Stowed Away

Vacations, traveling, and visiting friends and family have been a big part of my life the past two months. Vacations are great whether they have been planned for a year or if they are a spontaneous weekend getaway. Lately, my life has been all about coming and going; so eventful and exciting! Now that I finally have the time to sit and organize the pictures from these recent events, I'm finding so many moments I'm grateful to have captured. As we all know though, one of the biggest drawbacks to vacations is the packing and unpacking. No matter how conscious and neat I try to be when I pack, my suitcases are always a struggle to zip due to being over packed when I leave. Like any time in my life involving a scale, my fingers are always crossed when it comes to weighing, hoping I won't be over my limit. When I'm finally on my way, I always have the same fear, "Did I forget anything? Did I leave anything behind?" no matter how many times I retrace my steps those thoughts still linger. On the drive back after a wonderful weekend trip, I glanced back in the backseat at our luggage and thought about all the laundry and clean up I'd need to do when I got home, but something else occurred to me aside from the accumulation of belongings in the backseat, I realized that there is so much more that I am bringing back: I've got so many fantastic memories that I didn't have before. With these, comes all of the emotion I invested in each moment: the reunions, the surprises, the concerts, the dinners, the early morning rising, and all of the new places and people. With all of this, I still have that persistent fear, "Did I forget anything?" Unlike my packing concerns, this time the question is much more retrospective. I want to know that I made the most out of every second. Did I see everyone? Did I say thank you? Did I show enough appreciation? Did I say I love you? Did I make sure that each person knows how much they mean to me? Did I jump at every opportunity?... whether it be to dance around the living room in a tutu with my niece or bang on a cowbell off beat in front of 200 people while my best friend sings. Knowing that my time is limited, I am a sponge and I make sure I leave without regret. All of my experiences condensed to heartfelt memories preserved in my mind. Safekeeping and fuel to get me through a long stretch without my loved ones near. I cherish each piece I take with me from every visit and hope that I don't forget anything.