Thirst for Adventure

My Husband is an adventurer.

As am I.

We dream of skydiving. White water rafting-down a waterfall. And traveling to Alaska and the Caribbean.

But for now (the next few years while baby S is little) we settle for regular kayaking, ziplining, trips to Florida, and...ice cream shops?

To us, adventure is anything new and last minute. It makes us feel alive to add to add something new to the list of things we have done, even just a new restaurant.

This week we went to Athens to see the totality of the eclipse. It was unbelievable. I would not liken it to a religious experience like some say, but it was breathtaking to see something new God had created.

I won't lie. While the ride down there was fun and we were all happy go lucky, our energy drained after sitting in over an hour of traffic that lead from the exit to the park we were going to. A total of .4 miles. We ended up setting out our stuff at the edge of the park and parking on the side of the road. After a grueling wait while Sam desperately tried to find a place to pee and Sara was trying to consistently nurse because she was hot, we decided to load up and sit in the car with the air on while we waited for the last 15 minutes until totality, looking at the sun-glasses on-through the window. Then we stepped out, watched it-2:30 minutes. One of the longest totalities. It seemed like time stopped at the crickets began their chirping, the temoerature dropped, and the light quickly faded. But as soon as it ended, we all jumped in the car and hauled it ahead of traffic.

My Husband doesn't so traffic. So we took the backs way home, all the way through Tellico Plains and the Ocoee. We went over a mountain, while trying to find food, joking about how all 7 people who live in town must go to the same dentist we just saw standing in the middle of nowhere. Then we passed a sketch ice cream shop. He said there was no telling how much longer we had before we found a good restaurant, so we should stop for shakes

At that moment, everything in me wanted to day, "No. That costs too much. We already paid for gas out here. We still have to pay for dinner...." But I didn't. Because I realized this was our adventure. This is what adventure looked like with kids. It was sweet. And I am just glad he wants to do these things with us. And if he goes before me, I will miss this the most. So I said yes.

The ice cream was delicious.
Dinner was excellent at the Ocoee grill over an hour later.

I tried something new because that satisfies my need for adventure since having a baby.

We arrived back home 7 hours after the totality ended. Where did time go?

Somehow these things help us to not lose ourselves, but to keep who we as individuals, as a couple, and as a family, even if times of adjustment and times that are less than ideal.

I will never say no to stopping for ice cream at an old, run down shack.