about what this experience has meant to me in previous posts - but at the risk of repeating myself - I feel like there’s just a few more things to say before I give you all a much needed break from me.

Those who know me know that I’m an “open book” for the most part. I’m always happy to share my life experiences with the people who I love and care about. I also like to know what the people who I love and care about are experiencing in their lives.

At the same time - I also try to be really careful that I don’t overshare in a way that feels like too much. Or too “braggy”…because that’s also very much not who I am….or at least try really hard not to be. I may not always be successful in this, but I try.

I have enough self-awareness to know that there are probably people wondering why we did this blog in the first place. Why we thought people cared enough about our trip to read about it every day. Maybe some who may have been put off by the constant posting and pictures on Social Media.

In fact, an older gentleman traveling by himself on this trip (and one that I didn’t get to know very well) had asked me why I was always on my computer. He wanted to know why I was “always working”. Why I wasn’t just “enjoying what was in front of me”. I shared with him that we had created a website and were blogging about our trip for our friends and family back home. I told him I did it for our trip to Africa two years ago - really only as a way of keeping our family informed that we were still alive. To memorialize the trip for my Dad and I. Told him people seemed to really enjoy it so we decided to do it again. He asked me if I thought people might think it was “overkill”. He made the point that people travel all the time and don’t create websites about it. He’s got a point, I suppose.

But - here’s the honest truth: this website, these blogs and these pictures really aren’t about anything other than memorializing this trip for my Dad, PJ and I so that we will be able to remember this journey forever. It’s really not about anything other than that. Never has been.

It was only ever about sharing our stories with our family and friends who have chosen to follow us along on our journey and know that we were safe.

It was only ever about my Dad being able to look back at this website as often as he wants to so that he can remember this trip forever. The people and the places. The memories.

It was only ever about PJ having a place where he will be constantly reminded of how brave he was on this trip. How he learned about the world. How he experienced some of the most special moments he will ever have in his life. How he was able to have this special time with Poppy. Cherished moments that he will have forever. Maybe even something he will be able to show his own kids some day.

For me, it was only ever about creating this for them. But it also became another really important way for me to sit at the end of the day and reflect. Often times - on trips like this - you’re so busy going from place to place, taking pictures, listening to the tour guides and recovering at the end of the day that there’s not a lot of time left for reflection. That’s what this created for me. Time at the end of the day to reflect. To remember. To memorialize it in a way that mattered.

I am grateful for everyone who has made the choice to follow this blog and send encouraging and thoughtful notes. I am grateful for everyone who understands our journey - not only for it’s experiences and pictures - but also for what they know it represents for us.

I am grateful for the people in my life - in our lives - who have been such an incredible support. Who checked in on us along the way with texts and emails. For those who had William for sleepovers, hangs, outings to Navy Pier and hoops games. For those who checked in on Gordie to make sure he was okay and to send a gentle reminder of dress down days and late starts.

Most especially - to Gordie for holding down the fort back home. Reflection on this trip also includes what I am grateful for “back home”. I know I have a gift in him that I probably don’t even deserve…but he is my rock and the love of my life and I am grateful every day for Butch McGuires (where we met…but they also have fantastic Bloody Mary’s). I love him more than he will ever know…and I will try every day to show him that…which will probably start with me promising to never go on another 17 day trip again without him.

And with that - I’ll wrap up this little blog of ours. Maybe try to get some more sleep. Probably take a little social media break for awhile. Just enjoy the Holidays with the family. Maybe think about going back to work soon. But this trip will be in my memory forever…

Thanks for following our journey.

Namaste.