With the school year begun, we are now largely in the city on weekends--classes, commitments, and homework tend to make it essential.
So there was no rushing yesterday to drive two and a half hours. Just a quiet Friday night recovering from the first few school days. And today, there were no tag sales and no summer theater, just laundry (back to doing it in the basement after months of doing it in the grandparents' country house), errands, cleaning, fights about cleaning, more errands. Real time to process things that need to be done at home (going away on weekends lets you escape for two days, but somehow, you always return to the same messes you left.)
My mom used to say after vacations, "Back to reality," and I guess that is true. And as unpleasant as some realities (leaking air conditioners, walking in the city heat, tight apartment quarters) may be, there is some comfort in reality. The feeling of accomplishment when we address problems instead of just putting them off while we eat freshly picked tomatoes and lie in the hammock all day. The excitement of getting to see our own city and explore what it has to offer. The simplicity of sleeping in our own beds and going to the gym and not having to drive to be home.
Reality may not be earth-shattering, but from where I stand on this Saturday in the city, I guess it's pretty good.
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