I started this blog with the intention of posting weekly updates of my adventures, people I had met, and memories I wanted to savor.  But (obviously), it hasn’t quite turned out to be that.  It isn’t that I am too lazy to write these posts, or that I’ve been too busy doing exciting things that I didn’t even have a chance to sit down and write them.  In fact I have spent days with my computer open to an empty blog page, but my mind draws a blank.  

Canyon Overlook Trail 1/19/22 4:45pm 

House is defined by Merriam Webster as "a building in which a family lives".  

On January 2nd at approximately 10:00pm my family landed at O'hare after our week long vacation, and the clock started.  I had 36 hours home before I was back on the road. I walked into my room that was full of cluttered piles, a color coded packing list, and empty suitcases and my race against the clock ensued.  I woke up at 7:00am on the 3rd and I was go, go, go until 1:00am the 4th.  My to-do list included 23 things I had to complete before my departure the next day.  From store runs, to my family Christmas (January 3rd is the new December 25th people!!!!) there was much to be done.  

Calendars are a scary thing these days. I looked at one for the first time in a while two nights ago and realized I have at least one thing scheduled every single day until I leave.  Today is December 15th, and my home screen countdown reads "23 days, 11hrs and 40mins" left before I'm arriving at Zion.  That doesn't account for the fact I'm leaving five days before that to road trip out there, or the seven days I'll be in Florida the week leading up to departure.  (or the fact that I didn't end up posting this until December 18th) Which leaves us with a good 'ole 11 (8*) days "unaccounted" for before my life changes yet again. 

If you know anything about me, you know I preach that relationships are disgusting and I don't understand how people could spend so much time with someone without getting sick of them.  I've successfully steered clear of a romantic relationship for the past 19 years of my life!