The month of March, specifically Spring Break, had our little family spread out across the world. Alex and Brian traveled for hours and hours and then some more hours to China...this was just a layover for them. See where it says Da Nong, near Vietnam? The little island above that is Matthew's island.
It's far away. Very far away.
He, as in Matthew, spent the last few months traveling his new country and then vacationing all over Thailand. He studies jiu-jitsu and centers his travels around that...and food, of course. Both take him to some interesting places and he's met lots of fun people along the way.
In the meantime, he was sending us messages via wechat of his American shopping list..everything from deodorant to contact solution to shaving cream to whiskey. Three huge suitcases full of stuff...all things we take for granted here.
And then, all in one day, I put that guy that I like so much (and his 60 college students) on a flight to Portland and my two youngest boys on a flight to go visit their older brother in China.
AND THEN, because this deserves to be in all capital letters, I did something very, very strange. I went home. Alone.
Because, for the first time in 28 years...since I became a mom, I slept all alone in my own house. Yes, I've been alone in hotel rooms and alone for long days...but I have never spent an overnight home alone. There has always been a husband or one boy or another who has been here with me.
And you need to know...it was GLORIOUS. Not that I want to live alone, but it. was. blissful.
Quiet.
I took a long, hot bath. I ate popcorn for dinner while I watched three (3!) back to back hallmark movies...all Christmas, and no one rolled their eyes at me. I slept smack dab in the middle of the bed, which, if you must know, I do anyway.
But it was the quiet that I loved. At least for those few days.
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And on day #3, I'd had enough quiet and hopped a flight to Seattle to meet up with that guy that I like so much.
Oh, how I love that city.
He had to work...and so did I. But my work is portable and so I was able to wander all over town. The shops and the coffee and the yummy food and the friendly people...sigh.
I ran out of time and am SO bummed that I didn't buy these peppers...and can't get them here.
Oh well.
In the meantime, the pictures and videos started coming in.
These three...where do I begin? I love them. I love that they love each other. I love that Alex didn't get lost.
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The reason I ran out of time and had to leave those lovely pepper flakes behind was because upon checking in for our next flight, I realized I had forgotten my passport. And we, as in that guy that I like so much and me, were heading for a few nights in Victoria...and he had forgotten his too.
Victoria is in Canada.
And ya'll...you gotta have a passport to fly to Canada.
Thanks to some magic elves who grabbed them from the safe place at home and paid a million $$ to have them overnighted to us and whew, they made it in time.
All was well...even the prop plane in a storm. Yikes.
We landed,hopped a taxie to The Empress and checked ourselves into the Gold Level.
Oh my.
We had tea and yummies and settled in while the rain fell. It was cold outside and happy inside and so very, very perfect.
I love high tea. And I love the gold level.
Thank you off-season for making it affordable!
So here we were, on our best behavior with our pinkies out and this arrives in our in box.
This kid...he's too much.
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Back to us in Canada. We wandered out for supper and had the most amazing dinner in a tiny restaurant with brick walls and cozy nooks to sit in. We ate oysters that were caught that morning. Yep...me. I ate oysters and liked 'em.
Hell is freezing over.
We had kinda decided to not do much on our little 46-hour getaway, but Butchart Gardens was calling and so we wandered out into the quiet mist for a walk. It was empty and still and so very green.
Like where the Hobbits live.
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And then, just as quickly as it began, we all traveled home via different parts of the world. We had all brought back treasures and more than anything, I loved hearing how Matthew is doing so far away.
I get it. I moved away from family too...but a whole different continent is different than a whole different state. It makes it hard. But the stories were fun and he is doing well.
I love that they were able to be together.
And among the treasures? Purple gin made especially for the Empress Hotel, which turns pink when you add tonic. A large bag of (gulp) MSG and a cryo-packed package of chicken feet. Big feet.
Thanks, boys.
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