Uneven Sidewalks

I bruise easily.  Yet I never realized this before I went to college where I would wake up every morning to find three new bruises with no recollection of how I got them.  I was exclaiming about this to my friend who pointed out that, at home, I knew where everything was.  At college, the probability of me running into things and hurting myself was so much greater because everything was so much more unfamiliar. 

That's one of the things I love most about being home.  Familiarity creates comfort which instills security.  Life doesn't pause or stop while I'm home but being surrounded by things that are known, constant, and unchanging certainly helps. 

I like that when I'm running, I don't have to look down to avoid tripping on the uneven sidewalk.  My feet already know where to land instinctively.  I like that the sidewalk is one that I've traveled down hundreds of times.  It's led me to the park, to parades, to farmer's markets, to the grocery store for last minute ingredients, to the bakery with friends, to art shows and fishing trips and the library and friend's houses. 

I like that I can make scones on a whim or do nothing at all for the afternoon and not feel like I've disturbed the delicate balance of a life that has no room for relaxation. 

Breaks are only satisfying if they actually break you away from something vastly different.  Which is why I also love my fast-paced, always-changing, bruise-inducing, absurdly productive life at college.

It's good to be home.