VACATION TYPE 3
There are three types of vacation (actually there’s probably lots more than that but that’s about as high a number as I can go right now ‘cause I’m super-busy relaxing [see below VACATION TYPE 3] and thinking past three would ruin the whole bird-singing, tea-drinking, lounging on the porch vibe I’ve got going right now):
VACATION TYPE 1—traveling
A. This is where you go somewhere new and possibly exotic, where you have to see ALL the sights (‘cause if you don’t and you come home and say blah blah I went to Paris over the weekend! Someone will inevitably say, Yeah? Did you see the [insert famous thing] and you’ll say, OH, I must’ve missed that and then they’ll give you a LOOK) and eat the local food and shop the local shopping and have cultural experiences that’ll alter your world view and OF COURSE you must stop every ten minutes to take a picture of yourself standing in front of something very impressive and at the end of it all you’re fulfilled but also very tired and in need of VACATION TYPE 3 (see below)
B. road trips
VACATION TYPE 2—visiting family
Self-explanatory. Usually yields same end result as VACATION TYPE 1 (re: needing VACATION TYPE 3) due to the energy it takes to be on good behavior 24/7
VACATION TYPE 3—an ACTUAL vacation
This is where you relax. You go somewhere you know, so you don’t have to run around all the time GETTING to know it and probably it’s not THAT far away from your normal life but still far enough where you don’t have the obligations of your normal life. Necessities are as follows:
Not having any sort of schedule whatsoever
Beer
NO alarm clocks
NO crowds
A good porch or yard or private beach or hidden park where you can be outside without having to actually deal with people AND it must be in walking distance to where you’re staying ‘cause you want to drive AS LITTLE AS possible (see VACATION TYPE 1B)
Good friends
Good conversation
Good books
Bad movies
Naps
A grill
Blueberries
A glow-in-the-dark frisbee
A lake or a pool or a very big bathtub (preferably all of the above)
Good sounds (re: waves through open windows, birds singing, laughing, good conversation in the next room over coffee as you type)
Being there long enough so your body has time to adjust to slowing down AND time to enjoy this slowing down.