Live Your Own Adventure

Dear Amy,

Okay. I think it's settled. Jon and I need to somehow obtain Corstorphine Abbey, you and Aaron need to find some cute little bungalow near a beach in Australia, we'll build tiny houses in Michigan, Montana, and Hawaii, and then we'll all sign up for a really good frequent flyer program, because we'll just travel between all of them. New dream. Hashed out right here. Love it.

Also, how great is it that both Aaron and Jon would totally love to go to culinary school? Let's get those boys together. They need to be best friends. And then, as you said, we'd be neighbors finally.

This is where I spent my childhood.

Let me just say, I love your dream. I also love that both of our dreams take us away. It doesn't surprise me that we're of same minds on this topic because we're almost always of same minds. Going back to Michigan has this super romantic notion in my mind. Like, if we moved back one day, we would see family and friends and life would be predictable and slow. But like you said, family and friends have moved. Our lives wouldn't be this idea of Michigan. It would be different, and because it would be different, I wonder if it would be sad?

It's definitely this nomadic military life that makes it okay in our hearts to live our own adventures. Sure, I miss my family. My brother Dylan, who was always the resident know it all, is growing up (just like the rest of my siblings are) and all of a sudden he's this cool adult I want to hang out with. A different version of the same story could be said about any of my siblings (and even siblings in law). My parents are my friends now, which is weird in it's own way. So yes, I miss them. I miss Michigan too, with it's fireflies and pristine beaches, it's wonderful food and culture, it's beautiful seasons and indescribable allure. But would we go back? Not sure.

Living our own adventure... in Scotland (of course).

It really is high time we need to live our own adventures. Work jobs we love, take trips we need, be together in places we adore. Jon and I often dream about where we will end up. I guess that's the way of the military. Sometimes we think Michigan is the way to go. More often though, we find ourselves dreaming of other places... Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana, the Pacific NW, New England... Maybe it's a good thing we have at least nine more years to go before we have to make these decisions.

What was the best part about Australia? I've never been, but I want to go so badly. Would you try to pick up an accent? Do you need me to send you Tim Tams? Because they stock them at our Commissary. Your dream life in Australia sounds so perfectly you. A gaggle of surfer children running barefoot through your stunningly warm kitchen. You sun kissed, with crazy gorgeous hair. An amazing aroma filling the house from Aaron's cooking. (Me, sitting with you on the front porch talking life.) I can see you there.

And to answer your questions... Yes, you better come to as many feasts at Corstorphine Abbey as you can, the hotel would be open all year (with a big family party at Christmastime), we'd have a tiny house in Montana, decorating would be a very exciting and welcome chore (SO many ideas), and we'd serve breakfast food. Amazing breakfasts. It's our favorite meal.

If not Australia, though I fully support that move, where do you see yourself ending up? You're getting close to making that decision. Any dreams?

Mallory