Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Leaving and Returning: they are the best

I don't know about you, but for me, the best parts of most trips are leaving and returning.

Leaving is always filled with the anticipation of what the trip will end up being about. I also enjoy the hustle and bustle of getting packed up and ready almost as much. I even enjoy getting up a bit early on departure morning (trust me when I say that I usually hate early morning awakenings). There have been few occasions when my anticipation has not been well founded. I've found, on looking back, that even those trips that had problems, or sadness, involved proved to be good trips. Of course we always plan our trips well, make reservations early whether we're flying, driving or RVing. We generally know the itinerary planned at our destination(s), but we reserve the right to lay-over a day (or two), to take a side trip, to make a friend, to help another with a problem, or to just take a day off from planned activities. Let me use a recent trip with friends to Pacific Grove as an example. Who would have thought we'd have had an "Elvis sighting!" There we were, in our cabin by the sea, relaxing between activities, when Nancy said, "I think I just saw Elvis go by." Of course we all gave her the ole "raised eyebrow" look, and then rushed out to see for ourselves. Sure enough, there was an Elvis impersonator returning to his bungalow from a performance. He was all decked out in his white get up. We actually thought it might be an impersonator we all knew, but it turned out to be someone completely different. No, none of us are what one would call Elvis fans, but who could resist an encounter like that?! There will always be good memories attached to that trip - the expected, and the unexpected parts

Then there was the return. Ah what a relief to be back home, unpacked, and relaxed, petting my puppies and telling Angela of our adventures.

Now Angela and I are off on a long weekend RVing with a new group we've never met. We've got an agenda, but who knows what all will happen? I do know we'll leave with lots of anticipation, and we'll be happy to be home when we return.

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