vacation

Andy and I where discussing the plans for our summer vacations the other day. We've been talking about it because I have a good friend who is sitting back, relaxing on a cruise ship in St. Maarten right now. She and her husband left the kids with the grandfolks and are sleeping in, dancing, and snorkeling for seven blissful days. What must it be like to have someone make your bed everyday and present you with fruit expertly carved in the shape of a angel fish?

I used to poo-poo cruises. You'd never find me on a large, overcrowded boat that is stuck on water for 4 out of five days. Then, when you hit dock your surrounded by fakey tourist art to take home and a beach filled people who thought their suit was cute in the dressing room and should have stayed right there.

After seeing the glossy brochure and hearing about all the things you can do on a boat, I'm slightly interested. Ok- it even sounds fun. I'd do it once and see how it goes. I'd love to snorkel and the idea of having a quiet room to myself would make it a vacation even if the boat never got past the dock.

The funny thing is, the last time I took a vacation where it was low key, lay-on-a-beach, was just after my senior year in high school. Don't get me wrong. I have loved the kind of vacations that we've taken. They are right up my alley. Scenic, but adrenalin-filled fun. My idea of fun is getting up at dawn and going for a hike. It is followed by a heart-pumping mountain bike back in the north woods that are easy to get lost in. Most of the roads don't have signs. Pounding the surf, is jumping into 40 degree waters and hoping you make it back to the beach before hypothermia kicks in. It would be correct to say that I love adventure that requires alot of moving around. Good physical challenge that leaves you with a little pain at the end of the day. So, that's a vacation you say? Yeah, I guess so.

So, as Andy and I where considering our getaways this year, it struck us funny that our vacations aren't relaxing in the normal sense. It made us wonder if we need to fit in something truely slothful this year.

I guess it may have to wait. We'll be hitting the north shore with the kids again. A great time filled with hiking, cliff jumping and kayaking. Then we'll have our getaway, without kids, to the Boundary Waters. That will involve 5-6 days of portaging three 50 pound packs over narrow trails and varied terrain. We'll paddle some lakes. One that is 16 miles in length. I might get to lay and sun myself on a rock somewhere.

But that is truely our bliss. Yeah, someday I will sit on a ship somewhere with my coconut drink in hand as I'm being fanned. But that will have to wait for another year...