To say that Mister’s is a sports family would be an understatement, so when we were offered a buy in on season tickets to the Vikings it was a no brainer. Minneapolis is one of my favourite cities and we would have definite, multiple reasons to go this year! Perfect. Only somehow our normal lives, the honeymoon, the road trips, and family get togethers piled on top of each other until it seemed like every other weekend I have found myself (pretend we’re from the 1920’s just for a moment) abroad, or at least very otherwise engaged.

Fact #1:
You would be amazed how repeated 16 hour excursions in the car can dampen the fun of any city, no matter how awesome.

Fact #2:
You might be surprised that while eating Combo’s for breakfast (they’re pretzel bites that are infused with petrified cheese product) might be an exotic & Americana kinda way to start your day once a year, it really does get gross after that one time.

Fact #3:
You might not have considered that while you are very keen for everyone else to take care of your Terrible Black Dogs (aka The Brother’s Grimm) while you’re away, not many people will match your level of enthusiasm.

So while it’s been fun, it’s been draining. And add being back in school & going on your honeymoon to the mix and you really have a strategy for partial systems failure. Notably immune & communications systems. But when the time came this weekend, I got in the car secure in the knowledge that there were amazing deals at Archivers and secretly hoping might be our last trip down this year.

I did really well! I bought Christmas presents, travelled with his family the whole time, and even survived being without my data plan in the US. And then late Sunday night, pinned down under the huge sky somewhere between Fargo and the Canadian border, I regret to inform you that I snapped. Mister’s Dad mentioned going down again in two weeks and I thought I was going to implode on the spot. Because there is no. friggen. way. I’m getting in a car for more than 30 mins for a very long time.

It’s been a wonderful summer & fall with lots of adventures, but I’m finished. I am tired of wanting to be at home, of camping out in hotel rooms & cabins, and of having a fridge full of condiments but no food. I’m tired of crashing early & forgetting to meal plan, and eating french fries and greasy veggie burgers because that’s the only thing on anyone’s menu for vegetarians. I’m finished with cramped legs, itemizing when we left the country, how much we spent, and if we did or did not receive any presents. I’m even tired of paying cash for items and not claiming them when I go through customs, and there is nothing like that for fun.

So in lieu of my repeatedly making decisions that keep taking me towards stress instead of calm, this is a general notice to the universe:

I am commencing nesting for the winter and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me!!!

Seriously, try me.

Mark my words, I’ll shiv you with a wreath.

{image: Inoka}