Skipping Stones

Life on the road is not one big vacation. I don't mean that in a negative way. I just mean that I can tell the difference between a vacation and real life. After just a week on the road, I can see that already.

We don't eat out everyday. We still have to stop and pay the bills. We still correct our kids. Before we left Dan and I talked about Our Trip and it was all very exciting. We talked about the great things we'd see, the attractions we'd visit, the places we'd want to eat. And while that is really happening some days, there's something else going on too.

Here's the difference: A month ago, or a year ago, I didn't have the time to skip stones with the kids. Not like I did today. We skipped stones at the beach until my arm was sore. We all made a contest out of it. Who could skip the most times, who could skip the highest, the farthest? We had an endless supply of smooth black skipping stones too, because that's what this Vermont beach was made up of. Dan said the kids would have stayed until the entire beach-ful of rocks were in the lake.

The day we skipped stones was Father's Day. It was also the day I tried to teach the kids the difference between presents and presence. Dan didn't unwrap a gift that day. But like vacations, presents can be really special, but life and the gift of our presence is even better.

Over the past 15 months or so, Dan and I have been dreaming, planning, talking, reviewing, revising, researching, figuring, budgeting and sharing our fears. For many months, he and I were the only people on earth who knew about Our Trip, it was our secret dream. We needed each other so much in those early months to work through all these emotions that kept sprouting up.

A couple of weeks ago Dan and I were talking about the great changes we've seen in other people after revealing the news of Our Trip. We are constantly amazed by the support and the number of people who say they wish they could do what we're doing. Deep down we really want them to do whatever it is they dream of too because it feels great!

As we continued to talk about the changes Our Trip will bring to us personally, and in our marriage and with our children, we agreed to welcome that change. Then a light came on for Dan and after reflecting on our months of planning, he said:

"You know, Becky, we haven't even left the driveway and Our Trip has already started."