Living off Memories

It’s about time to unpack.

During the past couple of years we haven’t stayed in one place for more than a few months, but that is coming to an end now as we are beginning to feel somewhat settled in New Mexico. The kids have returned to physical school and the year ahead is mapped out. The uncertainty of where to go and the adventure of what to do has been replaced with the uneasy comfort of being home.

New Mexico is a place I miss when I’m gone, but I always want to get away when I’m here. There are many great things about the state. The nature, the mountains, camping and skiing are all great. But it’s all familiar. Everyday is an adventure while traveling, but the adventures are few and far between while at home.

Having had their fill of adventures during the last few years, ND and NG are happy with the routine of living here and it’s hard to get them too enthusiastic about hiking or camping when they have a room full of electronics to keep them busy. And unlike during our travels, there is never an urgency to do anything. It’s never our last chance to see a ruin or hike a mountain before we leave to somewhere else because, staying in one place, it will always be there tomorrow.

It’s generally good advice to live in the present, but sometimes the allure of past and future overrule common sense and it’s never a bad thing to feel hopeful about the future or rely on a treasure trove of memories to keep you going.

If all goes as expected, we will spend longer in one place than we have in five years. I’m already restless. I’m already thinking of the future.

But as my family and I begin a somewhat normal year of mundane day to day routine, I also find myself thinking about all the places we have been and reliving with some nostalgia all the adventures that feel so fresh in my mind despite the months or years that have passed.

In many ways, we appreciate the comfort of routine. Gone is the uncertainty of each new day. It’s easy to wake each day in the same bed and know what you are doing. It’s also less work to be in one place. We’re no longer packing and unpacking, getting lost or trying to explore every inch of space. It’s almost restful.

But it’s also tiring. Without the energizing boost of daily adventure, it seems as if there is less time in the day. The sun rises and falls at such a pace that it is difficult to keep up with it.

My travel bag rests against the wall by my bedside. It almost seems pointless to unpack some of the things that remain in there. My mask and snorkel, an assortment of small unspent bills in foreign currencies and passport will remain packed and waiting for the next trip.