Sabbatical thoughts from the road
Hello from the road! I am currently in the most cozy cabin in the Alberta wilderness. We have been on the road since August 14th, and have a few more weeks to go before returning to Bellingham. As I have some solo time away from my family, I am finally finding a moment to write and reflect a bit. I thought I might share a few things I have been thinking about while on my sabbatical.
Thoughts from the road thus far:
I miss my clients! It actually feels really good to acknowledge that my clients are near and dear to my heart, and taking this time away from our work has helped me feel that. If you are a client, or even a former client, know that you matter and are missed!
Parenting is 24/7! Time away from work is certainly a privilege and I am very grateful to be able to take our life on the road for a couple of months. And yet, as a mom of two (Julius is 5 and Neve is 3), I continue to do the parental labor.. in a motorhome.. in a tight space.. with long driving hours.. without childcare. So, you can imagine how I might be longing for the comfort of home and the routine of retreating to my office to talk to other adults! I think I am realizing something like ‘everywhere you go, there you are.’ Especially as parents, the work of raising children is never done and continues to be the most exhausting and important work I do.
I am now a Certified Matrescence Educator! Earlier this year I completed a 6 month apprenticeship called The Village with Jessie Harrold (author of Mothershift) and recently finished my final project to officially become certified in guiding new mothers through the transition into motherhood. My final project? A process group called Migrating into Motherhood, which starts November 11th! Learn more here.
I am reading Wintering by Katherine May. I found a copy of the book at a thrift store (my favorite hobby while traveling), and am starting to delve into it. It feels serendipitous because the book’s chapters are each a different month of the year, and I am now on ‘October.’ I often like to use the seasons as metaphor with clients, especially when it comes to slowing down or resting, so I am excited to see what this book has to offer and how I can apply it to my life and share with others.
And, on the personal side of things… While we were in Ontario my daughter Neve was jumping on a trampoline and in a matter of seconds broke her leg! All is well, and she has been such a good sport. I don’t know many 3 year olds who would be so easy going about not being able to walk. The thoughts I have been having though, are about this not being the first time I have been on the road and encountered a medical emergency.
In 2021 my husband and I had embarked on a 3 month road trip in our van, while I was pregnant with our son, when 3 weeks in my husband suffered a stroke. We were in California and it was still during Covid times, so I was unable to accompany him in the ER or the hospital, other than 1 hour each day. I remember feeling so alone navigating a new hospital in an unfamiliar city, making phone calls to insurance companies, and not knowing how much the medical bills would cost. Needless to say, it was a traumatic experience for me in a vulnerable time. (My husband’s recovery went very well, by the way, and he is doing great.)
Now, fast forward to a week ago and here I am again navigating a foreign hospital, unsure how much we would have to pay, unsure if we would need to fly home. With the help of hospitality from friends, making several phone calls, and texting my therapist, I realized that I had a good plan and we were actually going to be okay. My daughter is safe, her bone will heal, and the medical bills won’t drown us.
When my therapist texted back, she reminded me that I am in a different place than I was in 2021 when my husband had his stroke, and that I have grown and I have a new capacity to be present and able to navigate emergencies like this (and care for myself along the way). As much as my body was going into panic, there was another part of me that felt more capable because of my past experience. And I think this is a story maybe many of us can relate to — we hold fear in our bodies from traumatic things that happened, but when we do find ourselves in a familiar situation, there can be a healing that happens as we get through it. Ultimately, it helped me see the growth I have made!
Now we will be continuing to head West, taking in the changes that Fall brings, enduring colder temperatures, and celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving. Pretty soon, we will be back home and I will be back in my therapist chair, ready to walk alongside the fellow passengers on life’s journey.
A quote from Anne of Green Gables:
Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.