Home Leave Without a Home

Four weeks after leaving Amman, Jordan in the middle of the night, we are nearing the end of what by all accounts can be considered a successful home leave. The measure of success is itself a somewhat fluid concept. The goal of home leave shouldn't be to completely detox from a two year bender of work and school, but it should distract enough to move thoughts from what was left behind toward anticipation of what lies ahead while leaving relationships, familial connections, valuable personal property, and major limbs intact.

We landed in the United States at Elise's parents' house in Cheney, Washington. Their calm and comfortable home makes a perfect landing pad from two long years spent overseas. The fact little changes in sleepy Cheney brings welcome familiarity. Especially for the kids who revel in marshmallow milkshakes at Zips, if nothing else.

From there, we crossed the state, arriving in Everett two hours too early for our 3:00 p.m. check-in at the Hampton Inn and no real plan to fill the time. This exposed the first minor crack in what had been a smooth transition. Listening to three kids scream and fight incessantly for four hours will do that. Their argument started when I read Rogue One aloud to the Peter and Clementine while Sam wanted quiet to read his own book. Elise and I fought over a missed freeway exit, but found ourselves at the mall where she was able to buy a much needed dress shirt for Sam. 

All would be forgotten a few evenings later at Elise's birthday dinner at Canlis in Seattle.

As the birthday girl, Elise got to pick out the menu. We started with passed appetizers, devilled quail eggs, oysters on the half shell, crab croquettes. For dinner, we had the choice of a ribeye steak or salmon.  Needless to say, most of us went for the salmon. We had a chocolate molten cake for dessert.

From Seattle, we would set off on our weeklong camper van adventure of the Oregon Coast, followed by a week filled with watersports in Jupiter, Florida.

I write this on the eve of our last day of home leave. As much as we enjoyed visiting family -- and as gracious and accommodating family was in hosting us for four weeks -- it will be nice to not live out of a suitcase for a few weeks before setting off for Sri Lanka.