Vacations

I love the thought of a vacation. As a child I never really got to go on many. My first real trip occurred when I was in junior high and I was old enough to go to Illinois to my friend's grandparents house near Chicago. Her parents were kind enough to pull over and let me take a picture under each "welcome" sign in each state we traveled through. My eyes were opened to the wonderful world of beyond. On that trip I saw the biggest body of water I had ever seen (Lake Michigan), I seen China Town (which I thought was so cool!) , and the museum of Science & Industry (which was amazing!) I don't even remember what else but I remember just being in awe of it all & being totally HOOKED on that feeling of seeing things for the first time.

Since then I have been blessed with some pretty awesome trips. I remember planning our very first family vacation when our kids were little. We didn't go too far from home because we didn't have much money but it all turned out so wonderful. Then the trips got better as we saved and planned. It is a wonderful memory to be fortunate enough to have seen my own children's reactions as we all viewed the ocean for the first time together. We didn't get to go a lot as my kids grew up but we did take a few really great trips that I hope will stay with them their whole lives. I always planned the trips so it was a great and wonderful surprise to me, when for my 40th birthday a few years back, my husband totally surprised me with a cruise to the Bahamas. He told me on a Thursday evening and took me shopping the following Friday to get anything I might need (I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!). Then we left on Sunday to Miami, FL and stayed in the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in. We left there on Monday for the cruise. If you have never cruised, I highly recommend it! This particular cruise is pretty cheap- (you can find it on Royal Caribbean International). We went to Nassau, Bahamas; Cococay, Bahamas (pictured above with our cruise ship- the Majesty of the Seas in the distance); and Key West, FL then back to Miami. My first night I was sea sick (everyone on the boat was!) but we have heard from others who have cruised frequently, that what we experienced was really unusual. The ship was literally swaying back and forth and even though I was sick (I felt better after throwing up and was even able to adventure back out to take pictures of water splashing out of the swimming pools and no one on deck!) We woke up the next morning in Nassau. It was really beautiful. I had never seen water that color before. After that first night I thought, "this is really neat, and I'm glad I got to see it but I don't think I really would want to go on a cruise again." But after the next day I decided it was the best way to travel. All your meals are paid for that you eat on ship. You sleep (if you want- there is plenty of night life if you choose not to sleep!) but the coolest thing is, when you wake up your in a new location. You can see so much for the money that I am so eager to go again! We never did get sea sickness after that first night either. My husband can not even ride shotgun in a car without getting sick so this was amazing and he took no medication for motion sickness at all while we were on the boat!! It really was the neatest vacation and after I got home I got a sign for my office that says "spoiled rotten". I don't know how we top that memory but we are trying! I'm ready for some sunrises and sunsets and some fun and I'm really ready see beyond what I have already seen. Some of the places I'd love to go to: Italy & other parts of Europe, Grand Cayman, Alaska, Hawaii-well all 50 states before I die, Belize, an African photo safari- wow. I could go on & on. (And I hope to!) Very soon please, very soon!