Returning from any trip without the family, regardless of duration, requires a process I’ve named “re-entry”.

Introduced to this in 2003 when I returned from winning my first-ever Half Ironman event (don’t think I have a big ego here, it was a small race in Lake Geneva), I heard, “Will you swing me or jump with me? What’s for dinner?” Gone one day or one week, re-entry required.

Obviously, leaving entails substantial shopping, cooking, organizing, labeling – the folks at Whole Foods ask me if I’m having a party. Returning challenges used to surprise me. So, my head swimming with fun memories of playing football, staying out late, drinking wine, shooting fun video clips, talking about training, learning more about Timex – re-entry is akin to falling off a cliff.

I flew back to Austin, arriving around 9:00pm. Phone call: “She’s waiting up for you.” My thoughts: “Oh, it will feel great to hug Autumn” competing with “OMG, I’m going to be up all night and I’m under-trained, over-tired, and still fantasizing about an alternative life.” What counts, however, isn’t what I think, it’s what I do next, so I breathe and say, “I’m looking forward to seeing y’all.” The rest of the night I have recorded in my memory if I ever feel alone or unwanted: the bed was packed with Autumn, the 2 dogs, and the 2 cats, and me (Michael gets last dibs and his own bed). Autumn snagged my new blue Timex tap watch.
Day 0: check.

Day 1 of re-entry included what had to happen: Autumn to/from school, essential groceries (where I lost my cart because I was over-tired and under-trained and letting my mind float), working, bike maintenance (in my haste to get out of there I couldn’t cope with the bike – I can’t shift out of my big ring and my front was flat), homework, planning, cooking, more working, reading and bedtime process. No training. Always smiling, letting the no training and no unpacking just float there.
Day 1: check.

Day 2 of re-entry hit the next level of priorities. Pick up the dog poop, train!, unpack, clean up, open mail, put bills in the “needs to be dealt with” basket (now overflowing), call parents.
Day 2: check.

Day 3 of re-entry, snow in Austin. Prioritizing and planning only goes so far without flexibility. Worked, trained, and picked up Autumn from school. Played wildly in the snow… in Austin, Texas.
Happiness on the journey. Check.