Idahome

There’s something special about visiting the place where you grew up. The moment you drive into your old neighborhood and start to recognize your old haunts, it’s as if your entire body and mind slips effortlessly back into a feeling of comfort and familiarity. The feeling is similar to that of falling into your own bed and snuggling underneath the warmth of your own sheets at home after a long trip. Although it isn’t quite the same, watching my husband go through the same process when we travel up to Idaho is always something I love to observe.

We have been to Idaho together several times before, but on this particular trip I felt as if I was able to glimpse a little bit further back into his world before we met. From the moment we pulled into the long gravel driveway leading up to the lake house, it was as if the built up tension from the stress of residency melted away. And with each passing minute, you could see a more relaxed version of himself emerge as he slipped back into “the lake life” with ease. Maybe it was the mountain air, the sound of the rippling waves gently lapping against the dock, or the way that the sunlight glinted off the placid waters early in the morning. But within the first day of us arriving, he was full of both an energy and an ease that rarely are seen in conjunction.

Home has a lot to do with the physical place. But in my opinion, home is in actuality an experience that is strongly shaped by the people that you form memories with in that place. During our time in Idaho we thankfully were able to see many of the people that made The Gem State home for Brendon. We knew we were going to be able to see his parents, but after we both tested negative for COVID before flying up, we were able to see his grandparents, other extended family, and Brooke and Dallas (his sister and her husband). His grandparents drove out from Walla Walla, and Brooke and Dallas from Montana. Having everyone there together just made the trip so much more rich and meaningful. Of course Grandma made her famous home-cooked meals for us, which was followed by hours of laughter and shared memories around the dinner table. The love and warmth was in such abundance that it was practically palpable.

For Brendon and Brooke, it is always evident how much the lake has been a part of their upbringing. Brooke and Dallas definitely have more opportunity to play on the lake than Brendon and I nowadays. But the way that Brendon always seems to ease back into the water, whether he is wakeboarding, on the sky ski, or paddle boarding, demonstrates how it has always been a part of his life. I’m so grateful for all of their experiences on the lake because their love for it makes me feed off of that same energy. The way they always encourage me to try new sports on the lake and guide me through each one makes me have more confidence in myself and my abilities. It helps me to discover new joys and activities that I never would have experienced otherwise.

Throughout this past week I seemed to have a recurring thought in my mind. Whether we were hiking through incredible views at Schweitzer, making dinner together as a family on a windy evening, playing board games late into the night, or paddling around the lake at sunset, I continued to think about how blessed we truly are. There are moments where I feel overwhelmed with how grateful I am for the family, friends, and life that we have. I wonder why we were blessed so abundantly and think about how we can help to share those blessings with others. And irregardless of whether there are good days or bad days, I think we always need to be thankful for the moments that make us feel full of love and joy — just like that feeling of coming home.