What I'm looking forward to...

As our Hawaii chapter comes to a close, everything seems bittersweet. Flyboy and I find ourselves wondering WHY we have to leave. This is laughable because the last 2.5 years haven't been incredibly easy on us. Lately, we've spent a lot of time TOGETHER and he's been home every night for dinner. It's an insanely wonderful change of pace! He hasn't left for any trips and if he flies, it's local missions that last a few hours and he's home at the end of the day. I haven't had to work on the weekends, so we've had two full days to unwind and be TOGETHER. When we get all misty-eyed and wish we could turn back the clock, we have to remind ourselves that this wasn't the norm. While we're incredibly grateful for this time on the island, we know that life here was always the sweetest when we could spend time with each other. When we think about the change that's coming and leaving the routine we've grown to appreciate, it's hard to focus on the good that lies ahead. Over the next few weeks,  it will be crucial to soak up our final moments here and remind ourselves about all the good stuff that will come with the next adventure.

"Choose to see the good stuff."

• Sweater Weather // Now, I realize Texas is still quite toasty, but I know we'll be making plenty of trips to Missouri, Virginia, and Iowa. I plan to get good use out of my coziest cardigans and crew necks. 
• Buh-Bye Time Difference //  The 5 or 6-hour time difference between me and my family has been pesky. I'm looking forward to the day I don't have to do addition before I pick up the phone. I hate numbers!
• Plan Trips // Flyboy's schedule should be a lot more reliable for the next few years. Huzzah! Hopefully, this means we'll (finally) be able to plan a Euro Trip, and see family and friends more often. 
• Walk the Dogs // Our current living situation hasn't been the most conducive to walking our pups. It's been a major bummer, because it was always my favorite time together as a family. We've taken advantage of the hill and we've gotten used to climbing it for exercise, but it's not quite the same. When we go for walks, we have to load Tripp and Beesly into the car and by the time we're situated, they're already exhausted. It's a lot of work and not really worth the effort. I'm excited to make it part of our routine again. I just hope they still know the purpose of a leash!
• Timely Arrival of Magazines // As someone who relishes her monthly periodicals, I can't stand receiving them late. The idea of finding them in my mailbox on time brings me so much delight.
• More Time with Family // This makes me the happiest! When I was looking for a picture to include in today's post, I couldn't find a recent snapshot of me, my sister, and my parents. It's been 1.5 years since that happened, and that's entirely too much time for us to go without being together. Ticket prices to and from Hawaii are hefty, so I'm looking forward to being on the same continent again. That should help! I already know there will be plenty of road trips and shorter flights in our future.
• Unpacking // This is a bit ludicrous because we haven't even packed up our household goods yet. However, we'll be living out of a suitcase for about 5-6 months while Flyboy undergoes training in San Antonio. The idea of not unpacking our stuff until next March blows my mind. I like to feel nested, so this ought to be interesting. Ha Ha! At least I'll be surrounded by my favorite people and fur kids. 
• Marfa, TX // When I get overwhelmed by moving details, I close my eyes and plan our future trip to Marfa. I can't wait to visit the capital of quirkiness. Of course, I'll channel Beyonce and have my photo taken at Prada Marfa. I still need to decide on whether we should stay in a teepee or trailer. Decisions.
• Treasure Hunting // I've missed antiquing. Lucky for me, there's plenty of that in MO and TX.
• Jimmy John's // Freaky fast. Freaky good. We'll, it's been a freakin' long time since I've had a rendezvous with Pepe. That's about to change, and I couldn't be more excited. Yippee!
• Chipotle // Love wrapped in silver foil with a side order of chips and guac. Please and thank you.
• Anthropologie // Stroll through the store and smile at every clever and intricate detail. That's bliss!
• TX Time // All of this "us" time that's occurred lately, well, I love that there's more of that in our future. 

As always, thanks for joining me on this ride, and for giving me a little place to share random thoughts!

IMAGE CREDITS: Sweater // Phone Dock // Planner // Clock // Leash // Magazines // Prada Marfa // Packing Box // Arrow Marquee // Jimmy John's // Chipotle // Anthropologie // Texas Print