January 13, 2008

Leaving on a jet plane

Well, the time has come to say good-bye. The new year is underway and so is my busy travel schedule for yet another year. Sometimes I feel like I have run away with a travelling circus, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I will never admit to whether or not this Travel Girl is a member of the Mile High Club (for no other reason than my mother reads this blog), but I did find a way this past year to pass the time while in the air and sitting in airports... blogging. The only way I was able to keep up this blog was to write at 37,000 feet. Trust me, it totally passes the time when there is no in-flight movie. In today’s fast-paced, wired world we get angry if we have to wait in line, wait in traffic, wait period. We are now programmed to expect everything immediately. But, I recently read a suggestion that every time we have to wait we should reverse our thinking and actually be thankful for having a few minutes to ourselves. Take that moment to think about something YOU want to think about instead of the next deadline. I apply this philosophy when I’m flying as well as blogging. I revel in the time I have to myself and indulge my own thoughts. Thank you to my loyal and interested reader(s). Although this blog was a personal journey, I truly appreciate the time you took out of your life to read about mine. I am now going to take the time I would have spent blogging and apply it to new efforts. Perhaps I'll return to it one day, but until then... In the words of one of my favourite musical artists, Sarah Harmer, “I meant to write it on the plane. High above my earthly pain. But, I slept right through the flight. And that was all.”

Vitamin H

Admittedly, I wasn't really looking forward to our Hawaiian holiday. I had a bad feeling that we were not going to have good weather or a good time. I was also skeptical whether I REALLY needed a vacation. I mean I travel ALL the time... did I really want to go on yet another trip? And, 10 days straight with a challenging six-year-old would be both a blessing and a curse. Things didn't start out all that well including POURING rain. But, we woke up to sunshine on New Year's Day... hopefully a good omen for the year to come. I surprised myself by how quickly I adapted to doing absolutely nothing. Every day was spent on the beach and by the pool and I'd wonder if maybe tomorrow I would get bored? But, then I could hardly wait to wake up and do it all over again. It's amazing how time flies when all you are doing is reading and sipping coconut smoothies only to be interrupted by a swim or a little people watching (which incidentally included Trista & Ryan of The Bachelorette fame). It's also amazing how repeatedly hearing "I love you" from the Fly Girl makes you forgive all her whining and crying. My friends tease me because I worship the sun and take suntanning so seriously that I refer to it as my "second job." But, there is something about it that feeds me. And, it's not just the Vitamin D. I am completely consumed by happiness when I'm in the sun... breathing in the beautiful Hawaiian scenery and smells, watching the humpback whales breaching offshore, and playing in the sand and surf with my family. Who was I kidding?! I truly needed this dose of relaxation and rejuvenation. And, Hawaii was the perfect prescription.