So, most of the major summer commitments are past (funny how a few weeks ago it felt like my whole summer was booked, but now that I've reached mid-June, it's really not). And slowly but surely, I'm unwinding, as I'd hoped!
You know what? Unwinding is HARD! That might be counter-intuitive but it's true. Unwinding truly began for me when Mom, Dad, Lindsay and I went to Disney World. I was afraid it would be a rush, rush, busy week - you know, the kind of vacation that's fun, but so jam-packed with fun that you barely have time to breathe. It turned out, though, that even with getting to see everything we wanted to see...the trip was so relaxing!
Not gonna lie, the first evening there my brain kept trying to think of things to worry about, and was almost unable to deal with having nothing come up. Normally I'm constantly aware of other things I "should" or could be doing, how much money I'm spending (or making my parents spend, in this case) on a meal, what to prepare for meals, all the things at home that need my attention.
At the resort though, especially that first night, the only things we should or could be doing were...whatever we wanted. We had a dining plan, so during dinner I couldn't be mentally calculating how much I was costing my family, because it was just "1 meal" and we had meals for the whole vacay pre-paid. I didn't have to say "no, no, I'm not buying myself anything" and then feel guilty if I did, because my dad very graciously planned ahead to cover some souvenirs for me, and even ENCOURAGED me to let myself look for something I wanted. And, thanks to a fantastic Relief Society President and Compassionate Service leader...the apartment at home was entirely, beautifully clean and organized.
So, what did I do, in the face of nothing to worry about for at least a week? What else could I do but cry! Especially that first night, every random little thing just set me off - seeing the hammocks on the beach of the lake, seeing the sunlight on the water, eating dinner and having nothing to stress about. I feel a little bit silly sharing that fact with the World Wide Web (aka a few of my personal friends who read this, lol!), but I think those bouts of tears were a release of years' worth of stress and pain. Nothing could have been better for me than that week at Disney World, with that chance to cry the way I needed to!
Well, I'm getting tired of being on the computer, so I'll just give the highlights of the week in chronological order. If you want to hear about anything in more detail, just ask!
1.) The Epcot World Showcase. I spent at least a full hour in the France Pavilion, another in the Morocco Pavilion, and had a lot of fun talking to the people there native to those countries. When I said "bonjour" to the gift shop boy "Geoffroy," this is what he said about my accent: "To my ear, it is French." And I talked to the gift shop boy "Yassine" in (very limited, mostly forgotten) Arabic, and he said I had a natural accent as well. I have decided once again that I need to travel the world...or at least the mediterranean.
2.) Magic Kingdom. Going to Tom Sawyer Island like we did as kids, climbing just like we did as kids, but in places we couldn't reach as kids and probably shouldn't have gotten to as adults...heckyes!
3.) Water Park. Lazy. River. 'Nough said.
4.) Sitting along the beach and writing.
5.) Animal Kingdom. We went on the little Safari thing, and we saw (and got pictues of!) elephants, giraffes, alligators, etc, and a lion - a lion that was actually standing on a rock height, not just lazing about! Incredibly majestic.
5.) one of the best things of my WHOLE WEEK - doing the "storybook princess" thing at Magic Kingdom by myself after the family had already gone back to the room, not knowing whether it was a ride or what, and then getting to talk to Aurora, Belle and Cinderella. We discussed literature, among other things. <3!
6.) Dinner at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall on the Norway Pavilion on our last night there. We could see fireworks through the window and had wonderful, authentic Norwegian food - and I got alllll the princesses (it was Character Dining!) to sign the front flap of my writing journal. :)
So, whether on a planned vacation or at home, with loved ones or alone, I hope you get at least a few moments this summer where there's nowhere you need to be except where you are, and you can truly unwind.
Happy June!
Lauren
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