8 Signs of a Fabulous Vacation
I just got back from a week at Huntington Beach, Ca. It was one of the best vacations ever! It started out slowly with a day of just DH. Then Son #2 and girlfriend joined us, followed by Son #1 from Maine and his girlfriend, as well as a Dear Friend of 35+ years and her DH. We filled our incredible house rental with family and friends.
My Mommy heart runneth over. 
We rode bikes and ate well, walked the pier to watch surf and surfers and ate well, walked to downtown to hang out and ate well, hung out on the rooftop patio to watch the ocean and ate well, visited Disneyland and ate…..junk, and just generally hung out with people we love. Does it get any better? 
We hardly got in the car all week and had all our meals at home. To me, those were some of the best moments. What better Mommy time is there than enjoying friends and grown sons+girlfriends over fabulous meals? 
The pace of life changed for a week: no air conditioning so we heard the sounds of the day and night, virtually no car time so no traffic, no restaurants so no lines and no fat, walking everywhere and being by the ocean all the while, hanging out at night at one the home’s fire pits, biking a couple of miles a day…..ahhhhh. My ears and eyes and heart were filled with the ocean, friends and family. And the smell of the ocean air was delightful.
Of course there was that little detail of cooking for 2 days before hand, packing up half my kitchen, researching and planning meals, figuring out how to please different palates, a day of disassembling and reassembling my kitchen, packing up my sewing room (duh!), but soooo worth it!
So here are my 8 signs of a good vacation:
-I was outdoors and moving in a beautiful place.
-I could see, smell, hear, taste and feel new and wonderful things.
-No make up for 7 days!
-Great food, family and friends.
-I spent way more time on a bike and walking than in a car.
-I got to know my sons again in a day-to-day way.
-I got to know my son’s girlfriends better.
-The day after we got back the alarm clock rang and I thought “What the heck is that sound?” 
A great vacation indeed!
How lovely! Glad you had a great time.
Oh I did, I did have a great time!
Sounds like a perfect vacation to me…so happy you got to have it!
It was wonderful!
I so get the connection with the sons. My live close by, but our lives are so busy that we rarely have substantive talks. So glad for you!
Oh I get that-being nearby doesn’t always mean that there’s opportunity to have hang out time with your sons. I feel so blessed to have had this time.
Sounds like you put a lot of work into making this a perfect vacation for everyone. Glad you got to enjoy it too.
Hm, kinda like art-lots of hard work to receive a joyful payback!
It’s incredible when those tiny things we held in our hands turn into real people. So happy for you that you were able to have this wonderful holiday.
Yes! I pinch myself that despite all my failures, they appear to have turned out well…as far as I know…at this moment in time…
Jenny, how fabulous for you! I’m jealous and happy at the same time! It sounds like you were in heaven!
Oh it was! I really needed a break.
Sounds absolutely delightful!
Yeah! No make up for a week!!!
Oh yeah, and I NEVER do that-just seemed right for the occasion!
The weather down here is mighty nice. You can always move :)
Hmm, but I would need a driver-I’m not driving in that traffic….!
love it!!!!
It was wonderful and refueled me!