Coming Home

I remember when Maxwell first left for college, I couldn't imagine what his visits home would look like. Would he feel like a visitor? Would he feel like he was "coming home" even though it was to a home he had never really lived in? Would he be bored with us? 

Frenetic. That's the best way to describe how I felt the first time he came home. I couldn't settle. I wanted to plan something for every moment he was home. I just felt frenetic. Not that I didn't love the times we spent together, but I just felt like everything had to be set and perfect at every moment. Whatever perfect evens means. 

And then he came back home for 6 months during Covid and we had to readjust. And then he went back to school and we readjusted again...and then Henry graduated and left for college. Frenetic readjustment yet again. 

This past weekend when Maxwell came home for a visit, for the first time since 2018, I honestly felt completely relaxed. I didn't plan for anything. I didn't clean the house from top to bottom. I didn't do a completely unnecessary huge grocery haul. All Maxwell wanted to do was spend time with Viv and see her race. He wanted to talk about his new job and the wedding plans that he and Jordi are making. 

So he just came home. And it was easy. And it was perfect. 

First time in bow seat!

Maxwell felt like Pennsylvania was calling so on Monday 

we drove to  Gettysburg with a stop at Sheetz, of course

Counting down the days until Christmas when we're all home together...