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My Secret Vacation Dream: A Confession

Exactly one year ago–changing planes in Dublin.

Exactly one year ago this very minute we were flying over the Atlantic on our way to our ill-fated Europe trip.  As we all know, that did not end well.  But I did learn a great many things from that trip–things that I should be applying to all future trips.

We are leaving on our epic summer road trip in ten days.  I thought I’d planned it to be everything the Europe trip was not–the bizarro vacation, if you will.  I took everything that I did not like about Europe and reversed it.  For example….

Europe Trip….

  • Required airfare
  • Non-English speaking countries
  • Museum-filled
  • Over-planned
  • Major Metro Areas

Maine/Atlantic Canada Road Trip….

  • Drivable
  • USA and Canada only–all English speaking
  • Zero museums–only oceans, bays, and lighthouses
  • Barely-planned
  • Could not be more rural if it tried (have you seen Cape Breton?)

As you can see, it appears as though I’ve swung the pendulum in the total opposite direction.  That is until you look at what would be the middle of the Venn Diagram (oh, if only I knew how to add a Venn diagram to this blog!)  In the middle of said diagram, you’d find the following items…

Europe Trip AND Maine/Atlantic Canada Road Trip…

  • Really far away
  • Way too much travel time
  • Really long
  • Extremely expensive

As you can clearly see, the pendulum really didn’t swing in any direction.  It just kind of hung there over our Visa card, mocking us.

I have a secret confession to make.  Ok.  Here it goes.  Ahem…cough…cough…ok.  All I really want is to go on a regular, relaxing vacation.  I really, really want to sit on a beach with my husband and drink something with an umbrella in it.  I want to go snorkeling.  A lot. I’ve been eyeing this best rated full face snorkel mask for some time now. I really, really want to go snorkeling.  I’ve never gone snorkeling, and think that’s something I should get to do.  Yet for some reason I feel that this desire somehow makes me less of a traveler.  Don’t get me wrong–I still intend to go anywhere and everywhere I can next year (which would be infinitely easier on our bank account if we didn’t spend several thousand dollars in Nova Scotia next month)–but for our summer vacation, I’d like to vacate.

With flippers and goggles and rum.  And my husband in a hammock.

How many Hail Marys and Our Fathers do I need to do to repent for that sin?