In the last twelve months, I have gone on the following vacations: (1) My family’s annual week-long vacation in Presque Isle, WI where we rent out cabins at a *resort* we’ve been going to since 1986; (2) a Thursday through Sunday night red-eye to LA to visit my beloved, Sarayu, in March; and (3) a weekend in Door County, from which I returned on Sunday. So, while I guess I haven’t gone vacation bonkers in the last year, I remain a very big fan of, and advocate for, vacations. I was reminded of this on Friday night when we arrived in Sister Bay after a long drive, made longer by my aging Subaru’s oil and coolant problems. That car just refuses to remain hydrated! Anyway, as I was drifting off for a nap before partaking in the best restaurant fish fry in America (the perch at the Sister Bay Bowl — I adore my friend Ingrid for tons of reasons, but near the top of the list is for her unequivocal adoration for the Bowl. No recommendation, in my experience, has ever been more right.), I thought to myself, “This is so nice.” I know that we were just staying in a nice lodge room 300 miles from home and would be there for only two nights, but it just hit me what a lovely feeling it is to be away from home. I love my home, but it’s nice not to have to worry about dusting or vacuuming or checking email or doing errands. It’s just such a peaceful feeling to be able to actually take a deep breath and then, instead of going back to the grind, to be able to do whatever it is I want to do. Of course, the options are limited, but they don’t feel limiting or, more importantly, obligatory. So, I decided that instead of feeling guilty about spending money or worrying about whether I really deserved a vacation, I would try to enjoy the quiet and the peace and the time away from the Things I Must Get Done. So, while Door County was pretty chilly this weekend, which limited some of the choices we had, and while I had a terrible asthma attack and somehow lost my inhaler between Pebbles, WI and Sister Bay, which resulted in an annoying trip back to Sturgeon Bay on Saturday morning to hit up the pharmacy, I enjoyed the time just being away.
And then, when I came home Sunday night, I enjoyed being home again. I cherished my bed and my dog and my kitchen and my couch and my space.
In these stressful economic times, I worry that many of us will forego vacationing in an effort to tighten the belt on spending. I hope this doesn’t happen. It doesn’t have to cost a lot, but I hope that we all make time to get away from the everyday.
life and puppies 