road trip

Summer Adventures and Back-to-School Season

/ stlmaryland / Leave a comment

Summer has officially come to a close, and with the kids now back in school, I can finally take a moment to reflect on what a whirlwind the past month has been.

In August, we packed our bags, grabbed the dog (who happens to be my wonderful service animal), and flew 2,700 miles across the country to California.

It was a special trip filled with family, friends, and memories that I know we’ll hold onto for years to come.

From there, I rented a car and headed south with the kids for a few days in Southern California. We stayed with our Aunt and spent time visiting Grandma, who turned an incredible 101 years old that weekend. Celebrating such a milestone with her was truly unforgettable.

Of course, no trip to SoCal is complete without a beach day, so we made a quick day trip to Malibu. We ended up at Will Rogers State Beach, sitting on the sand with soft serve ice cream cups from the snack shack in hand — the kind of simple moment that makes a trip special. Along the way, we also witnessed some of the aftermath left behind by the Palisades Fire, a sobering reminder of how quickly nature can change a landscape.

Before wrapping up our trip, Aunt Sherie treated the kids and me to a delicious brunch at Leo & Lilly’s in Woodland Hills. It was such a tasty treat and a wonderful way to spend time together before we had to head back home.

Now that we’re back, all the suitcases are unpacked, and we’re adjusting to a brand-new school year here in Maryland. My daughter just started college two weeks ago, and yesterday my boys had their first day of 9th and 11th grade. The biggest change? They’re all in new schools since our move to Maryland back in June. It’s been an exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) transition, but I couldn’t be prouder of how they’re diving into this new chapter.

Summer already feels like it’s slipping into memory, but I’m grateful for the family, the travel, and the moments that made this one so full.

☕ Support the Journey

If this post resonated with you or made you feel a little less alone on your own path, you’re always welcome to support my writing with a cup of coffee. Your kindness helps me keep sharing real stories and new chapters, one step at a time: 👉 coff.ee/smalltownmichele

🚗 A Lesson in Waiting: When the Car Finally Came

/ stlmaryland / Leave a comment

Alex’s car finally arrived! We hadn’t had it since June 11th, but on July 12th, it was loaded onto a transporter and it made the long journey all the way from California to Maryland.

After more than a week of waiting, calls, delays, and vague updates, the car is finally here. And I’m grateful. But I’d be lying if I said the whole experience didn’t test my patience in ways I wasn’t quite prepared for.

The car had made it to Philly a week ago. I knew that much. And then… it just sat. Four whole days of sitting. Not moving, not progressing, not being delivered. Every day I called, asked for an ETA, and got the same uncertain tone on the other end. “Soon.” “Maybe tomorrow.” But tomorrow kept shifting.

And here’s the thing: I may not have had official updates, but I had other ways of knowing where the car was. Let’s just say I had eyes on the situation, aka an AirTag. I didn’t say a word to the delivery company, of course since some things are better left unspoken. But that quiet knowing, that silent tracking, made the waiting somehow feel even longer.

Because I knew it wasn’t stuck in traffic. It wasn’t on the way. It was just sitting still. Close, but not quite home.

And that’s where the real lesson came in – Waiting isn’t always about time, it’s about surrender.
Letting go of control. Resisting the urge to push. Choosing calm even when every part of you wants to scream, “Just deliver the car already!”

It reminded me how uncomfortable patience can be. Not the light, fluffy kind where you say “it’ll happen when it happens”, but the gritty, frustrating kind where you know what’s supposed to be happening, and it still isn’t. Sometimes in life, delays aren’t just setbacks, they’re gentle redirections guiding us exactly where we need to be, even if we don’t see it right away.

But eventually, the wait ended. The car showed up. Alex has wheels, and I’ve got a story (and a little more restraint) under my belt.

Turns out, patience isn’t about sitting still, it’s about what we choose to do while we wait.

☕ Support the Journey:
If you’ve ever waited for something that felt like it should have already arrived, while quietly tracking the chaos in the background, you’re not alone. If this post gave you a moment of “yep, been there,” feel free to support my writing with a cup of coffee: 👉 coff.ee/smalltownmichele