As we reflect on our family trips and tips in April, it is a moment to recall how tender family life is. It is brittle, and on a scale that never feels quite in balance. Yet being here for each other is the most precious activity we could spend our time doing.
April had some consequential ups and downs for us, but as I look back, I don’t see anything I’d change or do differently.
There may be affiliate links below. Clicking on them provides a small amount of support to The Family Trip. Read more on our policies here.
Our Monthly Trips & Adventures
Our extended weekend in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was perfect timing and just what we needed. Life has been rushing by, nearly as fast and furious as the Potomac River it felt, so pausing to be together was crucial.
While not all of our family trips could involve long bike rides and views out to Jefferson Rock, we did manage to explore our area even more. We love living in Charlottesville because nature is all around and accessible year-round, including some of the best hikes we’ve done.
We made time to continue to explore our area even more in April, venturing to some new spots.
Being Outside & All the Energy
Being able to get outside again has been restorative, particularly after our quarantine and isolation after (finally) succumbing to COVID. Taking precautions to keep COVID away from those vulnerable, we isolated for a long time. The ability to at least be outside, knowing that Mother Nature was doing her best to help us out, was important.
I think in general over the pandemic I, and many others, have learned how important nature and being outside is to mental health.
In one of the books that so captivated me in April, Amanda Gorman writes:
Our need for nature
Is our need for origins,
The green tangled place
Where we are of least consequence
& yet still matter as much as anything
We’ve continued to make being outdoors a priority, despite rain, pollen, and a busy schedule. It takes creativity and commitment, but it is in the green tangled place that we’ve been finding peace in this season.
Great Books
If you follow me on Goodreads, I’ve been trying to actively review books immediately after reading them. (It is hard to remember immediate reactions if too much time goes by.)
The two books that really captured me in April were so different!
The first was this travel book recounting a personal tour through Ireland – it had me laughing out loud in many parts. And, since we’re going to Ireland in August, it also felt helpful and relevant.
I read slowly and meticulously through Amanda Gorman’s latest book of poetry. I didn’t love all the parts, but the parts I did were therapeutic and healing.
April's Powersheets and Tending List
Well, we all (finally?) got COVID in April, so some of the weekly and daily action items didn’t happen. We were all fine and felt grateful for getting through The Thing that has been hovering over us for over two years with health – as well as grateful for all of the love we felt from our community. But it reminded me how adaptable we have to be in life. We must live with intention yet also not hold too tightly to outcomes.
Some monthly goals that worked:
- Spring break “Staycations” – our boys have different spring break weeks, but we found ways to make their breaks exciting and interesting without leaving town
- Harpers Ferry Fun & Easter
- One date night out
- Hike more – we leave for Guatemala and an epic hike in June, and want to be as prepared as we can
- Family photos catch up – I have a system for removing photos and videos from my phone and organizing them on a hard drive and an Internet spot. It is something I always do to start the year fresh, but I find by April I need to catch up on winter’s photos. Alas, due to COVID and other busyness, I didn’t make progress on this
For weekly and daily actions, I decided to try some new things (with mixed success) including:
- Meditate more
- Spend less than 2 hours on the phone
- “Eat well”
Now, May is here. We have so much excitement for what’s to come. We feel like we are still limping along in a school year pockmarked by COVID, but we’re bravely doing the best we can. In all other things, we have hope and love and I guess that’s the best we can ask for these days.
We hope you are enjoying your family trip through April and into May.