Usually after I go on vacation, I will write in detail about what we did and what we ate and all the minutia of the days. I'm not going to do that this time. Although I will very likely write about some specific experiences (I have to be thinking about what I'll write about next month when I write something every day, after all!) today I want to focus more about how I felt about the trip.
My sister and I have always been pretty close. There is about a five year age difference between us, but when we were kids, we always played together and we shared a room for a long time even though there was enough space for us to have our own rooms. Since she is younger than I am, she mostly did the same stuff that I did. As we got older, she was actually better at the stuff than I was. Dang kid! I like to think that I showed her stuff and she perfected it. ;)
Lizzie recently made a big life change and wound up moving into a beautiful apartment in a wonderful building in downtown San Diego. I was super excited to go see it. Lizzie had good taste and always decorates her home in a way that I really like. Her apartment is small, but she lives alone and I think the the place is just right for her. The finishes are modern and tasteful. As I expected, the place is comfortable and really captures Lizzie's spirit and style. If there is one thing missing, I would say she needs a recliner or a nice comfy couch for lounging and watching TV. I'm sure that will come in time. She just barely moved in earlier this month. Besides, for lounging now, she has access to the roof of the building which is furnished with tables, chairs and couches. We spent several hours lounging, enjoying the sun and the breeze and the incredible views on the roof.
Lizzie has said that when she gets home she feels like she is on vacation and I totally get why she thinks that way. When you leave the building, there are many bars and restaurants and cafes within walking distance. Walking through the downtown area of San Diego is dang pleasant. There are plenty of homeless people in the area, but that seems to be true of many large cities. It wasn't a big deal though. Just pay attention to where you are and what you are doing, same as anywhere.
The downtown area isn't enormous. It's a good city for walking. We walked around a lot and we probably covered a lot of it. I'm not saying we walked down every street, but we saw a lot of things and had a good time doing it. Walking around a city center is different from walking around in the suburbs. In the city you can see lots of shops and bars and people. In the 'burbs, you see houses and lawns. The walking is the same, maybe, but it feels different, too. I don't really know how to explain the difference I felt. I guess just more urban.
When I got home, I had a few minutes of feeling disappointed, I guess. I was back in my messy two-story house. It was hot and dry outside. There's no ocean. Then I sort of shook myself and looked around again. Yes, my house is messy, but it's comfortable and I can clean it. It's hot and dry, but cooler weather is coming and the change of seasons is always fun. There's no ocean, but there are beautiful mountains all around me. Plus my boys and my dog are here, I have a job that I enjoy and I really like my bed. In the end, the little get-away to San Diego was just what I needed to recharge my batteries. It gave me time to think about what I was doing and what I could do it make things better. It gave me perspective that you don't always get when you are looking at the same things all the time. You get in a rut. That's what I get out of going on vacation. Even though I'm always sad when the vacation is finished, I am always glad that I went and I try to think about what I gained from my experience.
It's like Dr. Seuss said:
2 comments:
Very nice post
LOVE YOU!!
Post a Comment