I'm seeing everything in brighter colors these days, thanks to a vacation trip to Mexico and Cancun. Upon my return home, the grass appears greener, spring blooming trees more vibrant, pollin on my car... more yellow and prevalent and irritating. Such is life back in the real world, where there are no waiters to see to my needs and respond, "It's my pleasure," whenever they help me in any way. Ah! Yes.
Good times! (Why are the good times always gone?)
Returning from vacation is a mysterious and odious odyssey, one I'm not eager to engage. My brain is still fixating on trying to understand everything in Spanish. Apparently, I haven't turned off the server that helped me speak 'un poccito espaniol'. After being taken by boat or bus to various excursions, I have no patience with cars blocking my path or darting out in front of me in order to drive as slow as the sap from the Yucatan Gum Tree. I'm now forced to hurry to work and back, led by an unseen hand into the daily grind like a child tempted but denied access to the candy near the cash register. Remember those days?
What does a vacation do for you? Does it clear out cobwebs threatening to clog up creative passions?
Why does it always seem one needs a vacation from vacation? This cannot be any more confusing to me than it is now. I'm slow to move, slow to care, slow to motivate. Why? I've got tons of e-mails and mail awaiting my attention. I always find something weird going on at work after I've been gone. I still haven't unpacked my suitcase, which means I most assuredly need to do laundry. (Of course, I would have done so before now but another member of my household beat me to it, and I've been waiting my turn.)
I'm so tired, I haven't downloaded my pictures onto my computer so that I can share them with you now. Suffice it to say, "I owe you!" Believe me, the wait will be worth it. But until then, I shall regale you with a few fanciful tales.
Snorkeling has not been one of my favorite things to do, ever since my honeymoon when I tried to swim over a shallow reef while waves crashed over me and the current pulled me backward. Quite scary. Add to that the fact that every breath expelled into the snorkel tube sounded like Michael Meyers hovering behind with a sickle while coral cut my skin beneath me. Let's just say panic set in fairly quickly and I didn't make it over to the colorful fish just beyond the reef in Hanauma Bay.
How do you live down a memory like that? You don't think about it. You don't fanastize about it. You don't ever snorkel again in order to prevent the same thing from happening.
Apparently, I'm not a quiter, because I vowed to champion this thing called 'snorkel' in Cancun. I not only conquered my fear of the dreaded breath of death echoing in my ears, I got pretty good at it and can proudly say I snorkeled in an underground river and in the Caribbean, along a reef! I'm so proud of this accomplishment! There is nothing like overcoming fear, no matter what that is.
So from odyssey to ecstasy I've traveled. I went out on a small speed boat without any dramamine and didn't get sick! I used 15 grade sunscreen and didn't fry! I tried new dishes, enjoyed a romantic dinner (Surf & Turf with champagne) on the beach with my hubby, drank Strawberry Daiquiris by the pool and on the beach, enjoyed a day at the spa, traveled to Chichen Itza for the second time, visited Xcaret and took awesome pictures of Mayan warriors and ruins (to be displayed on my next blog post), enjoyed reading my Nook, road the waves like a real pirate, got my picture taken with two macaws (a black/red one on my head and a green/yellow one cradled in my arms, which chewed a whole in my sweater and hubby wouldn't stop to let me buy the picture so my sweater suffered for nothing. Big pirate "Arrrr!"), learned of my Legend Award Final, and had an awesome 7 days that I'll never want to forget!
Of course, we won't go into my attempts to get out of the water and back onto the boat. All I have to say is: If at first you don't succeed... ;)
Have you overcome any fears lately?
What tips do you have to help me recover from vacation hangover?
I don't have any recovery tips except to take a nap or two. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have tried to overcome my fear of letting some control go. I am trying to just relax some and let go!
Naps are definitely the order of the day, Stephanie, but I've been so busy catching up and working that I haven't had time to get one. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt's all a question of priorities, I guess. For instance, I finally unpacked my bag today, four days later. Eck!!
In my hubby's defense, I did want to mention that we were racing to catch a bus when we saw the pictures hanging up on our left. There was just no time to buy one since we were told the bus would leave us behind if we weren't there by the deadline. ~sigh~
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great and relaxing time! I do love the beach! I also love snorkeling. I hate coming back from vacation. I am usually tired, cranky and not wanting to face the real world. I try to retain some of the relaxation as long as I can - sitting still to enjoy the sunset from my front porch or sharing a quiet dinner with my husband. Doing those things help me to retain the glow of a vacation.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time! You'll get back into the routine soon enough.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to take me kicking and screaming back to reality! I think I'd want to live in my memories for a while and pretend I was still there. Glad you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteAs for overcoming a fear--probably never had sense enough to be a afaid of doing anything.lol
Oh, Cheryl! Once I got to where I could breath steady without freaking out, snorkeling was so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hints. I've been doing that very thing, trying to take notice of little things that are so fabulous in their simplicity. Doing that helps you appreciate the paradise around you every day. ;)
Patricia, I had a wonderful time! A bit tired still but the world is starting to swing back into a normal schedule now. ;)
Pat! Yes, kicking and screaming, that's exactly what I've been doing mentally.
I'm so impressed by your mind-set, Pat. Fear can be so dibilitating. One of the incredible things I learned last week was that by breathing steady, realizing the moment, fear tends to disappear. On the other hand, I had to be careful not to lose all fear. When I started chasing after a very big fish that was swimming away from me, I found out quickly that I had gone too far away from my group. Not necessarily a good thing when you don't know what else might be in the water. LOL!
I am really late to the party. I have been in Merritt (the setting for what we plan to pitch at nationals).
ReplyDeleteI always need a vacation from a vacation. I go hard, nonstop, and with gusto because I don't want to miss anything. It's always little surreal coming home but I have been on very few trips when I wasn't ready to come back. I love to travel but I also love home.
Sounds like you have a great time. I'm proud of you for the snorkeling. The Guy Scuba dives. I am a great boat sitter. I dare say there are few who can sit on a boat better than I do.
Jean, your vacations sound like ours. We go, go, go and go. That's why I'm always tired when I get back home. Though, I can say in this instance, the beach gave us a perfect way to relax after an eventful day.
ReplyDeleteLMAO! You're hysterical! Too funny about the boat sitting. Gotta watch out for the sunburn though. ;)