Sunday June 24, 2007 Back from Vacation

Vacations take a lot out of you, and I don't mean just money.

It seems that you plan for several months ahead of time, making all the arrangements and trying to cover all the contingencies. Next you get your house and car all prepared for the time you will be away. You pack all your necessities and way too many clothes. You notify the mail service and the newspaper. You clean out the refrigerator. You gather all the road maps and load up the car. You pick up extra money from the bank and pack up some snacks and water bottles.

Now, you are finally ready to relax and travel.

I just got back from a relaxing 3,000 mile drive in the country. I saw a lot of country, a whole lot of country. There are many beautiful views around this country and a lot of drivers in a hurry to get somewhere. I enjoyed going just under the speed limit and watched the cars come speeding up to my rear bumper before whipping around me and then disappearing into the vast horizon opening up ahead of me. I really liked the way traffic kept opening up in front of me. Once I got off the interstates, all traffic seemed much more mellow and in less of a hurry to get somewhere else. The little towns located on the old national highways haven't changed that much in the last 20 years. The big cities along the interstates have grown dramatically. Not all growth is good. Sometimes growth causes the towns and cities to lose their personalities and become more commercial and less personal. It's probably just me and my nostalgia. Sometimes it is best to not go back to places you've been before.

It was good to get back home. You really appreciate your privacy and the comfort of your own home after being away. You let out a sigh of relief and finally relax and unwind. The unpacking can be done at your leisure and you can kick off your shoes and put on your sweats and just flop. Perhaps one of the joys of vacations is the appreciation you feel for your own place when you return.

Also, it's good to get back to the old computer and see what the world has done while you were away.