New state + new name for our adventure!

During this, our third week on the road, we’ve been trying to come up with a name for our grand adventure—something that captures the spirit of what we are doing and still has significance for our unique family. In a moment of inspiration, Tony came up with the “COVID Lemonade Tour,” since 1) lemonade is Alayna’s beverage of choice and 2) we are doing our best to make lemonade out of the lemons that this pandemic has handed us.

The sweet: Our Maryland home is much larger and waaaaaaaay cooler than we anticipated. It has a private dock, kayaks, a huge four-seasons room with a wide view of the St. Mary’s River, and a hot tub that the girls have used every day. I’m also just a quick jog away from miles and miles of wooded running trails. Our upstairs balcony is the best place for having morning coffee or watching wildlife; so far we’ve seen bald eagles, heron, deer and tons of other critters. There’s a groundhog who comes to have breakfast in our lawn every morning. We’ve named him Chunk. He looks like a furry football.

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The sour: This week, I had two moments of sheer panic. The first was when I realized I had to drive over this ridiculously high, super scary bridge. (I hate heights. Commence hyperventilating.)

The second was when a wave of realization hit me – we aren’t going home. Not for a lonnnnnng time. Yowza. (Commence panicky feeling in chest and surprising tearfulness.)

So far, this has kind of felt like a long vacation. As our neighbors, families (and certainly Tony’s coworkers) can attest, the summer months especially find us away from home for extended periods of time, often with a quick turnaround between trips to wash clothes and restock suitcases. But this trip is different, and I feel it in my soul. Doesn’t help that there’s so much angst and unrest in our world … riots in the Cities, wildfires in the West, tropical storms in the Gulf Coast. My family still has thousands of miles to travel and months and months away from the security of home—a realization that caught me off guard the other day and left me feeling surprisingly homesick.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m still so super stoked that we are doing this. We are healthy and feel very safe. (No worries, Mom!) A small amount of homesickness by no means outweighs the adventures and experiences we’ve had in just these first few weeks of our Lemonade Tour. But I promised when I began documenting this journey that I wouldn’t hold back – the good, the bad, the emotional. So, in the interest of full transparency, I have to admit that the physical distance from home and loved ones is hitting me harder than I thought.

Fortunately, as a result of that trip over the super scary bridge, Tony and I were able to bring home supplies to catch Maryland blue crabs right off our dock. The girls are natural crab fishermen; me, not so much! Good thing I have another week to practice!

Highlights: On our way from Delaware to St. Mary’s County, we spent a night in Annapolis. SUCH a fun, cool city! It’s just loaded with history and quaint, colonial charm. We walked past the state house and hit some historical highlights, but I think the best part was just wandering around Main Street, checking out all the cool restaurants, stores and ice cream shops. With the U.S Naval Academy nearby, there were midshipmen everywhere in their bright white uniforms—even at church. We attended Mass at a historic parish that was built in 1822; the land was donated to the Redemptorists by the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. (Now there’s a fun fact for ya. I’ll take Annapolis history for $200, Alex!)

COVID: Our Maryland house is so remote and secluded that virus concerns barely make a blip on our radar. It’s discouraging to hear the updates/protocols from the girls’ school district about what to do if a student or classroom is quarantined, or if a building needs to close. Our first hiccup with virtual learning came when Alayna’s teachers asked for parents to come to the school office and pick up workbooks and supplies. (Castle Rock neighbors to the rescue!!) Beyond that, and even with the time zone differences, the girls are not surprisingly thriving in the virtual environment.

Gratitude: Tony and I have a wedding anniversary soon, and I’m more than grateful for the partnership we’ve established over 17 years that has allowed us to make this journey together. I also don’t tell him enough how much I appreciate his financial support of our family and his willingness to take his business on the road while still handling all the monetary and banking details. We have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, gas in the van and money in the bank. None of that would be possible without you, Tony. Love you!

The kayaks are calling, so I’ll sign off for now. Thank you all for your continued support! We love reading your comments; keep them coming and please stay in touch!!!

If you like what we are doing and feel compelled to do so, go ahead and share this link with other adventurous souls. Much appreciated!