Monday, January 28, 2008

Home and home

We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.
-Henry David Thoreau

Back, finally! I have been a very poor blogger this past week due to technical difficulties (no internet). I returned yesterday from an over weeklong trip to visit my parents. Not only do they not have internet, they don’t even have electricity in one of their houses! (Instead of one house, they have three small houses on their property.) It was really nice actually, to disconnect for a bit and just be. I have always loved to travel because it gives you such a good perspective, keeps your eyes open and looking, and being away has always given me a fresh vision and renewed inspiration. I guess this is my traveling, as I can’t get away like I used to (one day soon though). Sometimes I feel so inundated with communication that I need time away like I need to breath.

We stayed in the house without electricity. We made fires every night and talked into the evening illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight. We talked about how nice it was to not watch tv, to just have the chance to sit in stillness and connect with one another. If I could, I would light my home in candles and lanterns and not even have a tv. My husband would not take kindly to me taking us back to the 1800’s, he likes his tv a lot! So do I, but I think that it is really nice to be without it more often than not. There is something so centering about it.

I was nice to be back in my hometown but I am glad to be back in my adopted home. I like the energy here. Even if I am being quiet and doing my own thing I still feel like I’m not missing out on anything because I can just look out the window and watch the busy street for a minute—a balm to my restless nature. I love all the options I have here, the variety, the different beauty, the way nature and city combine, the anonymity you get from a city combined with the friendliness of a not-so-big city. For me, this is perfect, sitting still and watching the world go.

7 comments:

JCK said...

It sounds very romantic. For a short time. LOL. I'm with you on the no TV.

Isn't it lovely to travel and come back and feel that you are truly at home? Nothing like it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo
Isn't it lovely to slow down sometimes?
We are in the middle of nowhere and sometimes the silence is deafening!
DC

Mary Alice said...

I love going to Jan's house - out in the woods you really realize just how noisy electricity is. Without the hum of the AC or the fridge or all those electrified things that you don't really realize MAKE NOISE, until they are shut off and suddenly you can hear the birds sing and the russtle of the wind in the leaves.

Anonymous said...

I understand. I have to say, I'm one of those weird people who loves it when the electricity goes off.

Jo said...

It was very romantic but I truly think I could only handle it for two days and then it would be very unromantical! Just the practicality of no electricity. But it really is nice now and then. The TV though, I could really do without. I am going to try to stop it so much, it's just so easy for time to go by with it on, especially with kids somehow.

Anonymous said...

It's nice to have you back!

Sometimes I really just want to throw the TV out the window.

It sounds like you had a wonderful restful trip. And there's nothing like a good trip to make you appreciate home.

Katrina Hazel, Recruitment Hero said...

I am GIGGLING to myself. Imagining the potential of my OWN blog after a week at Mom and Dads. Especially if we stayed in the Creek House. Oh wow -would it be different from yours. Yours was romantical and I do Love you for it... but for your little Katrina sis here.... give me cable and a microwave and I'm a happy girl. :-)