With three of them constantly vying for my attention, this is a pretty rare treat.
For that reason, I have come to cherish Tuesday nights.
This is the night when Miss Madi and I travel to and from gymnastics.
On the way home this evening, little Miss, had some great questions to ask me.
She wanted to know all about my life before she was born, back when I was still 'cool'.
So tonight I simply talked, and she listened with such rapt attention it was easy for me to be transported back in time.
We talked of my early driving days when I was fortunate to drive my blue old lady car (no offense to all the lovely senior ladies out there) named Zelda.
'Why would you ever name your car Zelda? That is a weird name mom!'
This led to one story which led to another, and, well, you know how that can go.
Pretty soon I was on a roll.
All that talking got me to thinking.
During those teenage 'wandering' years of mine I couldn't get enough of life.
I wanted to taste it all,
new people,
new places,
new experiences.
Life was a journey, and I needed to live it.
I travelled (and lived for short amounts of time) on each coast, where I knew not a single soul before I embarked on my journey.
I met some of the most amazingly, interesting people who I still call my friends even though our greatest adventures now happen on facebook or through emails and the occasional phone call or text.
Back then this was something that I had to do.
Today, I am so, so thankful that I did it!
I think that this quote about sums up those years....
I learned that 'I can.'
I can do hard things.
I can travel somewhere new and live and be happy there.
I am ok with meeting others and making friends, in fact I am pretty darn good at it if I say so myself.
But I think the number one thing that all of that wanderlust taught me was this...
I don't need to travel and live in exotic or new locations.
I just need to be surrounded by my people.
People who know me and love me anyway, and who I love in return.
This wandering heart of mine led me to this profound life lesson.
My heart skips a beat when I think that one of my children may have inherited this wandering quality of mine.
Even though it scares me, I kind of hope that one (or all) of them are able to learn this important life lesson someday.
I pray that I can be strong enough to let them go.
Since I am feeling so nostalgic, I am going to post just a couple of my favorite photos from those fun years....
Have I mentioned that I love blogging?!
Me and Christen...Summer 2000. Chicago, IL.
My college roomies and our lovely neighbor, Carol. Christmas 2000.
McLean, VA, Summer 2001. I miss you kiddos and can't believe how much you have grown!
Meet 'Zelda'. I was one of my first friends to have a car to drive whenever I wanted...even if she was a 'gramma' car.
And yes, I was a DQ gal! Please ignore the hair!
This was my cool car, the Geo...my very first big purchase....2001.
Camp Birch Knoll, Eagle River, WI....Summer 2000, my very first campers, a fun group of soon to be 7th graders!
Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, WI, 2002...my mom and sister and I.
It's so fun to take a trip down memory lane!
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