Discovered

So, it's a funny thing - - this vacation experience. You actually have time to slow down and think. THINK. No interruptions. No yells for mom from the next room. No phones ringing. Just time to think. It is a beautiful thing.

Here are dozen things that I discovered (or re-discovered) on our Jamaican adventure:

1) I can sit and watch the ocean waves for hours. (And I was so fortunate to do just that).


(This is the view from our room.)

2) Eight hours of sleep. In a row. With no interruptions. That's all I need. After eight hours, I wake up naturally. Rested and ready for the day. My guess is that it won't happen again until my next vacation.

3) I like in-room service. A lot. A LOT!! Especially hot coffee and milk delivered to my door, first thing in the morning. And dessert delivered in the evening after dinner. But hands down - the best part of all? No dishes!



4) If I had any doubt, it is gone. I am not now, nor have I ever been a nudist. (just in case you were wondering). One walk by the resort's au natural beach pretty much reinforced that notion (by 1000 percent!)

5) I actually do remember how to read a book at a level beyond "The Magic School Bus" or "Pinkalicious."



6) If all I had to do was "eat," I would have SO much more time on my hands. Eating is the good part. It's the planning and shopping and cooking and cleaning that ruins it all. (plus, then there is the part about ensuring the nutritional well-being of the others under my roof). No wonder I don't have any spare time.

7) I really want to go on an adventure like this with Henry and Anna, too. I think they are old enough now, and we'd all have a ball. And given the eating angst I noted above, a family all-inclusive would be fabulous. Just think - - without all the food prep and clean-up, maybe mom would actually get to enjoy the trip too!



8) Christmas is certainly alive and well in Jamaica. Pine trees or palm trees. Doesn't matter. Christmas spirit travels well.

9) It's official. I am wound up tight. I try to be easy going and relaxed. But I'm not. It's just not in my nature. And trying to "unstress" these last days only shined a bright light on my "wound-up-ed-ness."

Hmmm......I really need to do something about that.



10) My husband is amazing. (okay - I already knew that part). More specifically, he is amazing because he set up Skype for Grandma before we left. We were able to see the kids every night. Just a few minute call took the "I miss you" part away. I also realized that I can survive a few days without my kiddos. And it seems that they did just fine too. Maybe (dare I say it....) it might even good to be apart every once in awhile.



11) Nothing - nothing - is better than a chocolate croissant (or two) for breakfast. Of course, only on vacation. Calories don't seem to count here, but I know they would count double at home.

Damn.

12) Ray and I travel well together. Even though we could have kept plenty busy with resort-offered tours and snorkeling and water sports and beach parties, we were both more than happy to relax and doing nothing much at all.

Our idea of perfect: eat / beach / walk / read / drink / pool / nap / REPEAT.

(Okay, there were many more of the "eat / drink" parts sprinkled in there too, but you get the idea...)



One more) This trip just reaffirmed how much I love to see life through my lens. In six days, I took thousands of pictures. I couldn't get enough. For me, being behind the camera just heightens the experience....heightens the beauty of everything around me.

And those wedding pictures - our reason for the trip in the first place - they are coming soon too!

It was an amazing week, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity.

Tropical vacations rock!