With hearts aching and eyes damp we said goodbye to grandparents, vacation and the ocean.

It was a long day but we managed to get in the door just before the clock struck twelve.

Here are some impressions.

:: An eldest’s request that we forgo the fast route for the detour through Vancouver (which is what us adults really wanted in our heart of hearts).

:: Liam asking in Vancouver if we were in Calgary yet. When he was told no, he requested an appetizer.

:: Amalia announcing when she turns 16 she will buy her own van, listen to ABBA and drink chocolate milk.

;; Revisiting, albeit from a moving vehicle, some of our favourite spots in a most beloved city.

:: Sarah singing, One of Us is Crying – just that one lyric over and over.

:: Simon removing shoes and socks for his blanket and trucks kiss his toes.

:: Dan’s frustration with drivers who do not follow, “Keep Right Except to Pass” and teenagers who throw footballs at the van.

:: A cappella singing of many ABBA songs with various true and made up lyrics.

:: Liam asking every few minutes when we would get to the tunnels then at every approach feigning quiet reading until we entered at which point he’d exclaim, “Who turned out the lights?”

:: Peanut butter cookies that bought peace at an opportune moment.

:: My delight at finding fresh local cherries at a quick stop for much cheaper than we’d pay at home.

:: The elderly woman who gave up her bathroom stall for a rather desperate Sarah.

:: Discovering I’m much more pregnant than I was three weeks and my bladder has much less room.

:: Sarah announcing three-quarters of the way home that she wanted to go back to Grandpa Jay’s house now.

:: Beginning and ending out trip listening to this album and this favourite song in particular.

:: Everyone settling in to sleep in their own familiar beds in their own familiar room in their own familiar home – even while those hearts were still rather tender.

*I would also like to point out how many of these impressions were inspired by ABBA. I do not enjoy ABBA, my children cannot get enough. It’s becoming a problem.

Happy weekending friends!

I love the ocean. I long for it. I dream about it. I imagine the smell, the sounds, the taste and the feel of it when I am far away.

I grew up near the ocean. Summer vacations were spent there. Long weekends often included a drive along the shore. Many trips were made across the small strip of it between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island when we visited my grandmother.

Now I live in Alberta. It feels very far away from the ocean. My ocean.

And as much as my home is most certainly wherever this family is together, returning to the ocean always feels like coming home.

It has been six long years since I visited my east coast home. I am thankful, though, that my in-laws have relocated to the west coast (a little more within reach than the east coast) giving us an ocean destination to visit.

It’s wonderful to breathe it in. Feel it beneath my feet. Explore its endless wonders and mysteries.

We’ve loved the opportunities to dig in, get dirty and soak it all up.

And someday I hope to have a permanent home near the ocean.

One where we can kick off our shoes and enjoy many long days adventuring.

Do you have a home away from home? Somewhere that always calls you back? Or are you settled in your heart’s home?