Friday, March 26, 2010

it's been two years since our last vacation

florida


lately i have been thinking a lot about travel
the ocean
new, foreign places
warm weather
extended periods of time with self-imposed bans on
 phones, work, email, facebook

i grew up going on at least one beachy vacation a year
sometimes two
most of the time we went to my grandparent's condo in florida
and although we were surrounded by the elderly
who snipped at us when we didn't shower off before jumping into the pool
as they walked back
and forth 
in the pool
their daily aerobic excersise
talking about where they were going for the early bird special
for dinner
before even having lunch

and although these weren't the most exciting vacations in the world
guess where i have a hankering to go
nana's house in palm beach
that's where

two year's ago curtis and i got to borrow the condo for our first time
as just the two of us
we weren't expecting much
we'd been there many times before
we thought we knew the town
and didn't care that we'd be surrounded by those over 80
we just wanted to get away
without breaking the bank

but when we got there
we decided that we would find new beaches
 new restaurants
new cities
and for the first time
nana's condo didn't feel like nana's condo
but our little hideaway from the world

late afternoon naps after mornings at the beach
packed lunches
afternoons at the pool reading until dusk
dressing up at night to explore new places
no phonecalls
no email
no meetings to make

it has been almost two years since our last vacation
we are months away from being out of debt and just can't
justify taking away from that goal to pay for an excursion
at the beach
although i want to
boy do i want to

but then my wiser half reminds me that we will go somewhere sometime
eventually
i will see the ocean again

maybe as soon as november

my cousin just got engaged
he lives in charleston, sc
he is having a thanksgiving weekend wedding
we want to go
we really need to go
but it is an expensive time to travel
we are brainstorming ways to make it work and still
uphold our pay-off-debt schedule

i think i need it
that foamy, blue expanse to look forward to
even though it is months and months away

i think i could hold out until november if i had to

although i may not get my ocean retreat until november
we are planning a few small weekend escapes from now until then

in april we are going to toronto for a long weekend
we will visit some of my favorite relatives
and enjoy a string of days with family in a city we love

then in the summer i will take curtis to nyc
he has never been and that is unacceptable
i haven't been for years either
so we will plan a trip to visit friends and see the city with adult eyes
we will celebrate the finishing of a lovely lady's phd,
and meeting up a myriad of family and friends we know that call the big apple home

hopefully in the autumn we will finally get down to d.c to
see curtis' sisters' family's new house

and inevitably there will be a roadtrip to chicago in there somewhere
once curtis' parents move
whether it's in the fall, winter or for new year's
i have a feeling we'll be in chicago at sooner than we think

and as fun all these trips sound to me
none wash me with that feeling of relaxation
where i can exhale
open a book
enjoy alone time
and really unwind

that is the feeling that i need right now

so until i can sit on the sand and burn my shoulders
i will dream about the sound of the seagulls
and packed sandwiches
eaten with salty fingers
to the sound of the ocean



1 comments:

CitricSugar said...

Jess, I love the way you write.

I wish you plane tickets. :-)

 
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