Thursday, June 16, 2016

Starting Over Again



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.