This last week has definitely been quite a break from our regular routine. My younger brother came into town with his girlfriend last Sunday. They are working on a tandem bike tour, and had their bike shipped out west to kick off the west coast leg of the journey. They were originally going to take a train out west, but had to cancel that plan due to the North Dakota flooding. Shipping the bike also took many days longer than originally anticipated, and they discovered some lingering injuries that needed to be tended to during the downtime.
We’ve gotten a lot of lessons this week on how to handle unexpected changes to plans. With the cancellations and changes, I didn’t actually expect my brother to make it out here, which left me unable to get more than an extra day off this week from work. Even though we didn’t get as much quality time as we may have liked, we were still able to have a fun week with lunches, evening bike rides, and working from home. With the short notice of their arrival, we rushed at the end of last week to clean up our office in order to fit the torture device otherwise known as an inflatable mattress. As our guests have been camping and couching for the last few weeks, these accommodations still seemed to them like luxury.
In earlier times of my life, these sudden changes and switches would have driven me through the roof. At times, I have been someone who clung to my attempts to control life and space. While it sometimes gave me feelings of strength, it ultimately left me continually stressed and anxious. I feel proud of how I’ve grown and have learned to roll with the punches more gracefully. Now rather than feeling angry of how my plans for the week changed, I can relax and enjoy the freedom of spontaneity.
Their tandem finally arrived yesterday, and after addressing a few final errands, they will be on the road by the end of the weekend. I am sure that we will take a few days to rest and clean up, but I look forward to seeing what other changes flow our way.