I'm avoiding any sort of work today - there are loads of children's class materials piled in my front room, reminders of last week's Indiana Baha'i Summer School, and camping gear stacked in the dining room. I am loth to put any of them away, partly because I lack any energy and partly because I want to hold on to the sweet feelings that echo from the week. I shared most of my time with three wonderful women - mamas and educators - working with a group of 6-8 year-old girls. We learned about the Love of God and about courtesy and prayerfulness and unity and work. It was lovely to see the little transformations that came about from our time together, and the sweet friendships that blossomed between tender hearts.
BUT, I digress. The real reason for my avoidance of work is this: I'm immersing myself in maps. Maps of National Parks and Scenic Byways. Maps of waterways and hiking trails.
Because, my dears, I'm planning a vacation.
Not just any vacation, mind you. We are in no position to fly anywhere, and there will be no palm trees involved. No, thank you. We are driving from Indiana to Washington, down the Oregon coast, and back through Colorado. Nate will visit theatres in Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco, and I will make sure we get to see some real national treasures - the sacred Badlands in the Dakotas, the International Peace Park in Montana, the grandeur of Yosemite, and the beauty of the Rockies.
Man, oh, man. Am I excited!!
This trip came about through a bit of hemming and hawing in our family. Nathan's summer break is three and a half months long, but he needs to write two full plays before he goes back to school in August. And, with all of the distractions of family life, we had to come up with a sustainable plan for our family, so that I could have personal time, Nathan could have writing time, and we could all have family time. The first deadline for Nathan is at the end of July, when he will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to have his first play workshopped at the Kennedy Center. There would then be four weeks before school starts again. How could we work it all in?
Our agreement was this - Nathan would work every day for the next six weeks (while the girls and I traveled to various places: our Baha'i community campout at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana Baha'i Summer School, a trip to visit my family in Ohio, and planning a Virtues Camp for our friends here in Bloomington.). In exchange, we would get three whole weeks of undivided "Daddy time." And, feeling especially expansive, we decided to take a road trip. So, here I am. Planning. Six weeks in advance.
Can you tell I can hardly wait?
BUT, I digress. The real reason for my avoidance of work is this: I'm immersing myself in maps. Maps of National Parks and Scenic Byways. Maps of waterways and hiking trails.
Because, my dears, I'm planning a vacation.
Not just any vacation, mind you. We are in no position to fly anywhere, and there will be no palm trees involved. No, thank you. We are driving from Indiana to Washington, down the Oregon coast, and back through Colorado. Nate will visit theatres in Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco, and I will make sure we get to see some real national treasures - the sacred Badlands in the Dakotas, the International Peace Park in Montana, the grandeur of Yosemite, and the beauty of the Rockies.
Man, oh, man. Am I excited!!
This trip came about through a bit of hemming and hawing in our family. Nathan's summer break is three and a half months long, but he needs to write two full plays before he goes back to school in August. And, with all of the distractions of family life, we had to come up with a sustainable plan for our family, so that I could have personal time, Nathan could have writing time, and we could all have family time. The first deadline for Nathan is at the end of July, when he will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to have his first play workshopped at the Kennedy Center. There would then be four weeks before school starts again. How could we work it all in?
Our agreement was this - Nathan would work every day for the next six weeks (while the girls and I traveled to various places: our Baha'i community campout at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana Baha'i Summer School, a trip to visit my family in Ohio, and planning a Virtues Camp for our friends here in Bloomington.). In exchange, we would get three whole weeks of undivided "Daddy time." And, feeling especially expansive, we decided to take a road trip. So, here I am. Planning. Six weeks in advance.
Can you tell I can hardly wait?
2 comments:
Sounds wonderful! When you get to Newport Oregon, if you'd like a visit/coffee & ice cream/lunch or dinner or an experienced guide for whale info/agate hunting/spectacular scenic overlooks/hiking/sea lions/art galleries/music please let me know. We would love to see you and would be happy to share our experience on the beautiful Oregon coast.
PhyllisUnterschuetz@gmail.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6nzUcEa3s0
http://whalespoken.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c02wf5u2cAI
Hi Liz! It sounds great! We'd love to see you guys if you have time in Minneapolis!
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