on journeys and returns

Our little family took their first, official family vacation last week. While we've traveled together plenty, this was the first time that the trip was about us and doing exactly what we wanted to do without having to visit any particular place. We journeyed to the Washington coast where we camped on Neah Bay, the northwest tip of the country. I was hesitant about the beach camping before we left. The number of people who said things like, "You guys are crazy!" or, "Twelve hours in the car with a baby? Sounds like fun..." didn't exactly help either. And Eliana basically failed her test camping trip. She was up most of the night wanting to play with us, the novelty of her parents trying to sleep so close by was absolutely thrilling and she subsequently spent most of the night awake and trying to get us to be as excited about the whole thing as she was.

So, needless to say, Eliana got her own tent on the beach. Her own big yellow tent with her pack n' play inside and all her blankets and dollies and softies. And Jeffy and I got to stay up and hang with our friends and go to bed late without worrying about waking up la princesa. She would usually come to around six in the morning and one of us would stumble over to her tent. She'd then have herself a nice long nurse and pass out somewhere between us (usually managing to get herself perfectly situated on both of our sleeping pads, leaving us happily on the hard ground while she splayed out like a little monkey).

The days were spent exploring the beach, surfing (Jeff did great, I didn't exactly get up, but appreciated the beauty of it all), cooking good food, reading, resting, and watching Eliana make her way in the playground that is the playa. She's on fire these days, that little girl. She moves fast and is totally fascinated with everything. Her dear Drunkel and Auntie enjoyed her immensely which made the trip all the more enjoyable for her parents, as they allowed for many breaks in Eliana patrol. There's nothing better than your friends loving your child as much as you do.

And alas, there's always the sweet return. After Elie surpassed all expectations in the car on the return, with nary a whimper (except while she waited for me to toss myself into the backseat for hours of mommy entertainment), we find ourselves back in our sweet little life. While I always get my city bug on or ocean bug on during these sorts of travels, and play these little games of, what if we lived here?, at the end of the day, Missoula is a splendid home to return to. It only makes the friendships sweeter, the mountains more stunning, the piney scent more acute, with a bit of time away. And like her parents, Eliana is a traveler who loves the journey and revels in the details, but is equally thrilled to throw herself back in her basket of toys, turn up her tunes on the radio, and get her home groove on.