Back from Pennsic

We are back from our two weeks at Pennsic. Went for land grab, stayed till Friday. Came home a day early... more about that later. Expect some new blog posts about Pennsic in the coming weeks. For now... real life sucks.
I miss the sound of the wind in the trees over our camp, the drumming, the voices from neighboring camps. I miss looking out and seeing my family here, ready to face the day together. Eating breakfast just Dalla and I... it seems so weird. It's amazing how quickly we get used to that way of life. The camaraderie, the closeness... makes me really appreciate what life on a steading would actually be like. You grow to rely on those people, not just for shared labor, but support... emotional, mental... knowing that they are right there.

The view from our sitting spot...

I miss getting up to muster for battle. Putting on the gear, putting on the game face, that feeling in your stomach before the cannon goes off. I always have the words from the beginning of "Starship Troopers" going through my mind... I always get the shakes before a drop.
The pure joy of the fray... working the axe, the press of bodies, the adrenaline. those moments when Olaf is actually as big as he is in my head... it is amazing. A much more simple, purpose driven portion of my life. Clear objectives, clear purpose. To paraphrase Jethro Tull... give me my Dane axe and clear understanding....

I miss it. I love all my mundane family. I love my job, I love my life. But I wanna go back.