When I was a kid, we didn’t have
the money to take vacations. We weren’t considered poor by certain standards,
but let’s just say there were quite a few times where we had to have garage
sales in order to afford groceries for the week. As a young adult, I probably
had enough money to travel domestically, but I didn’t really have anyone to go
with, and I worked serving tables, so taking off work meant missing out on
daily cold, hard cash and not getting even more of an already minuscule
paycheck. Eventually, debt became a problem, and going out became rather
limited. Presently, I am slowly working on digging myself out of that hole
(that at one point in time, honestly felt insurmountable).
As for doing things alone, it’s
not really that I have a problem with that. I do enjoy going to the movies
alone or taking myself out for the occasional lunch. I also moved back and
forth between California and Ohio 3 times alone, before finally settling in
Cincinnati for good. And looking back, I’ve actually been to quite a few cities
here and there. I’ve taken spur of the moment road trips to attend hockey or
baseball games in cities, like Denver, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. I’ve even
managed a couple of weekend visits to Chicago, St. Louis, and Nashville. When it
comes to taking a true vacation, though, I’ve always wanted to have someone to
share it with. Not necessarily a romantic someone, but some sort of
companion(s) in which I can share my adventures.
Last year, I finally went on my
first mini vacation (Thursday-Sunday) to a city in Michigan called Port Austin.
About 13 of us shared the rental of a big house right on the lake. It was
during a weekend with a super moon, and it was so peaceful to just sit out on a
chair with the water right out in front of you, beer or bourbon in hand. Last
week, I finally went on my first “real” vacation; a week-long stay in Ohio’s
favorite vacation spot, Hilton Head Island, SC.
I’ve written on this blog on and
off. Most off, especially lately. I’ve actually deleted the majority of my
posts as I tried to start over each time. Being a perfectionist, I’m nearly
always unhappy with how my words turn out, and completely starting over nearly
always seems appealing. So here I am starting again. My plan this time is to
just share my experiences, whether it be in travelling or life. There will be pictures, of course, and possibly opinions, but mostly my own perceptions, as that's all we can really offer, isn't it? Feel free to
join me and add a comment if you wish.
