You know how there are some experiences in your life that you romanticize? You look back and what actually happened gets mixed in with a little bit more fluff from your memory so that the memory is better than what you really experienced?
Well...I do that sometimes.
In September, we took a VACATION (Yes, a vacation. NOT a trip. No children).
Our brother-in-law is living in Washington D.C. for a short time and so it gave us a place to stay. We planned the trip within a few weeks. We are so spontaneous.
I used to fly to Washington D.C. all of the time when I was a flight attendant.
One of my most memorable trips was a 72 hour layover to D.C. and my Dad decided to come along with me. It had all of the ingredients to a perfect trip. 3 days with my Dad. Free hotel. Money for food and spending. What could go wrong?
Well...
the trip occurred at the same time that the Virginia sniper shootings were happening.
Remember when that was happening?
Well...
as we were deplaning, the pilot gathered our flight crew together and told us that because the shooter(s) had not yet been caught, we needed to take extra precaution. If we planned to do any sight seeing, we needed to walk in a brisk walk and in a zig zag pattern...
you know...to throw off the shooter.
Genius.
I told my Dad...sort of in passing...but he pretty much took it to mean that our lives depended on our vigilance to this advice.
Oh...and it was poring rain outside.
My Dad was intent on seeing EVERY.SINGLE.MONUMENT/MUSEUM that D.C. had to offer within the 3 day period. This ended up not being as impossible as you would think.
The 2 of us ran, zig zag, throughout the whole downtown D.C. area for 3 days.
Did we see everything?
I think so.
Every time we would get to our destination, my dad would yell for me to take a picture, we would touch whatever it was and then we would be running to our next destination.
This was almost 9 years ago.
That story was probably romanticized a bit. It was probably more miserable than what I described, but over time it has become really funny.
But I digress.
This vacation was perfect in every way. Even while we were experiencing it, I knew that I was living what would become some of my fondest memories. Over the course of 6 days, we traveled throughout Washington D.C., Virginia, Philadelphia and New York City.
It was amazing.
This vacation has become my new "happy place" and now when I am folding laundry or the kids are screaming at me to referee a dispute, this is where I go.
My happy place.
Do you have one of those?
Get one.
Even if you have to romanticize a memory to get one.
The White House
Washington Monument
National World War II Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial
3 comments:
First, I didn't know you were ever a flight attendant!
Second, is there ANYTHING that you didn't go do?
Third, what an amazing trip to take with such good friends!
I am soooooo very thoroughly, seriously, enviously, jealous. What a FaNTaStiC vacation, life changing, I'm sure!!! Good for you, and better for you for doing it with great friends.... Oh, how I wish I was cool.
Jamie! Just happened upon your blog! So, don't you love that whole area!! Next time you want to go to your happy place you have a free place to stay!! SERIOUSLY!! Metro is near my home as well, so it would be a very cheap vacay!!! PLEASE COME VISIT ANYTIME!! I won't tag along, you will just make me happy to have some Vegas blood in my home!!! WHat a blast to go with vance and melissa!
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