A Little More Time

The groundhog saw his shadow and we have 6 more weeks of Texas...

So we’ve had a small change of plans (a delay of plans, really) and extended our time here in Texas for a few more weeks. A combination of circumstances led us here- my Mom broke her foot and could use a hand, a lot of next assignments were coming up in dream locations that are still a little too cold for our camper (frozen, cracked water lines and tanks = zero fun, no matter how much I want to be in Whitefish, MT), and an extension offer from the hospital just all seemed to fall into place and we are not inclined to argue with the universe when she pulls things together for us like this!

We are just over three months into this journey (nine if you consider our “start” when we sold our house and moved into the camper last July…which feels more like the real beginning even if it was another six months before we actually left Maine) and if there is one thing that I’ve realized is absolutely key to staying remotely sane, it’s learning to be flexible. Every day includes the unexpected and rolling with it is pretty much non-negotiable. I certainly have my moments of frustration (oh, do I ever), but I’m learning that most of the time, that frustration is simply a waste of energy, energy that could be better spent creating a solution or recognizing the benefits of whatever the unplanned turn of events might be.

So we will be here through the end of April now. That leaves me a little more time with my Mom and my brother. A little more time to continue working my way into better running shape (and climbing shape, and fly-fishing shape, and all-around outdoor-fun shape). A little more time to soak in the Texas spring and the bounty of wildflowers that have so suddenly arrived to call in the season. To investigate the pockets of wild space that the Hill Country has to offer and reconnect with some old friends I haven’t seen in more than a decade. A little more time to work on our backpacking-with-Tessie dilemma and dream over an open atlas. Time to taste the local beers and eat fresh guacamole at the picnic table under string lights and enjoy the breeze as the sun sets in this big ol’ sky. 

So often over the course of our lives, we wish for just a little more time. Time to pause, time to linger, time to slow down just a bit. We weren’t expecting extra time here in Texas, but this is where we’ve been granted it, so we’ll take it with gratitude and say thank you and make the most of its gifts. We’ll bask in this sunshine and feel the spring sun on our faces and take a deep breath, then another, and then another after that. Because we can.

Because we have just a little more time.