In which our heroine daydreams about becoming a bird of paradise and flying far, far away.
As most of you know, if you've heard me ramble on about inspirational people at any point in the last year, I'm a really devoted reader of the Young House Love blog. Week before last, they took a much-deserved break and jaunted off to Hawaii for 6 days.
I don't know if there are words enough to express how much their post makes me want to go there. I've got something of a windfall coming (tax return in the year of buying a house + severance package from McK), but it will really need to be stocked away pending a rather uncertain employment future. It's what is smart, practical, prudent. And yet. I totally want to say - fuck all that and just go.
It feels like the last time I took a vacation (an ACTUAL vacation, with hotels, and restaurants, and tourist attractions, for a significant amount of time) that wasn't instigated by the death of a family member or a business-style convention was 2004. Almost 8 years ago. My parents and my paternal aunt & uncle went to London & Spain two weeks before my study abroad started. In the interim, I've spent 2.5 days in Las Vegas (2007, with Allison) and a couple of road trips with Shawn to Orcas Island and the Olympic Peninsula (2008). I've been to Arlington and Chicago for the afore-mentioned burial and convention, respectively. I go to Wenatchee several times a year, and maybe Portland if my sister and I are on speaking terms. I suppose it's totally a first-world problem that I've totally been places even if it is almost all with family and the ensuing stress. But all of that combined time (about 7 days total) averages out to less than one day per year of "ACTUAL" vacation. Ugh.
But ever since I saw those pix of Hawaii, I keep finding myself dreaming of warm, balmy weather, white sandy beaches, and peaceful surroundings. It's not the first time - I will sometimes look up those amazing little places to rent in Fiji or wherever, with the 'rustic' (is it really rustic if it's prohibitively expensive???) little huts and the glass-bottem floors. I took a break from job-application blitzing yesterday to research airfare. I contemplated that, once I got the dog boarded/cared for, I could just throw a few clothes, hairbrush, toothbrush and a swimsuit (god, I need a new one - haven't had a new one since 2005!) in a bag with a couple of books, some knitting and just GO. Obviously, it would totally take more than that, and sleeping arrangements and all. I wouldn't necessarily want/need to spend money on 'the sights,' as I'm feeling pretty sure that right now all I want to do is lay on a beach and read until all the stress is melted out of my body. I'll see the sights if I ever go there with a significant other. What if I rented out my house, sold my car, put stuff in storage, and moved me and the dog to Hawaii to "live aloha" for a while? I've heard the pace of life over there moves like warm honey...
It's a pipe dream, for sure. I mean, put everything in storage? I just moved everything in there! And my piano? The new bed? Jeeez. That's just crazy. Plus, I'd probably miss my friends. But the idea of a vacation, just me, just sun and sand and books and beach... I think I need this, really really need it. Someday, I guess. Maybe I will knit things for money or something. Or my soul! Faustian deals are still happenin', right? No? Maybe I've just been watching too much Buffy lately. Hmmm.
Or maybe I'll see about going to Spain. All I need there is airfare - I've got family to stay with, and they are ALSO right on the beach, and wouldn't have to spend a ton of money on food. Plus I'd know people (my sister-in-law and her family).
Sigh. Anyway. Rambling now. I'm just really ready for a change of pace, I guess, especially since the big job one is pending in T-minus 3 weeks...
I don't know if there are words enough to express how much their post makes me want to go there. I've got something of a windfall coming (tax return in the year of buying a house + severance package from McK), but it will really need to be stocked away pending a rather uncertain employment future. It's what is smart, practical, prudent. And yet. I totally want to say - fuck all that and just go.
It feels like the last time I took a vacation (an ACTUAL vacation, with hotels, and restaurants, and tourist attractions, for a significant amount of time) that wasn't instigated by the death of a family member or a business-style convention was 2004. Almost 8 years ago. My parents and my paternal aunt & uncle went to London & Spain two weeks before my study abroad started. In the interim, I've spent 2.5 days in Las Vegas (2007, with Allison) and a couple of road trips with Shawn to Orcas Island and the Olympic Peninsula (2008). I've been to Arlington and Chicago for the afore-mentioned burial and convention, respectively. I go to Wenatchee several times a year, and maybe Portland if my sister and I are on speaking terms. I suppose it's totally a first-world problem that I've totally been places even if it is almost all with family and the ensuing stress. But all of that combined time (about 7 days total) averages out to less than one day per year of "ACTUAL" vacation. Ugh.
But ever since I saw those pix of Hawaii, I keep finding myself dreaming of warm, balmy weather, white sandy beaches, and peaceful surroundings. It's not the first time - I will sometimes look up those amazing little places to rent in Fiji or wherever, with the 'rustic' (is it really rustic if it's prohibitively expensive???) little huts and the glass-bottem floors. I took a break from job-application blitzing yesterday to research airfare. I contemplated that, once I got the dog boarded/cared for, I could just throw a few clothes, hairbrush, toothbrush and a swimsuit (god, I need a new one - haven't had a new one since 2005!) in a bag with a couple of books, some knitting and just GO. Obviously, it would totally take more than that, and sleeping arrangements and all. I wouldn't necessarily want/need to spend money on 'the sights,' as I'm feeling pretty sure that right now all I want to do is lay on a beach and read until all the stress is melted out of my body. I'll see the sights if I ever go there with a significant other. What if I rented out my house, sold my car, put stuff in storage, and moved me and the dog to Hawaii to "live aloha" for a while? I've heard the pace of life over there moves like warm honey...
It's a pipe dream, for sure. I mean, put everything in storage? I just moved everything in there! And my piano? The new bed? Jeeez. That's just crazy. Plus, I'd probably miss my friends. But the idea of a vacation, just me, just sun and sand and books and beach... I think I need this, really really need it. Someday, I guess. Maybe I will knit things for money or something. Or my soul! Faustian deals are still happenin', right? No? Maybe I've just been watching too much Buffy lately. Hmmm.
Or maybe I'll see about going to Spain. All I need there is airfare - I've got family to stay with, and they are ALSO right on the beach, and wouldn't have to spend a ton of money on food. Plus I'd know people (my sister-in-law and her family).
Sigh. Anyway. Rambling now. I'm just really ready for a change of pace, I guess, especially since the big job one is pending in T-minus 3 weeks...