You never really realize how much you need a vacation until you get back from one and have an extra bounce in your step upon re-entering your crazy life. You also realize the level of need of a vacation when the whole trip seems surreal and a dream upon your return. I believe the pictures on my camera are my own personal proof that indeed, I took my first vacation since before NET. Let me tell you it was wonderful! It was also Megan and my first vacation together as sisters...I could not ask for a better sister to take such a trip with.
Well, Friday I had the whole evening to myself and after resigning myself to accepting the regret of denying a free $400 plane ticket to give up my seat I had a wonderful afternoon reading Narnia in the park (little kid's voices never sounded so sweet), going to adoration (which was a wonderful surprise when I walked in the Church...one man commented on how nice it was to see a young person...26 and still young...YES!), and eating In-N-Out while watching Shrek 2 for dinner. I picked Megan up and we talked nonstop until about 1 or 2 am, giving me the opportunity to experience that sisterly bonding that I have so longed for for so long.
Saturday morning we woke up relatively early (8am, sleeping in for me...9am Wyoming time...YES!) and drove to San Fran. I accomplished my 14 year old Bucketlist goal of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge and learned that its color is not red as I always presumed from Full House, but actually "International Orange"...trivia! Megan and I turned back around for breakfast and indulged in fresh crabcakes while watching the Pier 39 Sea Lion antics.
We walked up and down Fisherman's Warf before riding the Cable Car all the way to the end of its route. We shopped (and to see so many people and shops was not surprising in that I'd never seen it before, but surprising in that it had been 4 1/2 months since I'd seen such traffic and fashion and insane quantities of opportunities to shop! We quickly decided that it was too busy and headed back down to the Wharf to get Clam Chowder in a bread bowl and watch a lovely surprise. It was God's grace everything went so smoothly for at the stop we departed our trolley, there was a line about 50+ people long...it'd take forever! So we walked up a stop and Megan brilliantly noticed that they don't fill it up all the way to pick people up at the stops such as we were at. Two stops later our trolley was full. We forgot about our parking meter and rushed to refill it...Praise God no ticket! Riding on the outside of all the people made me feel like a celebrity because standby folks would take pictures as we drove up the roads, very cool!
So, we watched the Blue Angels perform while eating our soup and it was crazy awesome! We had to be at the wedding at 5:30, and we left at 3:30, just in the nick of time to get back, shower, throw on some make up and zoom to the service. Laura was beautiful and the hall gorgeous. It was weird seeing people from my freshman year...they'd be like "Tracie so good to see you!" and in my head I'd be thinking "what's your name, who are you?" Minor details, it was 8 years ago and a terrible time. Whatever, I'll probably never see them again.
And then we slept and I came home. My layover was in Denver...it was torturous being so close and so far from so many loved ones. Fortunately I only have to wait 5 weeks more and I can spend a healthy amount of time roaming the Mile High City! It was kind of hard getting myself pumped to return to a land of very limited civilzation, but now that I'm back my heart is again content in God's country. Thunder and lightning now! I am truly insanely blessed to live in such a remote area, to get paid to do what I love, to ride when I want and strive to make a difference. To have a job where you are ENCOURAGED to take a vacation every three months! Strange world eh?
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