Vacation State of Mind

Most everyone has been there...it's the week before you leave for vacation and you're at work wanting to be anywhere else but at work. You find yourself day dreaming about all of the wonderful vacation things that you will be doing in exactly 2, 4 or 7 days. Your mind is filled with all of the things you need to do before you can go on vacation. You have a a never-ending "To Do" list of work projects you must complete (even though you've put them off for 6 months) prior to being gone for vacation. You bounce from those must-do projects and tasks to your last minute shopping list, packing list and house list. New flip-flops (even though you have 30 pairs you need just one more), stopping the mail, getting the plants watered, you need a doggie sitter, not to mention the kids and everything that comes with them...clothes, food, toys, sleeping arrangements, etc.

You still have to focus on the task at hand, yet get all of the vacation to do's checked off of your list.  100% of the time, everything gets done and if it doesn't, well it didn't need to get done.  Nearly 100% of the time, wherever you are going sells whatever it is you must have or forgot.  So relax..day dream when you can, check off what you can and know, vacation is right around the corner, everything is going to be alright.

Vacation is super important to me.  It's the time of year where you can do whatever you want...go to the beach, the mountains, read books, staycation, do a service project, recharge your batteries doing whatever you want.  You can shape your year, your life, your family and your future all around vacations.  It's pretty powerful.

Vacation has always been important to our family.   Each year my mom would take us to the beach for a week. For one week each year, we'd go down the ocean, Hon. I have the circa 1985 telescope pics to prove it too. She would save money all year for 2 things...a vacation to the beach and Christmas. No wonder I really love both, right? Blame her for my sun and sparkle worshipping, I do.  But, I digress. 

We would spend one wonderful week at the beach doing all kinds of fun things.  Looking back, a great majority of those fun things were kid focused.  My mom loves the beach, so that part for her was great.  But the parts where we went to the water slides for a day, Jolly Rogers at night, mini-golfing or the Boardwalk rides, not so much.  While I'm sure she enjoyed them because we loved them, she wasn't exactly lounging around, being served frosty drinks and napping.  She got one week of vacation each year and she spent it doing things for her kids.  And, since she was practically a single mom who worked full-time, she didn't get any help with the lists and lists of things (see above) she had to get done before being able to "relax".

I certainly didn't understand the effort, sacrifice or the cost it took for her to get us there.  She did a great job making it look easy, fun and like there was no where else in the world she wanted to be.  We did everything we wanted...from eating out A LOT (anyone ever go to the Mighty Minnow and have the chocolate chip pancakes or the have the coconut muffins from Marina Deck?? Delish!!) to doing all kinds of kid-centered things that cost lots of money to getting many Boardwalk souvenirs, airbrush tee, anyone?   We did it all and had a blast.  Many of those beach vacation memories are some of my all-time faves still to this day.

So as I prepare for my 2 week vacation (yay, WAHOO, can't wait) and I'm stressing over my "To Do" list in between daydreaming of crystal clear water and white sand beaches, I'd like to thank my mama for teaching me the value of vacation, making it look easy and loving us enough to make those sacrifices all in the name of love, fun and memories. The memories are life-long, the value and tradition of great vacations continues in us and now we can truly understand your motivation and feel your love.

If you're not an annual vacationer, you should be.  Life should be enjoyed with those you love, preferably in the fresh air, away from a desk.  Do something you love at least once per year with someone you love.  Take the time and make it happen.  I don't think you will regret it. 

Oh, and, try not to take your smart phone.   I'll be the first to admit it's hard to leave our daily lives behind...that includes work, FB, sports, or whatever your into, but it can be done.  My mom did it every year.  And, I'm pretty sure that the memories you will make on vacation will last much longer than the memory of the random FB status of someone you barely remember. Just sayin'...get out, live life and enjoy!

I'm off for a few weeks. Chat with you when I get back.

xo~Elizabeth