So last week I spent my time vacationing at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I've never been to the Outer Banks before, so this was an exciting experience for both my wife and me. Plus, given the recent stresses in my life, I was REALLY in need of some relaxation time.
A whole week lying on a beach and staying up late playing Texas Hold'em (
not for money, thank-you very much, but for bragging rights among my siblings) allows for plenty of time for reflection on some of what makes vacations great. Here's a brief summary of what I have concluded:
1. Vacations are great because you don't have to work.
2. Vacations are great because you have an excuse to spend absurd amounts of money on worthless trinkets.
3. Vacations are great because you get to spend long hours in close proximity to those you love the most on earth.......oh wait, that one was supposed to go on my "other" list. Oops! Oh well...
4. Vacations are great because you get to see new places. Trust me, the white sandy beaches of the Outer Banks were a MUCH needed change of scenery from Jackson, MS.
5. And lastly, above all else, vacations are great because you can eat ANYTHING you want, for just about ANY amount that you want, without considering the physical or financial consequences. Ah, yes, a week of eating strawberry milkshake Pop-tarts, Cinnamon Life cereal, and bacon for breakfast, last night's leftovers for lunch, and then a $25 per person all-you-can-eat seafood buffet for dinner, with dessert for all three meals, and snacks in between. I could get into some of that, buddy!
And I did. In fact, someone took a snapshot of the airplane I got on at the end of the trip. Apparently they did a poor job of balancing out the weight on board, because as soon as I went back to my seat in the back of the plane, those added vacations pounds caught up to me....
Anyway, God bless vacations, and may God bless my waistline, belt buckle, and the neighbors downstairs from our apartment who now have to listen to squeaky floor boards when I roll - er, I mean "walk" around my apartment.