Vacations

While thinking back on some of the different trips Derek and I have taken over our soon to be 5 years of Marriage and 7 years of being a couple, it really struck me how we enjoy taking some very different vacations. And when I say different I mean on totally different ends of the spectrum. For example:

In 2005, we went on an unbelievable vacation with our family and friends. There were 15 of us staying in a million dollar house with three floors, six bedrooms, wrap-around porch, pool and hot tub in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That was luxury! The ocean was only a five minute walk from our door, the pool was obviously open 24/7 and even though we did cook for ourselves, it didn’t feel like a chore cleaning up. Everyone is so excited to do it again!

And then there are our camping trips. We have done the camping with the potty and shower nearby, which is definitely roughing it for most people. (The showers and potties are usually nothing to speak of.) But then there is the “free” camping we do down in PA. This would be in the Allegheny National Forest. What this basically means is that you bring everything with you that you will need for the entire time you are going down and there are NO potties or showers anywhere nearby.

Here is the short compact list of things we take with us…

Tent, wood, clothes, shoes, coolers (at least 3) full of food, bags full of canned food, water for washing dishes, water for drinking, chairs, tarps, utensils, plates, canopy, air matress, pillow, sleeping bags, propane grill, new propane burner, pots and pans, lantern, snacks, books, games, cards, and an MP3 player (which was really not even used).

Actually, now that I think about it, I think we took most of that stuff to the Outer Banks as well. But at least there were showers and potties at the OBX. Either way, these vacations are fun due to the fact that we get out of our daily hum drum routine and experience something different. No matter where we end up going, in a tent, house, bed and breakfast, it is always special because we are together experiencing something new. I can not wait to begin taking our new child with us when we take these trips, sharing the times we have and showing the world to them. And as always, home feels so wonderful after being away…… ahhhhhh. 🙂