Ah Vacation…

Back in the late 70s a equipment salesman gave my dad some advise.. “Don’t wait until you retire to take vacations…Learn to take time out and enjoy life while you’re young”… So my dad took his advise to heart and continued to love to travel- a trait that he may or may not have passed on to a few of his daughters 🙂

My first vacation memory comes from when I was 2.. We were heading to Myrtle Beach and I just remember looking at Julia way across the back seat of that fine Toyota as we rode and rode and rode…

My trip down Memories Lane takes me all over the place… Camping at Black Water Falls… Driving up the boardwalk at VA Beach during their Christmas Lights show…Hershey Park also at Christmas Time… Piling in the van and tearing for the St. Louis Arch and not stopping for any reason-not even to eat-because Father was on a diet.. Niagara Falls… Florida during Christmas Vacation.. A trip to the West where Julia looked at the Grand Canyon for 10 mins and then declared ” Ok, well we’ve seen that..Let’s go!” .. Puerto Rico.. Colorado… Almost drowning on the Outer Banks with my aunt.. The memories are endless..

We just enjoyed a few days away.. There were two other families with us and we had such a great time!!! It got me thinking.. What makes a successful vacation? Why is a break in routine important? Are there people who vacate alone? I imagine there are.. I bet they spend complete days in silence 😉

Its good for me to get away.. It seems a shame that it’s impossible to completely relax here on Paradise Lane- but there is always something that needs attention.. So for several days- I focused on absolutely nothing.. except jumping that next wave.. taking a leisure walk up the sand…helping dig a hole to China-which ended abruptly when we hit water at 4 feet.. Listening to the people around me.. Appreciating that God placed them in my life… Just enjoying the blessing of being together… Emily with her shoulder in a sling recovering from surgery.. Julia with her mind all boggled with wedding plans.. Deborah missing her little brown eared dog… My Crazy wonderful family.. I love them 🙂

1. Julia and her buddy and the well.. It caused quite the stir. One family even saw it as a potentially playpen, so they dropped their children in it and ran back to the condo for their last arm loads of beach equipment..

2. The Horst gang… And even if Father’s camera face makes him look like he’s being persecuted- he’s actually having the time of his life 🙂

So where do you go to for time out? It really doesn’t have to be anywhere spectacular. But take the time when you can.. So-like me-you can enjoy being refocused, re-energized, really thankful, and ready to roll… Blessings, Kendra