How I spend weekends now

Back then: I prepped all the weekend food and gathered supplies/gear/cargo on Friday. We packed up and left early on Saturday (no matter how tough the week was) and traveled to Burnet.  Breakfast at a favorite Mexican restaurant, then straight to Highlands. We worked on whatever projects we had going - anything from yardwork to building to painting to clearing out trash.  Hard stop at noon.  We showered, then traveled to a winery/brewery, picking up lunch on the way. We normally headed back to Highlands in the late afternoon to shower and nap.  We enjoyed a bottle of wine while we admired the sunset, building a good firepit.  I made dinner, we drank more wine, stargazed, and listened to coyotes, sometimes falling asleep in our chairs.  Next morning, I got up early to make coffee and watch the deer until Mark woke up, then I made breakfast. Normally we finished up a project or chore... in the afternoon, we either visited another winery/brewery, or stayed close to Highlands listening to music and sunbathing in our lounge chairs, always with adult bevvies. We ate snacks, did more napping, returned back to Austin in the late afternoon.  At home we unloaded the truck, I got dinner made and cleaned the kitchen, we ate and went directly to bed. I started my 40 hour work week the next day dehydrated, with bug bites, sunburn, and muscle aches.

 Life felt exhausting.

Highlands was lovely, but not the Shangri La for me that it was for Mark.

It felt like a punishment to have to work so hard on the weekends after a week of being on my feet running around at a busy trauma hospital.

Now:  I prep myself for the "workweek" on Friday afternoon, fixing three breakfasts, three lunches, vitamins and snacks.  I clean the bathroom, make sure the kitchen is in order and get to bed on time.  I wake at 5:30 a.m. to get dressed and ready to go by 6:30, clock in at 7 a.m.  Home usually around 7:45 p.m. and Sunday follows the same schedule as Saturday.  Clock in time is 8 a.m. on Mondays, and by 8:30 p.m. I am home eating a snack and throwing a load of laundry in - I feel very ready for a day off, but not exhausted or overwhelmed.  Tuesday through Friday is spent taking care of my home, getting exercise, appointments for self care and health care, and sewing/reading/errands, or sitting outside on my deck. Cooking is minimal, as is housework. No one gives me grief for wanting time at home. I don't drink all that much. Headaches are rare.  The job situation is much improved.

Life feels good.

My home sweet home is my sanctuary

When I think back on it, I realize that the weekends weren't as fun as I remembered.  But today Life is peaceful, even as I sometimes feel lonely.  All the naps in the world didn't fix the exhaustion of trying to "go and do" as well as care for two homes, 7 days a week. I miss the beauty of Highlands and the Texas hill country, but I love the beauty of this life now, right where I am.