Bittersweet Goodbyes

As we walk away from the dock at Dana Point Marina, our eyes fill with tears, ever so slightly, and our hearts are heavy. The first leg of our adventure has come to an end. We hug our daughter and grandsons, and son-in-law, wish them well on their journey, take a deep breath, and drive away. Saying goodbye is bittersweet.

But there is a part of us that says, "YES! Now WE can really begin our adventures!" It's like that old saying that the best part of being a grandparent is that you can give the kids back! That's not to say we won't miss them. Of course we will miss Andy and Dylan - but not the need for constant vigilance, the tears, the whining, the sibling conflicts, the defiance, the bedtime shenanigans, their energy-sapping activity level, or their picky eating habits - no, we will not miss that at all. But we WILL miss their smiles, their joy at seeing or doing something fun and new, sharing their excitement, teaching them, discovering things for the first time again with them, and just loving them and watching them grow. We will see them again in 3 months, then 6 months, then 18 months, a long time when they are only 4 and 6. Bittersweet.

In this first month we saw much of the pacific ocean, sandy beaches and big sand dunes, cheese being made, giant trees in Redwoods National Park, the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, caves and rock formations at Pinnacles National Park, more beaches in southern California, Disneyland and California adventure parks, and all the sights in between. And as glad as we are to have helped make this whole trip of Sandi's possible by driving down the coast with the boys, we need to slow down. It's been a whirlwind month and we are ready for a much different pace, more relaxed, less scheduled. We need to get on with our lives.

We are about to leave the coolness at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA and head for the desert, where the temperature will be in the 100s. Yikes! We plan to spend a few days with friends in Fort Mohave, AZ, waiting out the residual effects of Hurricane Rosa in Arizona. Then it's on to the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly.

We will cherish the times we've had this past month, but look forward to sipping cold drinks with friends, swapping travel stories, learning from their 4-year RV trek, and just doing nothing for a few days. We need the time to rejuvenate and refresh ourselves before we head out into the unknown. Saying goodbye to one part of our lives, saying hello to another. Bittersweet.