Road Trip

The first time I left to live in Bolivia was a sobbing, blubbering affair. I was bawling as I hugged my nephews and nieces good-bye for a year and they were crying because it was time for bed. At the airport, Mom weeped, Dad had tears streaking his cheeks, and I hugged my parents longer than I ever had in my life. That first term was almost a year. Initially, it loomed before me like an interminable stretch of Prairie road, but time flies and that first term turned into a five year trip.

From the plains, one sees the foothills long before they are within reach. Although visible, it can take hours for a car to enter the mountain range. A bored passenger will glimpse the mighty precipices on the horizon and be re-energized for the journey...only to have the excitement fade as the clock continues to drag and the scenery remains monotonous.

At times, this is how I feel about going home and about whatever is coming next. Since March, I have had the inner knowledge that I was going home in August. With a ton of teams and the regular routine, the thought of leaving was not at the forefront of my mind. Everyday was filled with the familiar and there was a lot of comfort in "more of the same". Today, the mountains are in sight and the straight, smooth road is about to swerve...almost. The last team has come and gone, the normal activities are tapering off, and I'm booked to fly in a week and a half.

The confusing part is that I don't know where I'm flying to. I'm not sure if I'm leaving home or going home. I have said 'welcome' and 'farewell' so often that my own seems void of meaning. We say the same things to different people over and over again. So much so that I just don't want to hear them said to me nor repeat them to others. Can I infuse "I will miss you" with new energy and meaning or has it become as dull as an endless Saskatchewan plain?

The first time I leave to live in Canada will happen next week Saturday. The next phase in my life is yet to be defined. The road yawns before me and begs me to persevere. I just hope the 'getting-there' hasn't dried up my tears.