Homecoming
Is there anything better than going home, especially after an extended trip with tough challenges? I’m not sure there is. And I’m heading home…19 days on the road; numerous challenges overcome; tremendous smiles as a result; and great satisfaction from the client…I guess in a way it’s what I live for…the rush that comes from finishing a job and overcoming the difficulties that occur in route to that successful conclusion.
But back to the homecoming. I’ll be home this time for just 13 hours (when excluding travel time to and from the airport) and I already have each and every minute filled up. You get used to this when you’re a heavy traveler – optimizing the limited time you are at home to maximize the interactions with each member of your family. Part of the excitement comes from knowing that each and every minute is precious; part of the excitement is also knowing that with such a limited amount of time, each conversation, each meal, and each moment shared together will be part of the memory carried forward during that next trip which then sets the stage for that next homecoming.
In our more than 25 years of marriage, my wife and I have been together for certainly no more than half of that…I seem to thrive in heavy travel required jobs. Some have joked that it’s the separation that keeps us together; others have joked that it’s the homecomings that keep us together. I can tell you from direct experience that it’s both.  The separations build an incredible bond and yet an incredible unity. The homecomings create a sense of great excitement and anticipation as well as a great opportunity to renew and refresh our relationship. I would never presume that intense travel is right for every relationships…some relationships need proximity and the stress of separation may be to much to bear. But for those of us that can accomodate the separation and look forward to the homecoming, life can be equally if not more special than those with mostly proximity.
I’m looking forward to today’s homecoming, and the excitement of re-connecting with all those I love, even if for only a few hours. As always, it will be special. As always, it will set the tone for the next separation and create the excitement for the next homecoming.