Vacation...

It's a funny thing, vacation. When I take time off from work, other than my usual 2 days per week, it goes under vacation. Whether or not it's actually a vacation, unless I'm sick, it's classified as vacation. A vacation for me picks up on the first part of the word vacation. Vacat(e) - get the hell outta dodge for a little while. My usual "vacation" involves sitting in the sunroom or laying in the hammock at Dan's mom's house. A nice quiet, restful time, filled with knitting, visiting friends and trips to Sully's (only the best breakfast spot *ever*). But my vacations rarely involve going somewhere I've never been or rarely go, and staying in a hotel. Until last year.

Last year Kate and I decided to take a girls only trip somewhere. Didn't much matter where, just somewhere. We batted around various ideas, and settled on Martha's Vineyard. Close enough that we can drive down in a few hours, but far enough away that we're pretty well removed from our normal lives. We did the requisite wandering of the island, visiting a few different beaches, seeing the lighthouse at Menemsha, and some reasonably ok fireworks in Oak Bluffs. Also,we can't forget the piggies! We saw little baby pigs racing for an oreo at the ag fair...certainly an interesting sight, to be sure. We wandered hither and yon (sometimes in search of a bus stop, sometimes because we felt like it), and overall had a lovely time. There were thoughts of going again, then November hit Kate like a ton of bricks, and the thought was out (of my head, anyway..)

After an evening in which we discussed some of the finer points of lace knitting (shuddup, you're not a knitter, you wouldn't understand! ;) Kate mentioned that she hadn't picked up the lace project she was working on on Martha's Vineyard since we got back. I offhandedly said we must need to go again, then. About 10 seconds later, we decided we were going again. I had planned ahead this year for Martha's Vineyard and Rhinebeck, and had been squirreling away my pennies for just such a day, so I was able to put down the hotel fee upfront.

Months passed, we talked about going, and now it's here! We leave Friday, and I, for one, can't wait. Given the unlikelihood of going next year (between new arrivals on Kate's end and getting married next August for me), I'm oh, so glad we're able to do it this year. But regardless of anything, there's always Rhinebeck.....