Early in our adventure, a break for more than a day or two gave us cabin fever. We traveled slowly but consistently, with a momentum to "get there" to keep us going. But these days, we're feeling like we "got there", we've arrived, and if we like a place, we can easily stay for days.
If we don't actively remind ourselves to keep moving, whole weeks can pass in the blink of an eye, making us wonder in awe: "where does the time go?". Given that our trip is almost over, and that we're choosing to make the transition to stationary living soon anyway, I'd say this is a very good thing. It tells me that we've spent the right amount of time away, and when it is time to go home, we'll be ready.
Now, when we talk about our future travels, the ideas are much smaller in scope and length. We're becoming enamored by the idea of living in one location for a month or two at a time (perhaps here, or here, or here). These days, it sounds much more appealing than rapidly moving from one place to the next.
The temptation of the open road is waning, our wanderlust slowly being replaced by pleasure in daily domestic habits.
Relishing stationary life, we usually begin our off-days by reading. Recently, I have been starting the morning with The Writer's Almanac, while Tyler pores over technology news. Eventually, I move on to cooking and homesteading ideas, while he reads about subjects ranging from field recording to welding to ultralight kit plane building.
We regularly read little snippets aloud, excited to share with one another, thrilled that someday very soon our lives will no longer be so wholly focused on bicycle touring and writing. We keep lists and lists of books we can't wait to read, when, in a few months, we'll have the time and space to pursue a myriad of other interests!
When we're done puttering, we flip on some music and start in on our work: programming for Tyler, writing for me. It's not long before our stomachs begin to rumble. So, we close our laptops and carry them with us to a breakfast of bittersweet iced coffees, fresh fruit salad, and pineapple pancakes.
As we work in different worlds, our eyes quietly focused on separate screens, our toes touch under the table and we look up and smile at one another. We are grateful and pleased with the notion that this resembles, at least a little, what our daily life will be like in just a few months. It's a good routine.