A few days after I got home from Cape May, I received the postcard I sent to myself from there.
Mike poked fun at me for sending a postcard home to myself, but it was a nice reminder of some of the special encounters I had along the way, making me feel like I wasn’t the only person in the world dealing with family problems. I remember snuggling up under heavy comforters in my room at the Pink Cottage, while the wind howled outside, and writing this postcard. I’ll hold dear this special time in Cape May at a time when I really wanted to pamper myself. My time there also gave me some distance from my problems, and helped me consider how I can love my son but let go of him and his choices at the same time. Love but detach. It’s hard for a mother to do, but necessary. I can only live my own life; his life is his to live as he sees fit.
It was fun to give the gifts of lotion and soaps from Bath Time to my grown children as stocking stuffers at Christmas (yes, I still do stockings for my adult children!). I still haven’t soaked in the LushUSA Bath Bomb. I’m saving it for a time when I really feel down. And, once it’s spring, I’ll love wearing my two new scarves.
I had fun editing my photos, deciding on the five iconic things about Cape May and posting them, and also writing my 5 senses experience of Cape May.
On some warmer weekend in the future, I’m going to return. 🙂
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“ON RETURNING HOME” INVITATION: I invite you to write a 500-750 word (or less) post on your own blog about returning home from one particular destination or, alternately, from a long journey encompassing many stops. How do you linger over your wanderings and create something from them? How have you changed? Feel free to address any aspect of your journey and how it influences you upon your return. If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments.
For some ideas on this, you can check out the original post about this subject: on returning home.
Include the link in the comments below by Sunday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Monday, May 7, I’ll include your links in that post.
This will be an ongoing invitation on the first Monday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂
I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!
the ~ wander.essence ~ community
I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired!
- Suzanne, of Being in Nature, wrote a thoughtful piece about returning home from Petra, Jordan, along with a beautiful haiga.
- Carol, The Eternal Traveler, mentioned in an earlier comment that being able to get a good shower is important when she returns home. Here, she writes a reflective piece about New Zealand’s “10 Best,” including that ever-elusive decent shower.
Thanks to all of you who wrote posts about “on returning home.” 🙂
I’m a heap of emotion right now, Cathy. James was home yesterday to sort through 28 years of ‘stuff’. It almost felt like a betrayal. He hated seeing the ‘for sale’ sign on the house. So do I! But we’re not changing our minds and he doesn’t want us to. Hope you had a great weekend with Sarah. 🙂 🙂
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Oh my gosh, Jo, I bet that is really emotional. It’s hard to leave the home where you raised your children and lived most of your life. I can imagine how I’ll feel when we finally downsize. I’m sure it is all a bittersweet experience. And I can imagine how he feels, losing his childhood home, even though, as you said, he doesn’t want you to change your minds.
Adam is currently cleaning out all his stuff and is taking off tomorrow for Minneapolis to journey with a friend. Who knows where he’ll end up. He’s talked about meeting Maddy in Asia or ending up in an ashram in India for 6 years! It’s all open ended. He’s definitely got my adventurous genes, but I’ve always supported my trips by working and I have no idea how much money he has. I also always want a roof over my head whereas he doesn’t seem to care. Oh well, to each his own. Life unfolds in mysterious and surprising ways, doesn’t it?
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It absolutely does! 🙂 🙂 Good job we don’t have crystal balls.
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Keep going doing what you planned, and the best of luck with it. Although I must admit that I sure can understand your emotions.
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Thanks so much, Pit. I’m learning to deal with the challenges every day. 🙂
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I had meant this as a comment to Jo. I must have gotten things wrong.
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Thanks, Pit 🙂 🙂
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You’re welcome, Jo. 🙂
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By the way- Suzanne’s links don’t work? 🙂
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Really? Let me check them! Thanks for letting me know!
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Can you check the links now, Jo? I fixed them now. The original link she sent me was what I linked to, but now I see it’s disappeared!
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Will do- trying to keep Jude happy. You know what a pest she can be! Tee Hee 🙂 🙂
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It’s a good thing I have both you and Jude to set me straight! 🙂
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I love the idea of sending yourself a postcard. I love postcards but never receive any. I still send them to my grandchildren when we are away.
BTW You might want to scribble over your address on the photo. You never know who might be reading this blog and you have mentioned going away.
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That’s true, Jude! Good idea! 🙂
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Done, Jude! Thanks! I guess I’m just too trusting and also think no criminals would read my blog! 🙂 I do love sending postcards home. When I go abroad, I’ll have to buy them there and send them home. I just want to use these 50 state postcards I’ve had sitting around for a while. 🙂
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So does this mean you are going to visit all 50 states? Now that would be fun.
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Well, I’ve already been to so many already, Jude, but I’ve never sent the postcards before. So, maybe I’ll have to visit them all just to send postcards from them? Haha! 🙂
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I think that would be an excellent plan. I want to visit every county here, but of course I don’t have to travel quite so far as you would have to do!
