July 3rd- ??

As I write this post from the comforts of my amazingly large and perfect home in Bend, OR (funny that it didn’t feel that way prior to our trip), I reflect on how incredibly fortunate my family has been to take this adventure.

To go, we had to battle doubt, fear, and worry both in our own minds and from those who strongly influence our decisions.

Not only has this trip gifted us the tours of our beautiful country, it has urged us to explore places, feelings and interactions that only come when we step out of the safety net we call “home” and into the fray that is “away”.

We dug deep into our hearts and manifested resiliency, kindness and grace to be our guides. I hoped that bravery would meet us along the way and take our other pals momentum and effort out for a drink to share a few pointers. Reflection is a beautiful thing and before I get too integrated into our Bend life, I wanted to memorialize a few thoughts below:

Initially, we struggled to get school just right. We forgot that we were in charge. When we remembered, it was liberating.

Work took time to flex into such a small space, so we created our own co-op schedule.

When parts of the camper broke, Clark would order replacements and he and Ben would fix them during the day when others were out. There was always a helping hand, a “been there, done that”, and an easier way.

New places could be overwhelming and confusing. So, we slowed down, smiled more, offered strangers a joke and asked for help. Each new friendship grew our hearts and broke them a little when we had to move on. We got better at giving and receiving a little “friendship super glue” for the road.

I found myself in a challenging health situation. I learned to trust my gut over all the data, charts and opinions. Thanks Clark, Nana Bear, Papa Bear for the reminder that I get the final say.

This pandemic met us halfway through our trip and demanded our attention. It tried to drown us in uncertainty, but we swam to shore, found a boat and learned to fish.

And when we did, we encountered forever friendships with those who had mad fishing skills and even bigger boats.

We didn’t expect the rest of the world to join us in our self-contained world and we recognized that while we chose our own isolation, we exchanged it for the freedom of adventure, something the virus still attempts to rob from all who quarantine & socially distance, but darn it, I think we are all too smart and passionate to be kept down.

It is fitting that we came back to our home on July 4th, Independence Day, especially when everyone is hoping for some independence from Covid and a return to “normal”. For us, it’s truly a celebration of our own independence from those limits in our own minds.

I’ll close with this. We are all changed for the better. I hope that when my kids grow up, they will say yes first to the “what” and will allow the universe to unfold the “how”.

Love to you all for following the 5 Enchiladas. I hope you found a little surprise for yourself in one of our posts.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.”

-Hellen Keller

Here’s to your next adventure.❤️

Ben, Izzy, Clark, Riggs & Jenn Limoges