Real Life | Making Relationships a Priority

As an introvert, my first inclination is to plan trips around places to see, not so much people to visit. In my mind, I'm out there with my camera, seeing the sights, camping on rugged bluffs overlooking the ocean. But even in writing that, I begin to feel lonely. Introverts get lonely too. But we want to share our lives and our passions with just a few people, the ones most special to us.

I want to explore the tide pools with my sons and my husband. I'd like to ride single-track with my cousin or kayak with a best friend. Camping out under the stars with my two cuddly boys was just about perfect.

But on our recent road trip to CA and AZ my perspective shifted, ever so slightly. We spent one night with cousins in Angwin and I wished we had planned for two. We stayed with friends in Riverside for almost 24 hours, but it wasn't enough. I felt myself leaning in to the relationships more than I thought I would...wishing for more time to enjoy the friendships.

It's hard for me -- the friend thing. I feel sometimes like my sweet spot is about two centimeters wide and I so easily become either lonely or overstimulated {yikes, it's really no fun!}. It's easier to just do things on my own, but I really believe investing in relationships is important.

It's simpler if we share things in common or have spent time together becoming used to each other's quirks. But is anything simpler when you're a mom? I think not.

I could rant and blubber about this all night, but what I really want to say is that good friends are good. And that I'm thankful for the ones I've got. And that good family is good. And I'm very thankful for them too.

And that this trip was made sooooooo much better by the overnights that had loving people attached to them. And next time we come to Phoenix, we will take more pictures with grandma and grandpa and not. get. sick. Mkay?