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I wish I could travel every country in Europe, and even in the world (well, maybe not EVERY country, but lots), but since I started so late in life, it’s highly unlikely that will happen. That’s why I keep suggesting to Mike we should get a small apartment in Europe! So far, he’s not buying into the idea.
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I keep suggesting that too, but my OH is not taking the hint either. Men, eh!
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Why won’t they listen to us!? We know best. 🙂
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Heehee… of course we do 😀
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🙂 🙂
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I thought that too but didn’t like to say. 🙂 🙂 Yes- the link is working fine now, Cathy. Hugs, darlin!
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Great, thanks, Jo. And hugs right back to you!
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I like your postcard idea! I never send postcards anymore and consequently never receive any, but if I sent one to myself there would be no reciprocal obligations! Also had a smile reading through the three-way comment conversation before mine.
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Cathy, Lush began in a seaside town 80 miles from here. I’m going to start sending myself cards, it’s a fab idea 🙂
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Really? I had no idea about LUSH. Thanks Gilly for that tidbit of history. It has been fun sending the postcards; I hope you do it. I like having the postmark show, but for some reason it didn’t on this one. I got postmarks on the ones from Nashville and Pittsburgh though. 🙂
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What a wonderful idea to send yourself a postcard. I’ve never even thought about that. But, wait a minute. I don’t have an address. And, I don’t go on vacations… 🙂 It looks like the encounters you had with people stood out the most in New Jersey. The perfect souvenir! Enjoy your special bath, whenever the time is right.
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Thanks so much, Liesbet. I will use that bath bomb for sure, probably as I train more for the Camino and have more aches and pains. I’ve had fun with the postcards and plan to continue them! Yes, the encounters were some of the best in Cape May, as well as the walk in the State Park. 🙂
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Are you familiar with Donna and her blog Retirement Reflections? She and her husband walked part of the Camino last summer (and another time, years back as well). She wrote about it on her blog.
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No, I’m not familiar with her, Liesbet. I’ll have to check her out. I’ve read many accounts and still have more to read. It’s fun learning of pilgrims’ unique experiences.
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A postcard to yourself is a lovely memento.
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It was a fun thing to do, despite my handwriting being atrocious! 🙂
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A loooong time ago, when I was still collecting stamps, I sometimes ent letters and/or poastcards to me to get stamps that had been used for real, and those on envelopes or postcards still.
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Oh boy, Pitt, I have always had a fascination with stamp collecting, although I’ve never done it. Actually, one of the intentions I set for my Pittsburgh trip was to write a 1,500 word short story set there, and I have in mind a character who collects stamps! I’ve been thinking about this character for a long time. 🙂 I do ask for the most interesting stamps every time I go to the post office. I love them.
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How interesting! 🙂
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Forget the men. Do it together!!!!
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Agreed, Meg. 🙂
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No one sends postcards any more, so if you want one, guess what? I sent myself one from Madaba and keep stumbling across it and wondering who it was from! For me it was a good chance to essentialism Jordan. Everyone keeps on talking about returning home – at least you and British airways do! I need to forget nearly 40 hours in transit first! I rather like the idea of stockings for grownups – but we don’t do Christmas anymore, except for 5 year olds.
I’m enjoying getting to know you a bit more, obliquely.
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How nice to keep stumbling over the postcard and being surprised by it. I’d love to see that postcard, as Jordan is one of my favorite travel destinations! Forty hours in transit!? That takes so much out of you. I hope you take your time recovering from that trip! Thanks so much, Meg, for reading and for your kind words. I hope you truly have an enjoyable journey! 🙂
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Love the post card idea and wished I’d done it years ago when I was travelling out there. They would be great to look back on.coming home, now that is a good idea as a follow up to a trip.
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Thanks, Pauline. It’s one of my new goals when traveling. It’s so funny, and shows how forgetful I am these days, that after I arrive home and the postcard arrives in the mail, I’m genuinely surprised! Haha, I laugh now, but I won’t be laughing if my memory continues in its downhill slide! 🙂
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Easy to forget things when you are so busy. Getting organised for trips is a real brain drain. I had a friend ask me to send a pc from Ulan Bator in Mongolia. It took months to arrive. I was surprised it did make it. Wished now I had sent myself one….
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I know all about the brain drain, Pauline. I’m starting to feel it now as my 25-day road trip is less than two weeks away, and I have a lot to do! That would have been a great surprise to get a postcard from Mongolia months later. I’m disappointed that even after living in Korea, China, Oman and Japan, I never sent postcards home to myself!
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I used to send pc to my Mother when travelling, but don’t know what happened to them
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Hopefully she kept them all and you can get them back one day!
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Sadly she died back in the 1990’s when I was living in NZ and my sister cleared everything out, so think she maybe binned them…
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Oh, that’s a shame. I’m sorry about your mom too, even though it was a long time ago.
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