Vacation?

I'm having some thoughts about vacation...what really is a vacation? If you type it into google you'll get bombarded with "affordable offers" to all over the world. I actually had to type in "define vacation" in order to get what I was looking for AND there were still adds on the side trying to entice me off to Hawaii, Disney & the Biltmore.

-noun
1. a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday
2. a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.
3. freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.


I would say that technically our summer is filled with vacations...we're taking a release from our regular duties to travel & spend time with people that we love. Yet I feel like I need a vacation from all of our vacations! What I'm trying to say is that I'd like to be laying out on a private beach, reading under an umbrella & having someone bring me pina colada's and fresh fruit I'm tired.

I want to go-go-go & sleep when I'm dead, but the truth is it's not as fun going when you're exhausted. This summer we've decided to do a little here and there, spread out the days off to try and do it all instead of taking off a full 10 days and resting. I can almost predict with certainty that next year will be different. Hum...if I post this maybe it will actually come true!? Maybe I'll jump on board with the "staycations" where you relax in your own town! Then again, there is so much of this world to see!

I'm realizing a few things about myself...I need more rest and down time than John does. I love to be doing, going, being with people, but I also love to unwind at the house and work in the yard or simply relax. Having no evening plans is rare these days & when it happens I'm actually gitty! I'm also realizing that when I feel overwhelmed...when I feel like I'm on the go constantly, I get more stressed than I should be. A molehill becomes a mountain and it's all out of prospective because I'm tired. It's like a snowball effect from there...tired makes me crabby, which makes me short with John, which makes me short with everyone, which makes me feel like I got the wrong degree in college & should be living in Cuba & that it might be a good idea to buy a houseboat. Do you see where this is going?

I think I need to redefine what a vacation needs to be for me & work that in to what I say "yes" and "no" to from here on out. I never thought life would get busier than it was in college and when I think about how utterly wrong I was, I laugh. I do this knowing that I'll look back at this time in my life the exact same way once I'm driving kids to soccer, gymnastics, birthday parties & play dates.

So, how do you do it? How do you prefer to spend your vacations? Several weekend trips away or one big long getaway? Am I the only crazy person out there? ok..don't answer that last question...I'm way too afraid of the answer!