Day 67: Seems Like A Dream

Sunday: June 9, 2019:

One good night’s sleep later and it all seems like a dream. How is it that when a vacation ends you feel so different the very next day? What is that mystery sensation that goes away?

We are still unpacking and it’s already a fading memory. This really makes me sad because this trip was meant to be unforgettable. I tried to pack every detail into memory and cherish every moment so I could relive it in perfect detail, forever. But it’s fading so fast. Life just keeps going full speed, overwriting my brain’s memory files with new data.

Fred was up at 6am and parakeeted me very well today. I slept until 8am and came downstairs to find him lounging on the couch, snacking on a very bruised banana. We had left everything in the RV so we didn’t have our usual breakfast supplies. The house was basically empty of food. My mom offered to stock up the fridge before we got home, but we dumbly turned her down 😒 We scrounged together some breakfast and then had to run back over to the RV to get clean underwear and do some unpacking. We grabbed a good portion of our clothes and food, enough that if we don’t get back for a few days, we should be ok.

Until then, there is always tacos😁

And icecream!

Between grocery shopping, tidying up the house, and unpacking the cozy life we created in the RV, adjusting back to home life will be a long, slow process. We were away for two months and its really evident. My mom was bringing in the mail and keeping an eye on the place, but there is no substitute for living in a place.

A pigeon took up roost on our patio and its driving Fred absolutely crazy! We had no idea the extent of the roost as we initially only saw the massive pile of bird-poo in the corner. But when Fred went out to shew the bird away, he found its nest tucked under the BBQ. The nest had two little baby birds in it. Fred was really torn between cleaning the patio or leaving it alone until the babies have flown away. After some soul-searching, he decided to let the birds stay. But still, every time he looks out the patio door, he cringes in disgust.

I keep telling him, “Baby steps. We don’t have to have it all back to normal in one day.” That drives him crazy too. He doesn’t have the energy to tackle it all in one day or he would gladly prove me wrong. We did get the Jeep washed at a local detail shop today though … so that made him a little happier.

We are planning also to answer some questions posed to us on the blog, like the number of states visited and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches eaten. I’m sure that will be a gross number! As soon as things settle a bit, we’ll figure all that out and go through and really answer all the comments. Fred has some doctor appointments this week so it may not be right away. We plan to keep using this blog page but we are going to change the scope of the content. Our Honeymoon is technically over – So dang sad, I know 😩 But our journey is still in progress. We are going to keep posting updates on Fred’s battle with cancer and ensure that all of our family and friends stay in the loop.

Fred gained a lot of perspective on our trip. Through our private discussions and his interactions with family and friends, he learned how valuable the opportunity is to have real conversations about the end of one’s life. He had been reluctant to publicly announce his cancer. He doesn’t want to worry people and bring others down with his illness.

We didn’t really discuss it directly in the blog for that reason. But we found that it’s silly to miss the opportunity to share this experience and tell people that you love them and have valued them all this time. So much goes unsaid because you always think there is time or you are too squeamish to have the uncomfortable conversations.

From Fred’s own experience with his treatment so far, it’s scary and uncomfortable. You don’t know what to expect, how fast your body will fail you, or how far you can push yourself. There is so much unknown. But what he does know is that he is thankful for everyone who has been following our blog and sending their prayers and thoughts our way. Me too for that matter. Its very comforting to know that others are taking this journey with us and enjoying this opportunity too. All your love is so very appreciated.❤️🤗