Coming to You from the Big Easy
Happy Friday, friend.
This morning, I’m coming to you fresh off the plane from NOLA, the Big Easy, the one and only New Orleans, Louisiana. There, I’ve just spent the past few days at the PEAK Grantmaking Conference, bumping elbows and sharing ideas with 1,299 other do-good-loving philanthropy nerds. It was fun. It was inspiring. A complete whirlwind in the best possible way.
If you’ve been to NOLA, you know it’s a magical place with a pace that’s light and easy. Since I hadn’t spent much time there before, I was surprised to see glitter-coated sidewalks, pop-up jazz band parades at all times of the day and night, and a plethora of delicious Southern food. Between conference sessions, I ate beignets, walked the riverwalk, and set out on a hunt for some good indie bookshops (of course) ⤵
I loved New Orleans. I have a little confession to make, though. Although this was certainly a dream business trip, much like the one I recently wrote to you about in “From Chicago with Love,” and although I’m incredibly grateful for the experience, the conference, and the opportunity to do what I do, I have to admit something to you ⤵
I’m sick of traveling right now.
Which is a new way for me to feel. I love to travel. A lot. Never in a million years did I think I would ever feel weary of visiting new places, meeting new people, and seeing new sights. But if these past few months of my family’s #ontheroadagain adventure have taught me anything, it’s this ⤵
Everyone needs a place to call home.
Even the most adventurous travelers need a place to hang their hats, shoes, phone chargers, and raincoats. Even the most curious freedom-lovers need a couch to call their own, a bookshelf with their favorite titles, and a mattress with a soft spot in just the right place. After seven months of not having that, it’s starting to take its toll. Thankfully, we’re almost done. Just one more week until we’re back in Maine. Just one more rental house until we make it to closing day and move into our very own home again. We’re almost there.
It’s so, so close.
If you’ve ever made a big change to chase a dream, you know about this part. If you’re about to embark on a big dream-chasing adventure, you need to know about it.
This close to the end is when things can get the most stressful, sometimes the most painful. Well past the “messy middle”, right over the hump of “will this ever work out”, and smack in the middle of the stage I like to call “can it please just happen already.” It’s not fun. It’s also not pretty. It feels a little like that time I was 40 weeks pregnant and my doctor told me to go home and be patient. Mostly because the anxiety of uncertainty and the unknown can sometimes turn certain people (me) into their most harried selves. This brings to mind a wise quote from a certain professor many of us bookish folk might recall from a certain wizard story ⤵
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” ~A.D.
Today, I feel harried, chaotic, and stressed. I have regrets about some of the choices we’ve made on this leg of the journey. I keep thinking how much older and more tired I look and feel than when we started this #ontheroadagain thing seven months ago. But all of that aside, I’m choosing to be grateful for this part, and I want to choose to do some living today. Right now, as imperfect and chaotic as this moment is.
Wherever you are this morning, I hope this little message brings you a smile, a laugh, or a little spark of joy — or at least makes you super grateful for wherever you call home these days.
Next Friday morning, I’ll hopefully be writing to you from an airport on my way back to Maine, back home, forward to home. Until then, I’ll be trying to remember to live.
💛
Live easy, my friend.
Celeste