Old Haunts

David and I moved to Walla Walla in July of 2007. Our time in Walla Walla was a whirlwind. I often say our greatest heartbreak and our greatest joys all happened in Walla Walla. It has been such a beautiful, difficult, transformative place for our little family. So, when we moved from our home in 2019 to the Eugene, Oregon area we naively assumed the short few hours to visit would be easy enough to be in constant connection with this place that was our home.

Enter Covid.

Covid upended everyone’s world. Some more than others, but one thing we did not realize was that our sense of comfort and place relied on movement. The ability to leave a place when we needed a break. When taking a break from our home in Oregon was no longer an easy option with Covid it became very clear that there was not enough that grounded and nourished us in Oregon. One thing that is strange about this whole experience is that it became clear that we never really said goodbye to Walla Walla, WA or fully absorbed that we were moving on from this place.

Leaving Oregon and deciding to travel allowed us two things while dealing with our truck/insurance setbacks, we got to spend several weeks in Walla Walla, WA and truly say goodbye. We also got to travel to Redlands, CA and spend some time with family before setting off on this adventure.

Home is something that feels very fleeting to us at this stage in our family. We want to feel rooted and bound to a place and we feel drawn to nowhere. I’m curious as to how that will change and morph over this year of traveling. What feels like home to you?