The wind-down

And now, the beginning of the end.

Our tour is complete. Tomorrow we begin our long voyage home. 4 nights of drive, camp, sleep, repeat. We will stay an extra day in St. Charles, for various reasons to be described later. Then home. The destinations are over.

It is an emotional time. Any time you live something like this the way we have, it's a confusing feeling when it comes to an end. I am ready to come home. Things about home are starting to sound very comforting. It is always a sign of a really good vacation when you are ready to come home. Part of me keeps wanting to do more, experience more, see more, learn more...but that part is even stepping back and saying "It's all good for now".

More on that in the next few days.

We have spent a day and a half here in SLC, including touring Temple Square, the headquarters of the LDS church. An impressive place. This blog is not the place for religious rumination or theological debate, but the people we met there are certainly living their faith and I have immense respect for that.

Tonight as our last 'touristy' thing, Steph and I went back to the Clark Planetarium for their laser-animation-trippy U2 show. Very amazing. And really touched an emotional nerve with me when they started out with "Where the Streets Have No Name" - which was the 'theme song' of the original 2003 Road Trip video and the song that came to symbolize that trip for Steph and me. It really brought home to me the challenge ahead of me creating the video for this trip, and inspired me to get to work on it.

American society, I sometimes believe, has been subconciously set up to distract us from uncomfortable questions and thoughts. And it works pretty well, it keeps things at bay while we pay our bills and watch our TV and follow our sports teams...but we become ill-equipped to handle the few times when it doesn't work. Big changes leave us floundering. I try to fight this in myself, but I'm as guilty as anyone. So big change is coming...just the yearly big change that teachers have to go through...and big big change, like Faith going to Kindergarten and really starting out on her own.

Well, I can't get down all the thoughts I have, because they're confusing even me. This is supposed to be the Road Trip Edition so let's get back to it:

I have had a wonderful trip and I am impressed with how well things have gone. The girls have been challenging at times, there have been tears and shouting, but all in all life on the road has fit us well. I hope that the girls (and the twins someday) will be able to appreciate and enjoy this way of spending time together the same way I have. I hope that it becomes a mutual sharing and not a bad family vacation movie.

I need to go get ready for the return trip. Thanks all!

Matt