In my second weekly vlog (first one here), I share my 10 day trip to Maryland, a weekend at the beach, setting up and cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and lots of family time–plus a few moments like an almost-broken finger, my mom’s reaction to Adult Swim, and what it’s like sharing a bathroom with five other people.
It was a great trip to document, and a lot more interesting than my normal day-to-day! Also–I set up my YouTube channel and will set last week’s vlog, this vlog, and all future vlogs to public so that you can subscribe to my channel on YouTube and watch videos there if you’re interested.
I’m still getting the hang of vlogging, so I welcome your feedback! You can watch weekly vlog #2 below or on YouTube here.
// How was your Thanksgiving holiday? How did you celebrate?
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I completely understand the feelings of needing to withdraw when you’re with family. My husband and I have been married for 4 years and every holiday is difficult for me. However, I have found that when we are with his family, I NEED that time to recharge. It took me a long time to figure that out and be okay with that. At first, I felt like I was being rude if I went off by myself for a walk or to read, but his family doesn’t seem to mind. If I don’t have that time to myself I will likely have (and have had) a breakdown. I still have a hard time withdrawing from my own family though. I love my family and in-laws so much, but concentrated family time can be so draining for me. I’m like you in that I crave my own space and routines!
Hey Brianna! Thank you so much for watching and for your thoughtful comment. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in how I feel!
AHHH! I relate to this SO much in regards to going home and needing space! Whether we are going to my hometown in Texas or my husbands in Kansas I always find myself feeling overwhelmed at the end of the day/trip. Especially when we go to Kansas. My husband is the youngest of SEVEN. I have one sister and my family is TINY so holidays were always kind of chill for us. My husbands is the complete opposite. When I married him I gained 26 nieces/nephews so you can only imagine the chaos at holidays when we are all together. After making a few trips, we decided we needed to just plan on ALWAYS getting a hotel room on those trips for my sanity lol. Sometimes at the beginning, his brothers and sisters offered us a room or a basement to stay in while visiting but that just wasn’t allowing the privacy or recharge time needed. It has helped SO much. I also needed some time during the day to get away because I wasn’t used to being around that many people 24/7! I highly recommend!
I also relate to being in different cultures and am still trying to figure all of that out! Born and raised in Texas then got married and we moved to Upstate NY! I struggle often but remind myself the Lord has a plan and right now this is my story!
Thanks for sharing and for being so honest!
Blessings, Lo
Hey Lauryn! Thank you so much for watching! It’s so nice to know that you “get” it! It’s so much fun to see everyone, but there is certainly a degree of overwhelm that comes with such a 24/7 nonstop trip! Thank you for your thoughts! XO
Loving this vlog series! I too find myself exhausted and craving quiet and my own space, when I’m back home for a longer amount of time. I’ve lived on my own for 4 years now (I moved out for college, and now I’ve moved again for my masters) and every time I’m back home something just doesn’t feel right anymore. I also find myself falling back into old patterns (in terms of relationships with family members) that just do not apply anymore, but for some reason only resurface when we’re all under the same roof again.
In a few days I’m going home (continents away!) for Christmas, and I have so many conflicting feelings about it! On one hand, I am so homesick and dying to just be around familiar people who I love; on the other, I know that I am sorely going to miss having my own space, and not feeling like I need to justify how I spend my time to anyone. It’s strange to feel those two completely (seemingly) opposing feelings, but it certainly is possible.
At this stage of life, I’m not sure what the answer to it is. Although I know that retreating for a while is important, I also get so worried that I’ll later regret not making the most out of having time to spend with my family and friends.
I totally get it, girl. Wanting to soak up the maximum amount of time while also retreating is a hard balance to strike! Thank you for watching + commenting!
So glad you enjoyed The Melting Pot! I went last week too, up near Boston. There were about 8 of us, just celebrating friendship 🙂
It’s my favorite! 🙂 I would love to celebrate friendship at The Melting Pot once a week! 😉
Loved this blog Blair! I can relate to what you’re saying so much. My parents live near San Fransisco, and traveling to there from Toronto takes a full day, it can definitely be exhausting. I think the biggest thing for me is not having my regular routine. I thrive on routine and when it gets thrown off it definitely stresses me out. Also it’s so sad because we have to put our dog in a kennel and I cry ever year! I’m similar to you in that I enjoy my own space and time as well, and being around family 24/7 drains me emotionally. I love them so much but you’re so right in that you don’t have your own place to retreat to at the end of the day. This year we are going to see my parents for Christmas, and my husband and I are still trying to figure out how to make it all work. Definitely a work in process!
I thrive on routine, too, so I get it! And not having Charley with me is always tough. Marriage and traveling and adulthood never cease to throw curveballs and new lessons around every corner! Thanks for watching, Julia!
Loved this vlog, and so excited to see your childhood home tour! I love home tours too. I totally get the not having enough space at family reunion things. I’m the 4th kid out of 5, and until recently 3 of the oldest were all married with kids (still are – I just added my husband to the mix). My parents only have a 4 bedroom house, and one child still at home, so when everybody comes it’s packed to say the least. If you are looking toward staying somewhere else to have your own space, another good option is AirBnB. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, but it is really convenient! It’s like renting an apartment or house for as short or long as you want. Oftentimes, it’s cheaper than an extended stay hotel, and you have the amenities of a full home including all linens, kitchen appliances/dishes, cable, internet, etc. Since my family is so spread out demographically, we have even rented an airbnb house together for weekend trips at a halfway point for everyone. The owner/host lived nearby and was always there if we needed anything. I know traveling can be hard, and finding a solution is even harder, but I’m sure you’ll figure out what works best for you!
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hey girl! Thank you for watching and for your thoughtful comment! It sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I love the idea of an AirBnB…that could be fun! 🙂 Thanks again!
BLAIR!!! Come live in NH – we have beaches here!!! In fact, Chris’ family has a tradition of going to the beach to watch the sunrise on New Year’s Day! 🙂 #besttradition
ALSO, I never considered that, in Texas, you wouldn’t have DUNKIN DONUTS!!! Oh my gosh, I don’t know how I would handle that, honestly! 😛
Double also, I’m just loving your vlog series and it’s making me want to vlog again!! It’s weirdly fun, right??
TRIPLE ALSO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
That REALLY is the best tradition ever! I would love to add that to my New Year’s Day mix. Sounds wonderful! Thanks for watching, Grady! And you should totally vlog!