When your Vacation turns into a Staycation

                                                                            

What happens when your dream vacation doesn't end up to be a dream after all?

With all that planning, all that packing, all that traveling to get to your destination.  All those shekels saved and arrangements made. Time to set up care for your dog. Buy fresh litter for the cat. Someone to water the plants. Someone to get the mail.

You arrive ready to relax and revive. You're ready to dive into a cool pool or into a new adventure. What happens if the pool is closed for maintenance and the tickets for your grand excursion are now sold out!

Is the prized vacation a wash out or now an opportunity to redirect expectations?

We in America do not often enough take mini vacations throughout our days. We put way too much emphasis on that annual get away for which we slaved away to pay. 

Hispanics are good at taking siestas. The Londoners take the time for afternoon tea. We feel fortunate if we sneak in a lunch break in the middle of our day.

Our peace...our joy...our refreshment can't be dependent on one week of the year. We need to stop putting so much pressure on our vacation.

Our family finds the vacations we most reminisce about are the ones which brought the greatest challenges. Have you heard about that one Rose Parade in 2006 where the sky fell out all over "Sunny California"? It has only rained on the Rose Parade 10X and ONLY 1X in my lifetime! Yes, that 1X is when we saved mega money to take the 5 of us across the country to celebrate the new year in a big way. We snatched up stellar seats in the stands to get a top-notch view of this parade up close and personal. The problem was we were all too cold and too huddled up to even lift our heads long enough to take a peek at a float floating by. We located 1 rain poncho between the 5 of us to use. My light jacket had a broken zipper. Our other wraps were meant to filter the brisk morning breeze as we awaited the sun to come up. The sun never came up! Janet Nakano, a local reporter called it a "torrential downpour." She was right. 

I would periodically scream out to my boys, "Look up! We paid too much money for these tickets for you to keep looking down!" No one wanted to look up. It made you feel warmer to look down so the rain didn't pelt you square in the face. No one had any fun. We were too cold. Too miserable. The most adventure the boys had was shaking the porta potty while my youngest found that to be the only spot "to go" to get out of the rain! There was no escape for anyone. The bands kept playing and the twirlers kept twirling even with mascara running down their faces. We felt sorry for us but especially sorry for them!  

The sun did finally come out - when the parade was over. This is after we gave away our post- parade tickets to see the floats up close. Our flight time got changed so we had to head to the airport ahead of schedule. It really was a sight to see us trying to change into dry clothes in a small rental car in an In & Out Burger parking lot. Once we got to the airport, you guessed it! Our flight was delayed - for hours - so we could have enjoyed "Sunny California" for the post parade fun...except we gave those tickets away. Glad someone could have some fun in the sun. Just sad it wasn't us.

It was a challenging trip but one we laugh about and talk about more than all the smooth-sailing ones. Our family getting separated on an extreme ropes course in Mexico jogs a bigger memory than when we carelessly jeeped through the jungles of Aruba.

My most recent trip was going great for the 1st half. We enjoyed smooth seas with a warm breeze. We relished holding a sloth and having monkeys gallivant across our heads. Parrots perched while they dined on the buttons on top of our caps. Beautiful snorkeling. Eight zipline passes. Caving with bats. Jungle jeeping. Heavy eating.

It was fun until it wasn't. I survived the first half of my trip unscathed but then some generous individual shared with me the gift of the flu. Guess I needed to rest. I got a whole bunch of that. Tried resting on the pool deck but cooler and windier days made that less than ideal or comfortable. The room provided an escape where no one would glare at me as I coughed.

The grand buffet was prepared and ready and waiting. I could only stomach some Jello and bites of cantaloupe.  

Unforeseen blessings during this unplanned Staycation:

1). I actually lost weight on this cruise! Who can say that?! Well. I can! Brag. Shameless Brag. This is big because one cruise I truly gained 9 pounds! This girl can eat! It's a good thing they discontinued those midnight buffets!

2) Even before I got sick, I was called "too skinny" to zipline alone on a couple of the shorter passes. The guide had to come out to push "little ole me" in to the awaiting platform!! That was a first!!

3) I got to stay up-to-date on the heavy news cycle during inauguration week. No catch up needed!

4) Didn't feel up to shopping so didn't need to squeeze heavy souvenirs into our already over-stuffed suitcases. 

So... for an update...the flu has been a gift that keeps on giving. Still not feeling great after 14 days. Was my 1st half of a trip worth this lingering sickness? I wasn't so sure a week ago but I'd give a sheepish yes today. The roads to all potential blessings are paved with potential risks. We've been on close to 20 cruises and this is the first one to put me down and out. Seems like pretty good odds to me and well worth the risk. Just don't ask me to go again anytime soon! 

Even when sick

doesn't end quick,

Accept the rest.

It's for your best!