So Long, Summer Break

Truthfully, I am as relieved as I am sad the summer has come to an end. This summer was full of life and excitement; I rarely had a down minute to focus on anything besides what I was doing that exact moment and what I needed to be doing the next moment.

I’m currently back in Pittsburgh and it feels SO GOOD to be in one place for more than a few days, to be back in an apartment with my husband and dog, to have some semblance of ‘normal’ for a little bit.

Since I last checked in, I moved out of my ‘summer home’ and then flew to Boise to road trip across ID + OR with Heidi. Coincidentally, my trip overlapped with Alex’s trip to Bend so it was a treat to spend ~12 hours together with our friends. I then returned to Denver where I bounced around lodging arrangements, 5 nights with a friend in Wash Park, 5 nights house/dog sitting for a friend in the Highlands.

Smiley Creek Overlook in Idaho
Smiley Creek Overlook in Idaho

10 days after leaving Portland, I got on a plane to head BACK to Portland (hi again, Oregon) to run 15.5+ miles of the Hood To Coast relay with a super fun team. I left the race early and boarded a bus from Seaside, OR to PDX just as my team was crossing the finish line (official time: 28:46:46, 30th in our category!) to catch a red-eye flight to Pittsburgh by way of Chicago. Tired yet? 🙂

Finishing my last leg at Hood To Coast! Can you tell our team theme was neon?
Finishing my last leg at Hood To Coast! Can you tell our team theme was neon?

After landing in Pittsburgh Sunday morning and sleeping most of the day, I worked remotely for one day before boarding ANOTHER flight on Tuesday for Denver for in-person work meetings. On Friday afternoon, I flew back to Pittsburgh and packed my backpack for our Labor Day backpacking trip in West Virginia.

Backpacking in West Virginia #tepperlife
Backpacking in West Virginia #tepperlife

All of this to say…I’ve more than enjoyed my summer of chaos but I’m really happy to be in one place for a little bit. While talking to my dad earlier this week, he commented, ‘Well, you guys certainly are unconventional!’ and I don’t think a truer statement could be made about this moment in this Petre family’s life.

This week, though, I’ve spent my time doing very conventional things: working (albeit, remotely), eating meals with my husband, catching up with Pittsburgh friends, bonding with my pup, exercising, getting more than a few hours of sleep a night, reflecting.

Savoring these moments of calm before the next round of sustained chaos, rapidly approaching.

 

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