Vacation

No longer a teacher, vacation has taken on a whole new meaning. We went away for a few days to our friends' cabin along the Wenatchee River. There is snow, but not as much as usual and the temperatures were unseasonably warm. I suppose global warming may alter the idea of seasons altogether, but we certainly noticed the limited snow pack as well as the 44 degree skiing weather.

Vacation, for me, has always been something I've looked forward to. Not that I didn't this time, but it was different as I was not nearly as burned out as I used to be before a teaching vacation. I'm not sure what I expected, but this vacation took awhile to get the feel of. I wrote in my journal about the unnerving silence (something I may post here at a later date), but it was more than the silence of the place. It was my lack of need for it.

Once I accepted that I did not need it, I relaxed into the vacation more and enjoyed time skiing along the ridge, taking long walks along the river, reading late into the night, and eating home cooked meals without counting calories or feeling guilt. Ironically, the time moved quickly and before I knew it, we were driving home. Ann, on the other hand, felt the time went slowly, which for her, felt like a perfect vacation. She as a teacher, of course, needed the vacation in the way I once needed it.

Tomorrow I go back to REI for an 8.5 hour shift. Everyone must be watching the Oscars and therefore I've been summoned. Fine by me. The extra money is always important when my living is so cobbled together these days. I actually have a total of 15 hours this week, which is astonishing after weeks of minimal to non-existent hours over the past month. I'm actually looking forward to it plus it gives Ann quiet time to prepare for upcoming teaching week.

We took lots of photos on this trip as the light was astonishing and the days were filled with blue mountain skies. The above photo was taken at Lake Wenatchee. We hiked along a snowshoing trail that was so packed (due to the lack of snow) we could walk it without snowshoes. Rarely do I allow photos to be taken of me, but Ann snapped this shot in the shade and I snapped the subsequent one in the bright light of the sun. A contrast of our hike.

My legs are a bit sore today after a long climb up a ridge and back down again in our cross country skiing adventure, but it reminds me of how good it felt to get away and equally how nice it feels to be home again.