vacation

A BETTER STAY. VACATION, RENTALS, CONDOS, HOMES, VILLAS
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Literally – there were a few physically scary moments. But it was an absolutely WONDERFUL series of experiences.

The first scary moment: a snorkeling expedition in deep water with a group of about 15 people, including three who DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM. I was using my new snorkeling gear: lightweight fins that were not appropriate for paddling in strong waves & a mask that wasn’t tightly fitted. Saltwater kept getting into my mouth as I breathed, & my mask kept fogging up. Our young guide didn’t have time to help me get them adjusted properly; he had to attend to the nonswimmers (who were hooking desperately to a couple of small lifesaver rings) & was determined to take us all on a swim-tour around a small island, well away from the shoreline.

A good distance from the boat we had jumped off to begin our adventure, & having fallen well behind the rest of the group, I trod (treaded?) water, assessed my situation, & bellowed, “Ayudeme!” The guide detached himself from the group & came to my aid; he asked if I could make it back to the boat, & I said yes. I did see some beautiful bright fish on the way back (they hadn’t been evident before – I think they were spooked by the crowd). Then I sat unhappily in the bow for quite a while, feeling like a failure. But eventually my sister swam back to the boat too; it turned out that she had completely lost the group & nobody had come after her. Thank God she was able to make her way back around the island to the boat.

My sister has snorkeled quite a few times & is a strong & physically competent person, so finding out that she had not been able to “succeed” in this situation helped give me perspective. Then when the group finally showed up, we learned that they had all found the experience highly stressful & not very rewarding. My husband had helped one of the nonswimmers when she was floundering in the open ocean, & then he had hung onto one of the lifesavers himself; he was so glad I had gone back to the boat early on. Later we gave the guide some constructive feedback. :-)

I did have a much more peaceful experience of snorkeling a few days later, this time at the Piscina beach in Tayrona national park. We got my mask properly tightened & I did considerable paddling around with no problems.

At Tayrona I had a couple of other physically challenging experiences, though. We were hiking through the rainforest from one beach to another, & we missed the turnoff & had to double back. I was wearing my trusty Camelbak & drank water regularly, but after a while I was getting weak & lightheaded. Finally we made it to the Piscina area & a little two-table “restaurant.” I leaned over to get through another wave of dizziness & asked for something salty; a young man who was finishing his meal quickly gave me a patacon (green plantain mashed & fried with plenty of salt) & the elderly woman who was owner/cook provided a slice of plantain as well. It’s funny how in that state one feels better just as soon as the salt is in one’s mouth. Turned out the owner was a great cook; her fried fish was one of the best meals we had all week.

The final adventure of that day was an hour-long ride on muleback in the midst of a heavy, prolonged thunderstorm. Our saddles were covered with big plastic sheets – slippery in the rain, of course. In some places the trail was a complete swamp with deep miry puddles; in other parts it was a narrow arroyo that plunged or climbed steeply between big rocks. My mule insisted on retaining the lead, & I was in awe to see her intelligence at work: at challenging points she would pause to evaluate the situation before deciding her route & hurrying forward to claim it before the other two mules caught up. All I had to do was to stay balanced as best I could. At one point she took me along a particularly steep incline, & at another point she chose to cross a rockface. She slipped a bit but never came close to falling.

For both my husband & me, that ride was an amazing, exhilarating experience. We’ll cherish the memory. My journal will be a constant reminder: it was at the bottom of my backpack & got completely soaked. Once it got partly dry, I could tell it could be salvaged. I didn’t lose any poems. :-D

Just got back from Vegas!

It sucks though.
I set this as a Personal Challenge, and I put the complete date for the day we left instead of the day I got back, so I think this will be forever “failed”...

but I did complete it!

My first vacation in over two years and I am… so at ease right now.

: )

I get my pictures developed tomorrow!

My plane was delayed two hours, so that sucked.

But oh well.

I WENT TO VEGAS!!

I wrote my cousin and asked if I could come visit her in about a month.
I should be getting my checks in from the IRS by then, and I’m out.

lol

I was going to take myself on a cruise (Icelandair tickets would be almost the whole amount I’m getting!), and besides, I don’t know what things can hold me back from getting a passport. I read somewhere not to long ago the words “apply for a passport”, and I have a warrant… or… two… and I don’t know if that will be a problem for me to get one.

I didn’t even know you had to apply.

I mean, it makes sense…

I just thought you went to Walgreens, took a picture, and they’d hand you a little blue book.

mmhmm!

Oooohhhh I can’t wait.

COME ON, SEPTEMBER!

Vegas then California, it’s been a long time comin’!
lol

I haven’t been on a vacation in almost three years, and the last one was for a two-day family reunion… only about ten members of our family showed up, nearly eight of them a couple generations behind me!
So I don’t really want to count that.
lol
I do love my family, though.
Very, very much.

Can’t wait!

isn’t a vacation—but as of early Friday morning I’ll be on the road with my kids, to an extended family get-together to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday.

I racked my brain about an appropriate gift for him; he & his wife are downsizing as they consider moving into a retirement home, so Stuff is not really needed. Finally I realized that I can take my tabletop easel, a pad, & my mess of chalk pastels in various boxes, & do a portrait of him during a time when we’re all sitting around chatting. Should be fun.

I went to work early this morning to have extra time to get a project done before leaving for the long weekend, & I MADE IT. Then I got a few other essential tasks done as well, to my great relief. That means I will feel very relaxed this weekend as I hang out with my favorite people, my sibs & children.

So don’t weep for me, 43Things. I’ll be having a great time & will see you again soon, probably Monday evening! (I may have time to come back & click some cheers tonight, we’ll see.)

But they’re even more exciting now. :-)

1. weekend church retreat end of April
2. weekend family gathering to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday end of May
3. poetry workshop 2nd half of June
4. niece’s wedding/family gathering last weekend of June

Meanwhile my husband has been watching for low fares to various Caribbean destinations. And we decided to go for VERY low fares to Cartagena, Colombia, for a week in mid-October! We’ll be renting the vacation home of a friend, really beautiful & ideally located. Now I’m trying to persuade my brother to travel with us! This is NOT my extremely troubled brother but my hyper-responsible brother who lives alone & is suffering a low-level depression. He’s a great travel companion, & this would be something happy to look forward to.

So exciting!

I don’t have dates yet, but I have a contact at a beautiful convent in northern Kentucky. Which is not far south, but it is warmer than here, & for years I’ve been wanting to go there.

One 18th-century preacher, when asked to describe Heaven, responded, “Oh, my honeys. Heaven is a Kentucky of a place.”

I want to vacate my responsibilities; I want to vacate winter weather & slippery sidewalks; I want to vacate work of all kinds & my long daily commute. I want to vacate pressures & reproaches & the need to explain. I want to vacate the computer.

• rural, or at least by water
• an inexpensive, quiet retreat setting
• a beautiful place
• either a kitchen so I can cook (which I find restful & nurturing) or meals provided (such as at a retreat center)
• warm weather

I will take a journal & art supplies, but this won’t even be a writing or art retreat, much as I love those. The point will be to sink deeply into rest, & to be refreshed by nature.

If I go nearby or north, it will be cheaper but I’ll have to wait till spring is well under way. If I go south, it could be quite soon, but finances may limit me.

Gotta mull this over.