Getting Ready for Vacation

I am going on vacation.  Sadly, I am going without Dave.  Happily, I am going with my Mom.  I am going to be the chauffeur in “Driving Miss Daisy.”  OK – in reality, “Driving the Two Miss Daisies.”  I’m taking my Mom and her sister-in-law down to see a sister in Florida.  Mom wanted to go see this sister.  I didn’t want her to drive all that way by herself.  I have vacation time I have to use or I will lose.  Dave doesn’t get any vacation time right now – and we can’t afford for him to take time off work without pay.  So, the reality is – I have to go without him.

My Dad says that there wasn’t this much planning for D-Day!  My Mom and I have been on the phone together.  My Mom and her sister and have been on the phone several times.  My Mom and her sister-in-law have talked quite a bit.  And then, just in case we haven’t covered everything – the rest of the family has been informed, too. 

And I’m making my infamous lists.  (Turns out that IS hereditary, by the way.  My Mom is making lists, too.)  Lists for what I  will bring; lists for what I have left to do both at work and at home before I can leave (and, yes, that DOES still include packing); and lists for just the general things.

I’m truly looking forward to some chillaxing time.  Down near Miami, it is still beautiful weather.  I plan on spending time at one of the three pools available where my aunt lives.  I plan on reading several books.  I do not plan on doing anything I do not have to do!  (Don’t worry, Mom – I will remember how you raised me, and I will do dishes, and make up my bed every day while we are there.) 

I’m thankful that I am able to do this for my Mom – to take her where she wants to go.  This trip begins with a number of small steps – decide when to go, decide the route we will take, decide to spend the night each way – so the trip is not too tiring on any of us, programming the GPS.  None of these things are huge in themselves, but leaving any of them out would mean problems down the road (literally).  Of course, there is no guarantee that something won’t come up – but we are as prepared as we can possibly be, for all foreseeable issues.

My journey is similar.  It is made up of small steps that ultimately bring me to victory:  stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and make smart food choices, exercise.  None of that guarantees success, but they all work together.  Did I make all these changes at once?  Absolutely not!  Am I consistently doing all of these things?  For the most part, I would say, “Yes” (although I really need to work on the getting enough sleep step).  I’m not perfect at this though, and I have a suspicion I never will be.  But I have the tools in place, and I am using them.  (I most likely will not get to weigh every day while we are down there.  I’m really hoping to come back weighing less than I did when left – I would call that a resounding triumph!)