Vacation finale
As expected, the last three days of vacation were much less eventful than the first 12. This happens every year -- we get back from Wisconsin for at least one day before leaving for Utah, and it's just wind-down time. And that's OK -- going nonstop for two weeks isn't easy, especially with kids. And vacation is supposed to be a time to relax, and for the past three days, that's what we did.
The past few days weren't that relaxing, however. Monday, we met my mom, who is in Chicago this week, for lunch and then to Old Orchard Mall. That night, we met some friends at the new Superdawg (my favorite Chicago hot dog restaurant) in Wheeling.
Tuesday, after pondering going downtown, we ended up just seeing the Smurfs movie with my dad. Last night, we went to dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant here in Edgebrook.
Wednesday was mostly devoted to getting ready for our return trip Thursday morning. The heat and thunderstorms finally subsided -- this might have been the most pleasant day of the entire trip. I exchanged a shirt at Kohl's, and later returned the rental car. My mom picked us up for dinner at Red Robin, then we took the boys to the park. After my mom left, the boys hung out and played "Hit the Deck" with their aunts and uncle.
We fly out in 10 hours. Our long, fun vacation is ending.
Going home after vacation, especially from my dad's house in Chicago, is always bittersweet. Other people have vacation destinations they go to year after year and become familiar with. We come here. The boys had more fun with their grandparents this trip than perhaps at any other time of their short lives, so going back to Utah and knowing they won't see their extended families for months is rough. But after a long trip such as this, we are looking forward to getting home, seeing our cat, preparing for the school year, and settling back into the routines and adventures we have enthusiastically built for ourselves in Utah. Vacations are great, but they must end sometime, and sleeping in your own bed on that first night back truly feels like home, no matter where you came from or who might be back there.
Every year we visit the Midwest, there's always a little pull to return, at least for me. This is probably a natural reaction: We grew up here, we lived here a long time, and our families are here. Chicago and Milwaukee might be our hometowns, but no matter how comfortable we feel when we visit, or how much we miss the people we leave behind, Salt Lake City is our home (and our sons' hometowns). Dan Auerbach recorded a song called "Goin' Home," and though the song is more about someone who is over trying to find himself, it includes a lyric that resonates with me:
Be thankful for what all you got.
So long, I'm goin', goin' home.
Tomorrow, we're goin' home, to all the things I'm thankful for -- my wonderful family and the life we've made for ourselves. Vacation was great, and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'm more looking forward to the coming weeks and months -- the remainder of summer, the new school year, soccer season, football season, fall, Halloween, possibly a new dog, goals, dreams, friends, joys, adventures, life and so on -- at home.
(Final Slug Bug results: Eldest 42, Littlest 37, me 20, Wife 19. In Wife's defense, she gave many of her Slug Bugs to Littlest.)
The past few days weren't that relaxing, however. Monday, we met my mom, who is in Chicago this week, for lunch and then to Old Orchard Mall. That night, we met some friends at the new Superdawg (my favorite Chicago hot dog restaurant) in Wheeling.Tuesday, after pondering going downtown, we ended up just seeing the Smurfs movie with my dad. Last night, we went to dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant here in Edgebrook.
Wednesday was mostly devoted to getting ready for our return trip Thursday morning. The heat and thunderstorms finally subsided -- this might have been the most pleasant day of the entire trip. I exchanged a shirt at Kohl's, and later returned the rental car. My mom picked us up for dinner at Red Robin, then we took the boys to the park. After my mom left, the boys hung out and played "Hit the Deck" with their aunts and uncle.
We fly out in 10 hours. Our long, fun vacation is ending.
Going home after vacation, especially from my dad's house in Chicago, is always bittersweet. Other people have vacation destinations they go to year after year and become familiar with. We come here. The boys had more fun with their grandparents this trip than perhaps at any other time of their short lives, so going back to Utah and knowing they won't see their extended families for months is rough. But after a long trip such as this, we are looking forward to getting home, seeing our cat, preparing for the school year, and settling back into the routines and adventures we have enthusiastically built for ourselves in Utah. Vacations are great, but they must end sometime, and sleeping in your own bed on that first night back truly feels like home, no matter where you came from or who might be back there.
Every year we visit the Midwest, there's always a little pull to return, at least for me. This is probably a natural reaction: We grew up here, we lived here a long time, and our families are here. Chicago and Milwaukee might be our hometowns, but no matter how comfortable we feel when we visit, or how much we miss the people we leave behind, Salt Lake City is our home (and our sons' hometowns). Dan Auerbach recorded a song called "Goin' Home," and though the song is more about someone who is over trying to find himself, it includes a lyric that resonates with me:
Be thankful for what all you got.
So long, I'm goin', goin' home.
Tomorrow, we're goin' home, to all the things I'm thankful for -- my wonderful family and the life we've made for ourselves. Vacation was great, and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'm more looking forward to the coming weeks and months -- the remainder of summer, the new school year, soccer season, football season, fall, Halloween, possibly a new dog, goals, dreams, friends, joys, adventures, life and so on -- at home.
(Final Slug Bug results: Eldest 42, Littlest 37, me 20, Wife 19. In Wife's defense, she gave many of her Slug Bugs to Littlest.)
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Also, I find it funny that I was reading your blog while you were reading mine. It's like we're blog buddies.#orsomething