One Week Home
Posted by roughleyoriginals on May 15, 2012
Last Monday, at 11:15 am, Gareth nudged me from my half-awake state that I take on when I’m on an airplane. My heart had been fluttering for the last nine hours. My mind was reeling with questions and excitement. It had been so long. I had no idea what to expect.
Gareth’s nudge brought me back to the present, to the here and now. He told me to lean over him to look out the window. Right below us, Edmonton sat, splayed out over flat, dry land.
A current of emotions ran through me. Home. 17 months to the day since I had seen this city. And to be perfectly honest, it was…a bit more sparse than I remember. We had just come from the UK, with its green, lush fields, the flowers blooming and flourishing. We had spent the weekend in my favourite city - London - and there aren’t many places that can compare to its cobblestone back street and low-ceilinged pubs.
Never the less, I igored the barren look of the fields - I knew who was waiting for me once we hit the ground. I was wide awake, on high alert, and I was hyper with excitement. A bit nervous, a bit giddy. As every big occasion is celebrated, Gareth and I had a little dance party in our seats as the seatbelt sign came on and we descended to the city I have called home for 27 years.
Security and bag pickup took all of 15 minutes. And just like I had imagined it, my mamma was standing there with open arms and a massive smile as we came through the gate.
Edmonton greeted us with a beautiful summer’s day - which is rare here in May. Our first stop was our house - we had rented it out and so hadn’t been in it since October 1, 2010. I felt like we were in a dream as I walked through the place we had first made a home together.
My dad met us there, with his beaming smile and happy chuckle. His girl was home, safe and sound.
That evening family and friends poured into my parent’s backyard and we were suddenly surrounded by people I had missed and longed for.
As we sat there and chatted and talked, we slipped back in as if we belonged. The best way I can describe it is - everything has changed, but nothing has. People have grown and changed. Appearances have altered. And yet, at the base of it all - their hearts are just as we left them, ready and open for us to slip back into.
Life has been a huge readjustment, and we’re not quite there yet. We have a home to fill with everything that has been in storage. We have people to catch up with. And the thing that has been the hardest for me - we have a time zone to readjust to.
We also hit the ground running - our first week home consisted of two client meetings with wedding clients and a mother’s day photo shoot. No rest for the wicked over here!
17 months
8 countries
Over 30,000 photos
Countless memories
Forever changed
There is nothing like setting out on an adventure. There is especially nothing like setting out with the person you love more than anything in this world. But my friends, let me tell you, there is nothing like coming home again. Thank you doesn’t seem enough for all of the support we recieved while on this adventure. Being grateful doesn’t seem adaquate to show you how much we appreciate it. Every bit of it. Every comment, every like, every time you took the time to read about our adventure, to cheer us on when we were on our highs, to give us words of encouragement when we were on our lows. Sharing it with you has made it so much bigger than we ever imagined it could be. And we have only shared our adventures into November! So much more is coming.
It feels so good to be back. To be home.
Our coming home gift from my very generous Aunt. It’s exactly perfect.

We have a whole new chapter to start. And we can’t wait to share it with you.
With Love,
Shauna

























































































































stephscade – May. 15, 2012 at 3:39 p.m.
Leah – May. 15, 2012 at 6:09 p.m.
Leah Travels – May. 15, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.
Paula Chaffin – May. 16, 2012 at 6:38 a.m.
vi – May. 16, 2012 at 8:54 a.m.
Del Whalen – May. 16, 2012 at 4:46 p.m.