The Update (2009)

Ah...Costa Rica.  What a beautiful place.  Further, what a wonderful time with Colter spent making new memories and resting from a very packed couple of years.  Rest.  Sometimes life can become so packed with events, responsibilities, and people and things demanding our attention. People experience varying degrees of stress.  Let's call it the stress "spectrum".  Stress doesn't necessarily need to be paired with unfortunate events.  In fact, "happy stress" can be just as taxing on your system.  Say, buying a house, making new friends, can all be stressful, though enjoyable.  

Considering this, I think it's fair to say that Colter and I have had a stressful year.  Not only did we move to a new coast, a new city, adjust to these and new jobs (two for me), volunteering at the aquarium,  but we also bought a house and moved into a new community within Baltimore City.  Due to a bit more financial pressure Colter worked all summer at the Department of Education full time in order to help out with expenses.  Then he rode his bike home (uphill) and worked on house projects until late into the night before starting all over again the next day.  

Needless to say, the tired set in.  I didn't realize just how tired we were until one weekend we went "shopping" for a washer and dryer.  After visiting four stores and comparing notes and costs I felt overwhelmed to the point of exhaustion.  I didn't care about the washer and dryer anymore, I realized I needed a rest from the many directions in which we were being pulled and the may decisions that needed to be made.  I needed space to gain perspective.  Once I shared this with Colter and discovered (with a little convincing) that he felt the same, we decided to forgo the washer and dryer for a little while and to take a trip, just the two of us, to a place neither of us have ever been in order to spend quality time together.  We felt the need to remove ourselves in order to take care of ourselves, and we made the right choice.  As Colter's facebook "fan" page accurately described, "Who needs a washer-dryer duet system when you have love?"

Now as we launched into a new school year, new environment, my new job dog-walking, etc., we feel rejuvenated and ready for our next steps as if to say, "OK world, bring it on!"  Actually, "on" is a good way to describe how life has been since we returned.  And we're ready for it.  :)