The Road Trip that Changed Us.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve wanted to move west for as long as I can remember. Ever since our first road trip when I was in 3rd grade, I knew that life was for me. I’ve seen so many national parks, been to so many states… and I am so grateful for that.
More than that, I used to joke that I wanted to “live in a van down by the river.” Well- that joke has become a bit more than satire. It’s become a goal.
I won’t bore you with all of the details about how we plan to make it happen; we will wait and see how God provides and what our next steps are.
However, I do think that this road trip in particular felt like a nudge. It felt like confirmation that this might be our next journey.
We went with my parents in our old Holiday Rambler RV, the same one that I took my first trip in 12-ish years ago. We drove (well, my dad drove) nearly 6,000 miles in just 16 days. We revisited many of our favorite parks, mountain passes, and forests, and the nostalgia was just overwhelming.
I sat in the Zion campground with my little sketchbook, my travel watercolors, and pens. The air was hot and dry, perfect for drying my wet hair after a shower. The sun was setting behind some of the rocks, leaving traces of orange scattered on the rock wall behind me. I painted it.
I felt more inspired than I have in a long, long time. I was surrounded by the very thing that inspires my art. I was starting to feel the heaviness of the idea of traveling back home soon.
My skin was clearer than it had been in a long time. A friend commented multiple times that I looked like I had my “light back,” others said I was “glowing” in every photo I sent. I felt like it, too. I felt lighter, I felt more peaceful. Sure, it was vacation. Vacation always makes you feel better. But I’ve been on other vacations to other places- this was different.
As we reached home, I felt nothing short of dread. Not that home itself is bad; but I felt like I had forgotten something, or left something behind. A piece of myself, maybe.
For days, I would come home from work and cry. I felt a weight on my chest. It hurt.
It’s been about a week now since we got home, and it’s lightened a bit. I still will feel a heavy sadness now and again, but I’m determined to work on being grateful for where I am in this moment and trusting God that He will lead us to that path when it is time.
For now, I have many beautiful photos to paint, draw, and hopefully sell. (If you’d like to support my art business check out my shop here: https://ko-fi.com/kennpearlart
So, I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know Who holds the future. Stay tuned :)
