Just last week my dear husband asked me if I missed being in a house. I remarked that with every passing day (or week) I remember less and less what it was like BEING in a "regular" house (or a sticks and bricks, S&B, as the RV community refers to it).
For those of you our there with children, I think you might understand. Think back to your life before kids. The older they get, the harder it seems to be to remember "life without littles," before you were Mom (or Dad). Now as the hubby and I embark on our next stage of life ("empty nesters") we find ourselves once again living without littles, in a sense. When he posed this question last week, I tried to think about living in our S&B. Concentrating on what I did day by day. Nope...nothing...not a thing...blank. Was that really only a mere 2 or so months ago? It seems such a long time ago.
We are currently parked next door to my parents. My daughter has been staying with them for the past month and working in the area. So we're not totally "empty nesters" yet, as she doesn't leave for Navy basic training until late March but we've tried it on for size over the past 30 or so days. I do miss my children and love them fiercely!! That being said, I am enjoying thoroughly this time with it being just my lovely husband and myself. We became Mom and Dad not long into our marriage, so now 21 years later, we are a bonafide couple again.
In the house, we would wander to our separate rooms to do work or relax. We'd come together for bed at night. Perhaps we'd watch a couple of sitcom reruns, go to sleep, wake up, off to work, and then repeat daily. We rarely did things together, truly. Today, after setting up our home, we took a bike ride. First we just went down to the park next door and rode along beside the river. Then we both started to feel hungry, so we bravely (didn't know it would be so until half way in) "rode" the short way into town to a local eatery. I got to a particularly daunting (for me) hill and found myself pedaling little and walking (trudging) up the hill instead. I made it all the way to the establishment, but not without a little bit of wobbly knees. (Note to self: EXERCISE MORE!! You WILL be able to ride up this hill before the end of the month, and not feel as though you're dying shortly after reaching the peak. Ha!!) I treasured this time!! We were spending fantastic quality time together! We took a few pics while out and smiled a LOT. THIS is the greatest thing about this adventure, in my honest opinion. I get to fall in love with my husband all over again each and every day!
I'm watching The Little Mermaid right now in the background as I type. It has come to the song..."Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collection's complete...." and it really hearkens back to our time in the S&B. We had a bunch of "stuff" and most of it just lying around not being used, or even seen. Now I'm in a 36ft motorhome and in a day, I can see all my "stuff". There is very little in this new home of mine that doesn't serve a purpose. I don't find myself rummaging through anything and saying "Oh! Why did I get that again? When did I get that thing?!"
So as I relax and settle in for the evening with the windows open, a cool breeze gently blowing through our home, and listen to the sounds of joyous neighbors enjoying some evening conversation I once again think..."House? What house? I'm so very happy to have my current home."
