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A week from today, I will be lounging at the cabin Up North. My family has gone to the same resort for 35 years - we win the prize for the people who have been there the longest. It's changed owners many times during our tenure, but we keep going back. I've asked my mom and dad several times why they never bought a cabin up there, and it has more to do with the problems of upkeep and taxes than anything else, but I'm assuming that at some point, they will give up and give in. They have always wanted to live in Northern Minnesota. It's just a matter of time. They want a quiet and private lake. It just hasn't surfaced yet. So until then? We go to where we've always gone.
The good doctor told me last week that he's not been on a real "vacation" in over 30 years. I questioned him about his trips to visit his mom and sisters in Pakistan, but there's always something to "do" while he's there. He asked me what a 'vacation" meant. I told him that in my life, it means lounging on the beach, eating ice cream, reading and knitting for hours on end. Sometimes going to town to see if there's any good antiques worth refinishing, and bingo late at night with my 93 year old grandma. But it's just vacation. It's nothing. It's just...doing nothing. And no expectations.In my sobriety, I know that I have to go to a couple meetings while I'm up there. The last time I went, I showed up on Wednesday night, made introductions and someone asked me why I was there and I quote, "I'm going to kill my mother!" And they laughed and said, "We hear that all the time." Which is exactly what I hoped to hear. Meetings help me stay sane when I don't even want to drink. I just want to take out the matriarchy! They know what to do with that urge. And it makes vacation more pleasant.
But how do you describe taking time off? For me, it's all about the water and the ice cream. The books and the mindless knitting. I didn't realize that other people don't take that time to do nothing. I need nothingness to soothe my mind. And I can't wait.
16 comments:
My description of taking time off is doing nothing and sitting on my butt while eating tasty food. I don't need to see the sites for it to feel like a real vacation.
Oh, and it'd be great if I didn't have to cook for once wherever we go.
I have perfected the skill of mind vegging on a beach.
Due to "wiring" issues in my brain, I cannot take time off to do nothing. I have stopped trying because I just get frustrated. We all have our own demons we battle.
What I want to know is how does the cat not destroy all the fun objects in the picture around it? :)
The reading thing for me too. Add in someplace sunny to sit and do the reading. And if you can find a beach and some surf that's ok too. Nearby bikinis don't hurt either...
Will there be a new Baby Z there to fuss over?
No baby yet. He's due the day we leave...
We usually do a little something on a vacation - like when we went to Vegas, we gambled some. When we went to Lake Tahoe, we drove around and took pictures and did a lake cruise thingy (touristy, but amazing views). This year, we're going to Destin. And all we want to do is NOTHING. We haven't looked online to see what's to do there, we don't care. We want to lay by the water, read, crochet (okay, just me not the hub), sleep all day, and eat amazing food that we didn't have to cook (unless we want to cook). I don't think I've been more excited about a vacation than I am for this one. Turns out, you and your family are doing it right!
We have various kinds of vacations. within the past few years we've taken the travel-type of vacation. we spent a week in paris last year. this year we spent a week in london. next year, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary we're going back to Greece (we lived there for 2 years right after we married - our kids were born there.)
then, there are the visit-family-type of vacation. we go visit my wife's family for a week every year.
the last type of vacation we take is usually to the beach for a long weekend. this doesn't always happen - depends on various stuff. this year we did something new, we camped out for a long weekend. we're talking about doing that again.
what each type of vacation has in common is: getting out of the house, getting out of our daily grind, getting away. no worries, no fixed agendas, just whatever we decide we want to do. they're all a welcome relief from "real life".
Vacation for me is what your cat is doing in that first picture. But preferably someplace tropical where kind waiters bring drinks to me in my striped cabana.
Vacation for me means "no stress." At this point in my life, (because of my kids' ages) it usually means a break from them. Oh, it also involves beach and water and sleeping in.
I'm with you. If there's not a beach involved, it's not really a vacation, in my mind.
For me, taking time off involves unplugging. Leaving the computer behind. Going somewhere I don't need to be constantly connected to my cell phone. And preferably a place where books rule over the TV. That's why I cannot wait for our trip to Montana in less than 2 weeks!
We go camping a lot with the kids and now that they are older I'm starting to consider our time at the desert, beach, dunes, etc as "vacation" instead of a "kids trip" .. Because now? Now camping=ME time while the kids are playing. It means long naps. It means virtually no cooking (the menfolk do all the cooking on these trips) and it means relaxation! :)
That sounds like a great Therapy Day...just what you needed..
Most days, hard core coffee starts off my day, and helps me combobulate. Sounds like this was a melancholy, therapeutic but joyous day in the sunshine for you.
I sat outside this morning in the (lo!) sun and pulled weeds and watched butterflies and bees do their thing, it was lovely.
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