Remember that happy-go-lucky Go-Go’s tune called “Vacation?” It goes something like this, “Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away.” Well, that sure says it all. And if I am dating myself by referring so affectionately back to the 80’s, so be it. The 40’s are the new 30’s, right? Anywho, this is the first “real” vacation we have taken since before the Saminator was born four years ago. (Although it often feels more like four-score years ago.) To clarify, by “real” I use these crucial criteria: (1) getting on a plane, (2) going somewhere cool, (3) just for fun, (4) staying in a hotel, and (5) most importantly—not visiting ANYONE. So here we are—one blissful vacation in Vail, Colorado… Well, mostly blissful. We are here with a four-year-old after all. Needless to say, he can be a real pin-in-the-Aspen when he wants to be and even when he doesn’t. Since I’m technically a Southerner now, I’ll add, bless his heart. As a rare exception to Rule 5, we also did get to hang out with my cousin Hannah whom I hadn’t seen in waaaay too long and meet her fiance Jon. It was great to see her and worth bending the rules a bit. Rules are made to be broken, right? Spoken by lawyer no less…

I was a little blt leery of going to a ski resort in the off season & summer, but I’ve got to say this is one of my favorite places on Earth. No exaggeration, even though I can exaggerate with the best of them. I’m so thankful to be here now when you can really see the many shades of the mountains, the gorgeous flowers in bloom, the intricate detail of the rock formations, and to hear the rushing river while going to sleep with the windows open. Plus the shops are way more accessible without having to bundle up and wade through snowdrifts to get there. You see, all that couldn’t happen with 100 plus inches of snow on the ground. When you are walking around Vail, though, you feel like you have been airlifted into a breathtaking Austrian village filled with winding walking streets of tasteful stenciled shops, an impressive variety of restaurants, and spectacular views of the Rockies peeking out when you least expect them.

If you are sick to death of me gushing about how wonderful vacation is, the marvelousness of Vail, and the utter fabulousness of a vacation in Vail, you will be happy to know that someone ran over our mailbox at home last night. Reality bites!

LibbY

PS The full archives of this blog are at http://www.libbywithay.blogspot.com