Marquette

I awoke to the surprisingly loud sound of toddler feet pounding on the floor above my head. My nephew's high-pitched voice was exclaiming about something. The smell of coffee percolated down the stairs. From my basement guest room sanctuary, I could tell that the main floor of my sister's house was already chaotic - and it was only 7 am. 

After delivering my seminar and exploring Alpena with my parents, I ventured up to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (also known as the U.P.). I went to college in the U.P., and two of my roommates and my sister are still there. I don't make it back to Marquette very often, but it's always a warm, uplifting trip when I do. 

This particular trip had a theme: children. Between playing dinosaurs, attending a dance recital, and stopping for frozen yogurt in the middle of the winter, I talked about, held conversations with, and acted like a child the entire weekend long. That's life in your 30s. 

There are so many stories I could tell. Chasing my squealing nephew after he "stole" a pair of socks from the laundry. Debriefing with my sister over cupcakes and tea. Respectfully watching a 6-year-old's practiced portrayal of the Virgin Mary while her brother ran laps around the living room as Superman. Bending to a 2-year-old's insistence on being addressed as Buzz Lightyear. Children are chaos - delightful, wonderful, life-giving chaos. 

Perhaps the most relevant anecdote for this blog is when my former roommate introduced me to her toddler as, "This is Miss Kirstin. She's a real-life Octonaut." I don't know if anyone reading this has young kids, but Octonauts is an animated show about ocean explorers. It's a huge hit with the kindergarten crowd. I will never forget how this little kid looked at me when his mom introduced me as an Octonaut - it was a mix of disbelief, joy, awe, and admiration. I felt like such a celebrity, and I bet that kid will never be the same. 

Back when I started traveling, I dreamed of trips like this. I could fly abroad, work insanely hard for weeks or months collecting samples in some exotic locale, gather data, make discoveries - and then come home. I dreamed of having adventures, yes. But I also dreamed of dropping in on my sister. Showing up at a dance recital. Meeting a friend for ice cream just because I happened to be in town. This weekend was that dream come true.