Welcome Home

A funny thing happened in Laos. (Right now you're probably thinking, "What does Laos have to do with anything? She's not there anymore.) Well, I'll tell you. One morning I woke up in my hotel and had to repack my backpack to move on to a new city. And I didn't want to. I didn't want to get out of bed. I didn't want to leave my hotel. I wanted to put my toothbrush next to the sink and know it would stay there. I wanted to hang my clothes on hangers and make friends with people I would see day after day. I wanted to be able to wash my clothes somewhere besides the sink. I wanted to decorate my room. And the little green backpack that has been my best friend for so many years: I wanted to shove it under the bed and not have to use it for a while.

I dismissed the thoughts as just being tired and a little bit sick before a long boat journey. So I moved to Australia and decided to stay in one place for a while. I found a room to rent in a house with 4 other girls. Soon similar thoughts started dominating my thinking. I wanted to paint the walls different colors. I wanted to start a food storage program but knew it was pointless because I wouldn't be able to use it. I wanted to plant a garden. I was tired of people drinking my milk. Instead of dreaming about the next trip I started dreaming about interior decorating. I noticed I kept thinking the words "well, I'll do that someday when I get home." The thing was, all this time I never knew where home was. But I always pictured myself back in Utah when I said 'home' so I got thinking one day that maybe all this time I've been looking for a new place to live but all it's really done is make me appreciate where I came from. If I had never left, I would never have realized this. Of course, I couldn't just go back without seeing what I came for, and in a last ditch effort reapplied for the working visa in New Zealand. When I arrived at customs there was no record of any working visa. I took that as a sign and after my two week visit I came back to Utah.

Even before I left Australia I had been looking at houses for sale in Salt Lake. One caught my eye but wasn't in my price range. A week after I got home the price dropped subsantially. It seemed fate was working after all. So after a long process and a few miracles and a lot of help from those around me, I've finally found a place to call home.
I can now put my toothbrush down and leave it there.
I can paint the walls. (Although I kind of like the way they are for now.) But the option is there if I feel like it.

I can start my garden and food storage.

The backpack is in a box where it will stay until the need to travel brings it out again. And then it will be much more appreciated when it does come out. And even though there are times when I get worried about the commitment I've made, I think this will help force me to put down roots somewhere and live life instead of saying, "Why bother? I'll just be leaving soon." To help me get started my aunt Nancy threw a housewarming party. Sorry some of the pictures are a bit blurry.

It's so much fun being around friends and family again!