Let's Go to Maryland!

Travel.... I love to travel, but I want to be home with my "things" and my animals, and my routine/non-routine. But I have EMBRACED every trip I've taken in recent years.

Up to six years ago, I was "tied down" by a husband or significant other, and THEY did not want to travel. Talk about insecurities.... My one and only vacation with my first husband was a four-day car trip to FLORIDA. We left about noon, and drove throughtout the remainder of the day and through the night all the way to Pensecola. My biggest disappointment was the lack of palm trees! I thought all of Florida had palm trees. No. I was able to spend a half hour in the ocean, and we found his cousin's house, shared supper, and were off again. Yay. There was no other stopping or sightseeing, we were in constant motion, and I am not sure what he was trying to accomplish. I was less than thrilled.

Exciting trips I've enjoyed since then have been long weekends up north, camping on a penninsula on Lake Michigan; camping on the shore of Lake Superior; visiting my daughter at her prestigious college campus in New England; a couple days on my own in Vermont and Maine (not enough time! not enough time!); a wonderful nine days with my daughter, driving from one adventure to another in the State of Arizona; exploring the tropical wonders of Floridas Keys, both alone and with my best friend~~in a tent and exploring the crazy motels from days gone by; my first taste of Las Vegas; and most recently, the exploration on several different trips of the Washington D.C. area.

Why am I writing about this? Why should you care? The facts are: I am a single female, okay, I'm what may be considered "middle age"... disgraceful term, isn't it? The really disgraceful part of this, is that I've just learned about enjoying travel. When I was younger, and had a child to care for, I worked hard, and sometimes earned the right to take time off from work, sometimes, even paid time off. However, I obsessed, and stressed about it so much, that I often cancelled any travel and opted for staying home and tending to business/busyness at home. I currently am entitled to three weeks' vacation per year, and it's all in my hands. The problem at this point, is there are so many places I want to go and things I want to see and do, and there is so little time.....

I root for Maryland at this time, because I've just recently returned from there -- I visited my daughter and her family. We went to the National Zoo, visited Alexandria a couple of times -- it's close by, and my daughter and I both have some favorite shops and cafes in the neighborhood and visited Mount Vernon. The remainder of the time out there was family time and getting ready for a great Halloween Party. I want to get back there and see more of the Smithsonian offerings on the Mall, visit the Monuments again -- I'd seen them once when she first moved out there, but would like to see them in nice weather and at a more leisure pace than the first time.

I want to get out to the shore, see the Chesapeake Bay, and see more places like Annapolis, etc. There is a sheep farm we were going to visit this last time, but the rain was awful and not exactly conducive to roaming through barnyards.

I have friends who are planning trips to Hawaii, Mexico, France, Italy, Africa, Greenland, Belize, and so on..... But there is so much to do in this country!!! I fell in love with Arizona, and am still planning to go back to the Grand Canyon for a backpack hike down the Bright Angel trail. I don't know WHEN I'm going to do it, but I am going to do it. How does one fit all this in, with only three weeks' vacation? I'd apply for a job as an over-the-road truck driver, except, I don't want to be away from home for that much time.... Maybe I should get rid of the house and the job, buy a motorhome, and take this act on the road.... I'll get back to you.