We recently stepped out of our normal lives to spend 6 months together as a family, traveling through Southern Africa and spending time visiting family and places dear to us as parents, but that our boys barely knew.
We left California with 8 suitcases, which carried within them sleeping bags, school books, art supplies, clothes for 2 seasons as well as cameras and computers and a few essential toys each boy chose to travel with.
We have managed to lose a number of things along the way and buying something generally means something else had to be given away. We left behind in California many of the things we thought we couldn't live without (toys, tv shows, mountain bikes) and have instead filled our time with multi generational meals around tables, hiking up mountains and games involving imagination rather than toys. We brought iPads which have been loaded and reloaded with books as our boys have read their way through long drives and days without tv or digital media.
What have we missed? Not much from the world of things. We have missed friends, our dogs, the comfort of our own beds and adventures up the mountain behind our house.
The richness of time together and time away from rushing between work and school has filled our days. We have had time for simple pleasures, with many hours spent in the ocean and hiking dusty trails. Our bank accounts may be leaner, but our lives are immeasurably richer.
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