Oddly, getting into the rhythm of life at home has been more challenging than it was getting into life on the road with two horses.  A lot of prep went into the trip and day one I just fell into execution mode.  It was shocking how things went to plan.  But there was no plan for resuming life at home and that life has really taken me by surprise.  I left this house and it had three adult children in it.  There was constant noise and activity.  It was messy but fun.  I came back and both my girls were gone. Frank was feverishly packing and then gone within a few days.  Kurt and I passed in the DC airport as I got off my Alaska flight from Portland and he got on it to go back to Oregon.  It’s pretty much been me and the dog.  I’m not complaining.  It’s been super peaceful, but what a drastic de-escalation.  I feel a bit untethered.

So, a couple of observations from up here in the atmosphere where the untethered float.

It’s not supposed to rain every day in the summer.  Climate change is real and while the West is burning; Maryland has turned into a hornet-infested jungle.  I’ve spent about 20 hours weeding my garden.  I had to mow the lawn twice in two days to get through it.  And, I can’t even begin to mow my pasture because it won’t stop raining long enough for the knee-high weeds to dry.

The west has beautiful vistas and great adventure opportunities, but this my friends is horse country.  I went out and hopped on Izzy, the horse we left behind.  We cantered along the edges of the soy fields without a worry about rocks or hock-deep sand or cacti or prairie dog holes.

I can leave work for three weeks and come back and pick up pretty much where I left off.  Nothing exploded or imploded.  No one tried to take my job.  Folks who’d been baby-sitting my projects were happy to give them back.  People didn’t criticize me for doing it the trip; they praised me for pursuing my passion.

Taking care of horses on the road and riding under some crazy conditions is challenging work but it’s not aerobic exercise.  I got on my Peloton bike and did a class that would have been a snap before I left.  IT KICKED MY ASS.  I have never worked so hard on a vacation just to end up out of shape!

I miss my horses but man do I love my dog!!  Horse can’t snuggle at your feet when you watch TV or ride in the car with you when you run errands. Still, I do miss the boys and I’ve started to put things in motion to have them back in Maryland by the end of September.

And, finally, I regret that I did get to ride Juneau on a West Coast beach.  It seems crazy to have taken the boys all the way to Oregon and not let them touch the Pacific.  I’m headed back to Oregon.  I’m going to make that beach ride happen.  Then, in November, I’ll load them up and drive to Assateague and ride them along the edge of the Atlantic!