home is…

The saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.”

But what if your heart is in two places?

How does that work?

That’s how Travis and I have felt, ever since we moved back to North Carolina, leaving Denver behind.

Trying to figure out where “HOME” is.  Constantly being tugged in opposite directions.

Travis and I were married June 4th, 2005.  I’ll save our love story for another day (It will be titled, “As You Wish”, and it will have 2 or 3 installments – I’ve got it all planned out in my head).

We honeymooned for a week in Townsend, TN.  The entire trip cost $600, so that should give you some indication of how fancy it was (and how much money Travis had at the time).  I didn’t care!  We spent everyday in a tangled mess on the bed.  Sorry if that’s TMI, but I celebrate married sex.  It SHOULD be celebrated!

Anyway, when we returned from that blissful week, we packed all of our belongings (so like two bags) into a UHAUL, said goodbye to everyone we knew, and moved to Westminster, Colorado. 

(The view near our teeny apartment.)

We had no jobs.  We had no friends.  We had no money. 

We had a BIG sense of adventure.  And we had EACH OTHER.

In fact, let me backtrack a bit and tell you HOW we selected Colorado as our destination.  Maybe 6 months prior to our wedding, Travis and I sat down with a United States atlas and talked about where we wanted to live.  We’d both been to Colorado as children, but that was the extent of our knowledge.  We opened the atlas to the Colorado page, I closed my eyes, and my finger landed on Westminster. 

Easy as pie. 

And very naïve.  (I kind of miss that sense of spontaneity – you lose a bit of that when you become a parent.)

We lived in a teeny tiny apartment.  Travis quickly got a job in sales.  I chose not to work full-time (at Travis’ request) and worked the front desk at a gym when they needed me (coincidentally, I’ve worked in a gym setting ever since!).

We could do whatever we wanted.  Our only constraints were meager funds and job schedules.  Those two were easy to work around.  I know just HOW easy, now that we have children and more responsibilities.

We hiked weekly.

We skied weekly.

We tangled weekly.

{no picture – sorry.}

Splendid doesn’t come CLOSE to describing those three years.  There simply are no words.

After living a fairytale, we relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee (with Travis’ job).  Mainly because we wanted to start our family and craved the support of our parents.  Then, after a year in Chattanooga, we finally moved back to our hometown of Franklin, North Carolina. 

My parents live a mile away.  Travis’, two miles.

I certainly don’t regret the decision to move back.  Henry and Clara are BLESSED to be able to grow up near family!  I am BLESSED to have free babysitting, with people I trust and love.  Travis is BLESSED to work at a job he LOVES!  We are BLESSED to live for free in the house my mother grew up in.

BUT…

My heart has YEARNED for Colorado ever since we left.  I’m talking TEARS when I think of that “honeymoon” time.  Travis feels the same.

If home is where the heart is, how can it be in two places at once?

We’re about to find out if this yearning has any validity. 

On Wednesday night, Travis, the children and I, will begin our journey back to Colorado, where we will be for X amount of time.  (yes, DRIVING!  For 24 hours.  With two toddlers.  Shoot me now!)

I need to see if we’re just romanticizing this place OR if God has placed this yearning in our hearts for a reason. 

Pray that we will get some answers.  And for safe travels!

QUESTION:  Where do you call “HOME”?  Is it where you grew up?  Where you’re living now? 

splendid…lindsay