Traveling is fun and yet traveling is tiring. Alex and I love traveling but as time wears on and we get tired, we slowly start looking forward to getting back home. Home is after all where the heart is. Summer trips involve a lot of fun and frolic. Winter trips on the other hand can tend to weigh you down. I think it has a lot to do with the cold and the dull atmosphere. Unless you have great company, this can turn depressing.
For me the company of a hyper active six year old keeps me on my toes. It is always a struggle to keep him entertained during the latter half of the year. That is why I prefer to go to locations that have a lot of snow. I get to ski and Alex gets to build snowmen. Ironically, Alex started learning to ski lately and he is definitely a better skier than me!
It doesn’t matter which place we visit, I always find that there is a certain charm to coming home after the trip. The bags pile up in the hall. We shed our travel clothes and have a hot bath. I love running out of the house to get rations. It’s a joy to shop and cook for ourselves again. Don’t get me wrong! I love gourmet cuisine as much as anyone else but there is a certain charm to eating at home too.
Our ritual is fixed. We drop our bags and shower. The Alex will stand in front of the fireplace expectantly. It is then time to light the fire. We don’t really need the fire to keep us warm. Mains gas from Flogas ensures that we don’t get frostbite. The charm of the fireplace however is something that one should not miss out on.
A simple meal follows. Sometimes it is spaghetti. Sometimes it is pasta. On other days it is just a bowl of plain old salad. Our humble meal is eaten with the greatest relish. Guess why? Because it is then followed by toasting marshmallows over the flame and who doesn’t love that kind of desert? I know that I do and Alex is crazy about them too!
After food is done and the dishes are washed (Alex has started helping with the dishes of late!), we have a little playtime. Yes! Both Alex and I sit and spend our time building lego artifacts. It is something that he loves. Finally it is time to sleep. Out comes the duvets! I tuck Alex into his oversized kid bed. One that he really loves because it is shaped like a ship. Reminds me a lot of the movie BFG but I got it way before the notion became so popular.
With Alex off to sleep, I cuddle in my bed with my duvet and my book. It is the time of the day when I have quality time for myself. It isn’t long before the warmth of the house engulfs me and draws me into slumber. Oh the joys of coming home! Sometimes I feel that it is almost as enjoyable as traveling!