one freaking great week

One freaking great week
The last week was a great one, one packed full of old friends, family and lots of special moments. I went home for a little over a week to be at one of my college roommate’s weddings, she finally marred her guy after 9 years. There was a while there I did not think I would be able to go home, I know I’m a volunteer and it seems like I should just be able to have all the time off I want, but I made a commitment and don’t want to leave the school in a lurch. It is hard to make the change from ship to home to ship again, I have not had too much trouble before but this time it was hard. It was hard to say goodbye to my parents and think about all the things I am going to miss about home. It makes it clear to me that I am ready to be home. That maybe I am ready to not be a nomadic teacher. My heart is in Portland with my family and friends and that is where I want to be also. I will finish my time here and do it happily and with purpose for all my time here has taught be but still be very excited to get home.

The last week passed not in a blur as I feared but as a restful time spent with people that I missed. I am thankful that time slowed down and I was able to spend time doing what I wanted and needed without feeling to rushed.

I got in last Friday night after about 36 hours of flying, the now to common land rover, ferry, bus, plane, plane, plane and I am home! It is long and exhausting and trying on my patience (which I don’t have a lot of to start) but totally worth it, with out a doubt. I had been worried about the time at home. How it would go with friends, considering the distance between us things can be strange. I was worried about how fast the time would go. I was worried about getting overwhelmed at home with all I wanted to do. I am so glad to say that all the things I worried about were for nothing. Everything went great.

I got in on Friday and my parents picked me up, after a quick stop at the house for the dogs (Padfoot remembered me!) and a coffee we drove down to the beach. Robby and Misty where already at the house waiting, it was great to see them and grab dinner and catch up. My sleep schedule was/is all messed up but its ok, it was beautiful at the beach, cold but sunny. Even though it was before Thanksgiving we decorated the beach for Christmas, which I appreciated the chance to do. Perfect weather for fires and Christmas movies and even I am a little bit embarrassed to say, the new Twilight movie with mom. If you have not seen it don’t worry, it is as bad as you think it would be.

It was great to just be at the beach and not need to go anywhere or do anything, I updated my computer, used all the bandwidth I wanted and downloaded to my hearts content. On Sunday morning I took a bike ride to my favorite little coffee shop. It was cold, but it was sunny and silent and there were bunnies out. Cannon Beach has bunnies that are “ wild” and are just in peoples yard so its always fun to see them. The ride was so nice, to be on my own, on an empty street in the sun even though it was cold. To get a nice coffee and ride down to the beach and just be glad to be home, to be at an overlook to see how stinking beautiful it is, I needed that. Sunday we drove back into town and I went over to my friend Shannon’s house. Shannon is the friend whose wedding it was, it was great to hang out there and with our other friend Erin and just catch up. It is not easy being so far away from friends, we had all lived together for at least two years at school and it has been really difficult for me when I am away to be good at keeping in contact, so it was just great to hang out and catch up. Choosing to leave home is always a strange thing, it allows you to experience great things but you also miss a lot. I know that when I came home the first time after living in London I would get sad when friends talked about hanging out with each other without me, but life at home does not stop, we are just not a part of it. So it was hard for me to see and hear so much about the pre-wedding stuff that I missed, I know it was a choice I made by coming back for a second year, but it is still hard.

The beginning of the week passed with shopping trips and pumpkin spice lattes when they could be found, having lunch with friends and having fun being able to drive. I was able to spend time with my parents and catch up on everything that had been going on. I was able to meet Robby at a coffee shop that sells the coffee I love from the beach. It amazes me how much we change. Robby and I were not close growing up we were siblings we fought, a lot! But now its great we can talk and be honest and ask hard questions and be blunt about opinions. I love it and am so thankful that the relationship has changed into that as we have gotten older and dare I say more mature? I was also able to meet up with my friend Sarah for lunch, it was great to hang out with her and just talk. I love that it does not really feel like time has passed with friends. It is a gift, yes we may not know every detail about each others lives like we used to but it does not mean we don’t understand each other.

I had a nice treat of getting my nails done before the wedding with the bride and her sister and momma and a gromes-women. It was nice to be able t partake in some of the pre-wedding stuff and again just hang out. My momma and I spent Wednesday afternoon hanging out watching love actually and white Christmas and making pies, that is what Thanksgiving is all about. We did some more wedding stuff, and damn did those CD’s look good Erin! Den and Tessa got in late on Wednesday night so we stayed up and chated with them.

Thanksgiving was fantastic, loots of cooking the parade in the background and a never ending supply of coffee and mimosas! We had family over but it was still small numbers and it was nice. It was relaxed and fun. I love my family in all their strange ways of talking about things tat maybe should not be talked about or the way we play games which seem to get louder as more empty wine bottles appear on the counter.

Dennis and Tessa or probably really Tessa had organized that we take family photos on Friday. She is a brave women to suggest that to my family two days before the fact. It was a little bit of a hassle trying to work out what to wear and all that. It ended up being a beautiful day at the park and it was really fun despite the photographers multiple remarks about me being single. Like “ Do you want some of just you when I am done with the couples?” Umm… Hell no! Or “It looks unbalanced with the couples and then you.” Yes thanks I know. At least we were able to laugh at it and the balls it took to ask. Friday night was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. It was so great to see the place and have an idea of what it was going to be like. As well as see so many people from college. It was fantastic.

On Saturday my family and I went to breakfast for my favorite, cinnamon roll French toast. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. Then the wedding festivities started. We ladies got there around 11, the wedding was at 5:30 but that is how long it takes. Its ok we brought supplies like music and food and champagne so we were ok. It was great to be together and get ready. Everything was beautiful and it was a great wedding. There were lots of laughs and nice moments and the entire thing was great. At one point I forgot that the next morning I had to be at the airport at 6 am to fly back to the ship. I was disappointed when a friend pointed that out to me, that was when I knew I was ready to be home. I will not be done here until June, that is when the school year is over. I do plan on making a stop or two on my way home to see people but I will be home this summer and I cant wait.

The ship as I was going by on the ferry.

The beach was amazing!

Early morning walk on the beach with my momma.

Padfoot!

Yes it is fake, but it is still a Christmas tree.

Early morning bike ride including bunnies, coffee and a peaceful beach.

Snow in the pass.

There she is, it was great.

Padfoot the pilgrim.

Games definitly need wine.

Table all set and ready for the food.

Beautiful day for family photos.

I am so happy that there was still fall leaves on the trees and the ground, it was perfect.

College roomies! I love these girls!

PLU crew.

At breakfast on my last day.

Yes it is worth the photo, it is that good.

Shan and Haliey on Shan's wedding day!

Lovely ladies.

Whitney was a grooms-lady and we have known each other since 2nd grade.

Shan and I.

Shan and Kyle busting a move.

Some of the maids.

Kyle ready for the wedding night...

8 am time for four flights and 36 hours of travel, totally worth it.