Nine Days

I have been home nine days now. Each day a little bit of reality seeps back into my life. But even after those nine days, I'm still wafting on air. I am quite certain that I will carry a piece of this Alaskan Cruise Adventure with me forever.

What did I miss most about life-at-home?

McDonald's, Canadian coffee, sleep.

Oh ... and I missed my family too (being able to keep in touch with them via email definitely lessened the critical factor it could have hit had it been 12 days of radio silence).

How did I celebrate my homecoming?

Robin's coffee, McDonald's for supper (followed by: KFC, Burger King, Tim Hortons,  and McDonald's again (for breakfast) ...).

Oh ... and I spent time with my family too.

Who did I just have to talk to upon my return?

My children (first rating on this one). Quickly followed by my mom and each of my siblings. Tied in second place, was my eagerness to return to the dance studio while the post-holiday-sensations were running at an all time high (I hadn't even come home from my holiday when I was counting down the days until my next dance lesson).

What were my priorities upon coming home?

Boring ... unpacking and housework. Though I returned to a clean and tidy home, I had purposely left a lot of the nastier cleaning jobs to do when I came home ... no sense in doing them twice, when once would suffice. So I had a bit of a a backlog of housework (easier to do when working on a post-holiday-high).

My favorite chore since my return?

Spending the entirety of this past Saturday going through my photos and videos of my holiday. Putting them together in a cohesive manner (photo montage and video of my favorite moments) was almost as good as being there all over again.

Favorite family moments since I've been home?

All of them. Even the small and mundane have been memorable and a little bit bigger than life. I love being surrounded by my family.

The most mundane celebration of my home coming?

Falling asleep on the couch. After spending the past two evenings stretched out and napping on the couch after supper, My Youngest asked, "Why are you so tired all of a sudden?" My reply? "I think I've been tired for three weeks and this is the first time that I've had a chance to sit still."

Where has my weight been this past month?

I have an 'at home' weight and a 'cruising' weight. The cruising weight is three pounds lighter than my at-home weight. Needless to say, my at-home weight has returned (and my stomach is not happy about it ... I think I should banish chips and take-out food from my diet ... my digestive system is rebelling).

Then there's 'the hair' ... let me talk about my hair for a moment ...

I devote far too much air-time to my hair. Pre-holidays ... and for the year (or more) preceding it? Lots of bad-hair-stories. Too many. Boring. Tedious.

Since my on-cruise hair style by 'Dee' ... no bad hair stories. Bad hair day? Mess it up as much as possible with damp hands, finger fluff it into place and voila. Good enough to greet the day. It is plain. It is simple. It requires little to no fussing or mussing. The only downfall? It will grow ...

What is still on my to-do list now that I'm home?

Call my friends! I have put this on a back burner because underneath all the hype and glory, I have been exhausted.

My Youngest is celebrating his 13th birthday on the weekend and that requires yet another out-of-home-experience. There are a handful of family celebrations/gatherings within the next month. More gallivanting.

At the moment, I'm not only catching my breath. I'm 'logging' like the whales and consciously breathing (did you know that whales have to remind themselves to breathe? Half of their brain is utilized reminding themselves to take a breath). I'm going to have to go down for a few more 'deep dives' very soon and it may take a while before I resurface. So for the moment, I am utilizing half of my brain to remind myself to breathe.

Oh, and soon ... very, very soon ... I must buy groceries (the milk and bananas I bought upon my return are starting to run thin).

Where do I go from here?

I am investigating the possibilities. My Very Good Anchorage Friend has suggested that we set a goal of going on a cruise in a few years. At this point, I could sell an Alaskan Cruise to an Eskimo. I will encourage any and all even considering the idea ... to go for it!!!

And that is where I'm going from here. I'm going to 'go for it'. Whether it is work or play ... family or friends ... I am going to approach life with enthusiasm and anticipation.

Every day has the possibility of feeling just a little bit special. Just ask me how I loved napping on my couch the past two evenings. It was worth writing about. Need I say more??